I recently had the opportunity to try out the little blue “P&G Purifier of Water Portable Water Purifier Packets” on a backpacking trip through Paria Canyon. In the past, I’ve had decent results using alum, but I must say, the P&G packets impressed me.
They effectively separated the silt, which settled at the bottom of the water bladder, and stayed at the bottom, making it easier to pour the purified water into another container. I purchased a 10-liter collapsible water bladder for roughly $5 on Amazon. The weight was negligible and it featured a convenient flat bottom. Despite the river water being notably silty, it only took about an hour for the silt to fully settle.
Considering that my wife and I needed to fill just 6 liters worth of bottles, I found myself with some extra water left over. A portion of this excess was trapped in the silt layer, but it provided an unexpected chance to wash my face and body.
