filtering particles from water

[Michael]

I'm not talking about killing the wee cavorting beasties that live in the water. I nuke those with chemicals.

I'm talking about filtering particles from the water, things that don't make the water dangerous so much as unpleasant (like silt and other particulate matter). I'm basically looking for something inexpensive and light weight to filter this type of thing out of water before I treat it chemically.

So what do you use for this? Does something like a coffee filter work?

[northernbushape]

Yes, coffee filters work very well and can be reused 2 or 3 times. I have also used a bandanna, which also works well.

[Michael]

So coffee filters generally leave water pretty transparent and devoid of particulate matter? Excellent. There's nothing like adding something that weighs almost nothing and takes up almost no space to one's kit.

[northernbushape]

There still may be particles too small for the coffee filter to screen out. They can cause discoloration of the water. Be sure to boil as well as filter unless you know for certain the source is uncontaminated.

A lot of times boiling can bring the particles to the surface and you can spoon-off the resulting foam or munge.

I would invest in a proper water filter, but coffee filters will do in a pinch if nothing else better is available.

[Newanderthal]

Cut the top off a coke bottle and use it as a funnel. Place a coffee filter inside it, and put a paper towel inside of that. Secure it to the edges of the funnel with paper clips. Use the bottom half of the bottle as a scoop to get the water out of the stream.

If you don't have a paper towel, fine particles will clog your coffee filter rapidly and your water will drip through extremely slow. Adding the paper towel prefilters it and keeps the coffee filter cleaner, which in turn keeps the water flowing through rather quickly.

Drop in an iodine tablet or two and you're good to go.

Been using this for years.

[SmackontheWeb]

A bandana has always worked for me. After filtering I use water purification tablets:

I get the purification tabs here:

Military Water Purification Tablets / Tabs