Katadyn Exstream XR Water Purifier Bottle (Cobalt)

My husband and I trekked all over Morocco, and there were certainly times when bottled water was not available. This was a life-saver; neither of us got sick. We were constantly filling the bottle up from questionable sources. The only down-side is that you must "push" the water through the filter by squeezing on the bottle... hard. Not so bad if you only want a sip or two at a time. You do need to have some patience and strength to operate the bottle, but really, isn't clean water worth it?

I'm extremely fussy about the taste of water. I used the Katadyn Exstream purifier bottle for a month while trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, and I never tasted iodine. I never got sick, either. High altitude travel requires constant hydration to prevent altitude sickness. I acclimatized well and was able to stay hydrated because I had drinkable water available at all times. My only complaint is that it didn't quite deliver the volume I'd have liked for acclimatization purposes, but for regular travel it would be fine. I'd use it again in a heartbeat, and I'll never travel to a third world country without it.

If you like your water to taste like iodine, this purifier is for you. If my life actually depended on it, obviously I would drink water from this bottle. Otherwise forget it.

this is a good product.

It effectively cleans water of microbiological contaminants (including viruses) through a layered filtration system and iodine-releasing resin (and among the only EPA certified bottles to do it). It is not heavy and leaves the water with a slight iodine taste (much more subtle than using iodine tablets). Each filtration system, which screws into the inside of the water bottle, lasts about 26 gallons (about 100 liters) after which you have to replace it, costing about US$22.

I have been using the bottle in rural peru and have had no problems. I would recommend this product for anyone venturing into areas with unknown water sanitation, all you need is the bottle and a puddle, stream, river, etc. I don't know its results against pesticides, arsenic, lead, etc. but for short term use this is a great product.