Aquamira past expiration date – safe to use?

[Monte Masterson]

My Aquramira bottles are still over half full because I mainly use it for backup or in conjunction with a Sawyer mini when water is especially suspect. The Exp date reads 5/21. So what do you out there with chemistry knowledge recommend? Would it be safe to use for awhile longer? Appreciate the advice because it could save me $15 and possible shipping costs.

[David Thomas]

From their website, “A good way to (confirm the treatment is still effective) is to go ahead and combine equal amounts of Part A and Part B and look for the chemical reaction.  If you get the yellow color change and the odor of the oxygen being released, the resulting liquid is effective.”
That’s from their website, but I’m pretty sure they mean “the odor of Chlorine Dioxide being released” since we can’t smell oxygen.

[Monte Masterson]

Thanks David. I’d say a chemical engineer would have credibility on the subject, and even more so when Aquamira’s own website provides the info to determine whether or not A and B are still effective.

[Ben W]

Expiration dates are little more than a way to help ensure product keeps rotating in stores imo.

I noticed a date on a water bottle yesterday..

 

 

 

[David Thomas]

I love the expiration dates on salt. Somehow, it was sodium chloride for 156 million years, but in 17 months, it won’t be.

[Brad Rogers]

David – you don’t want old, outdated salt do you?

[Ray J]

Remember “Best Used” type dates are for full effectiveness.  Yes, Salt does loose it’s “Saltiness”, yes you can use “outdated” Aquamira, but they are saying it might not be as effective.  Bottled water…..the issue is that the water isn’t flowing and the chemicals in it to keep it safe, have been sitting in a HOT warehouse for months, rendering a higher chance of bad stuff growing in it.  So yeah, for some of these products it’s about rotating the stock.  I check for dates in the store and am sometimes shocked to find stuff like yogurt, 14 days “Past due”……

Kudo’s to Aquamira for posting how to tell if their product is working.

[AK Granola]

I would eat yogurt past its date, as long as it didn’t have mold and smelled and tasted good. My mom used to use sour milk for baking. Except for fresh meat or fish, most things last a lot longer than their sell by or expiration dates. There was a time when no product had such a date stamped on it and we survived.

I’m far more worried about humans who don’t clean their hands…

[David Thomas]

Karen: I agree about fresh fish, but red meat is more stable than many people realize.  Especially in our cool northern climate, I’ll make wraps (tortillas, cream cheese, roast beef, turkey, bacon, sharp cheddar for the first two days’ lunches (easy to eat while walking, no crumbs).  I might use lettuce and/or avocado on the first day’s, but cabbage leaves on the second day’s wrap.

Yeah, poor hand-to-mouth hygiene ruins more trips than any other health issue.

[SIMULACRA]

Glad to hear about the Aqua_mira. With so much available clean water sources (no filtering), I’ve still got the full un-used bottle I purchased back in 2014 for the same concept. Never came around to needing and even stopped carrying in my kit.

I’ve taken large chunks of cheddar cheese (1 for each meal) trips lasting 4-5 days in weather ranging from 60-80 degrees without issue. I only stopped because I got tired of carrying the significant extra weight. Is science on my side with these decisions? maybe, I don’t know -but i’m fine

[Monte Masterson]

This is the 12 gm Aquamira kit I carry. Two 3 ml (1/10 fl oz) micro dropper bottles, mixing cap and an MLD mini DCF stuffsack. Amount will treat about 3 gallons.

[SIMULACRA]

True enough, same kind of setup with me. It was no slight on you or the way you do things by any means. Just found that I didn’t use it enough  -well at all in my case, before the expiration date. Still have it. Was going to test it, now being way over the expiration to see if it produced acceptable results. I’m sure everyones use of this type of item varies per region and or personal experiences. Mine is just an exceptional case where I have an overabundence of fresh available water. Never ended up needing it

[David Thomas]

I did a lot more chemical treatment when I lived at 38N and even at 47N, but here at 60N, the water is so cold that recommended contact times represent several miles of hiking with those liters in my pack.  So I’ve gone to the smallest rechargeable SteriPen option so I can camel-up at the source and carry no water weight because there’s always another water source around.  Its 4.8 ounces is less pound-miles than I’d carry in water.

I still carry iodine tablets as a backup, though.

[Author]

Posts