Polar Pure Water Disinfectant with Iodine and Iodine Crystals for Water Purification in Camping and Wilderness Survival to kill Giardia and other pathogens.

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Iodine & Iodine Crystals for Water Purification
Text adapted from
Participating in Nature:
Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills

Iodine can be used in several different forms for water purification: as tablets, liquid, or crystals. Iodine tablets are available at most camping supply stores, and they are very effective at killing anything in the water, but they have a short shelf life even when new, and rapidly lose potency after opening. The tablets also give the water a nauseous taste and can be harmful if used over an extended time period. Renee and I only used tablets once. We brought some iodine tablets on our 500 mile walk across Montana. The one time we used them was to flavor the water at Two Dot, Montana because the alkaline town water tasted worse than the iodine tablets!

A 2% tincture of liquid iodine from the drug store, like that used in a first aid kit, can be used as a less expensive alternative to tablets. Just add 8 drops to one quart of water and let it sit for about fifteen minutes before drinking. But make sure it is fresh iodine, since it too has a short shelf life.

The best form of iodine for water purification seems to be USP-grade resublimed iodine crystals. The crystals "sublime" from a solid to a gaseous state without passing through a liquid phase in between. A small pinch of iodine crystals (4-8 grams) can be re-used almost indefinitely for water purification.

Water is added to the iodine crystals in a one or two ounce bottle and allowed to sit until the water is saturated with iodine. Warming the bottle against the body or in sunshine will allow the water to hold more iodine. This saturated iodine water (but not the crystals) are then added to your canteen or water bottle. The temperature of the water in the canteen doesn't matter; it can be very warm or ice cold. But wait a good twenty minutes for the iodine to kill everything before you have a drink.

Iodine crystals sound almost like alchemy or a great placebo at first, since the crystals can be re-used indefinitely. But I finally tried it myself, and the treated water certainly had the smell and flavor of water treated with tablets, although it was not nearly as strong. Apparently there is enough iodine in the water to do the job. The difference in taste may be simply that the iodine sublimes into a gaseous state, rather than dissolving into a liquid form. The iodine flavor becomes less and less noticeable the longer the water sits, suggesting that the iodine slowly escapes from the water.

Iodine crystals are nearly inert, but they will evaporate (sublime) into the air if the cap is left off the bottle. They will also completely sublime into water if placed in a large enough volume.

Polar Pure Water Disinfectant
Iodine Crystals Destroy Water-Borne Pathogens
(Including Giardia cysts and micro-organisms that pass through filters)

Polar Pure Water Disinfectant uses pure crystallized iodine in a unique delivery system to destroy water-borne pathogens including giardia cysts and micro-organisms (viruses) that pass through filters. Simply add water to your Polar Pure bottle.

Pure iodine crystals are stable and slightly soluble in water but evaporate easily. Keep your Polar Pure bottle filled with water to maintain an iodine-saturated solution and tightly capped to avoid iodine loss.

When used as directed, a saturated iodine solution for disinfection is maintained in the filled Polar Pure bottle. This saturated solution is then used to disinfect your drinking water at an optimal concentration of 4 - 5 ppm iodine per quart/liter of water.

Saturation concentration varies with the solution temperature, but a green dot on the liquid crystal chart on the Polar Pure bottle shows how many capfuls are needed for disinfection.

Polar Pure Water Disinfectant can be used for backpacking, camping, hiking, water sports, bicycling, foreign travel, hunting and fishing, emergency kits. The small size and easy use make Polar Pure the choice of many outdoors enthusiasts and those concerned with emergency preparedness.

Polar Pure does not deteriorate with extremes in temperature
has an indefinite shelf life
is safe and fully effective to use as long as you can see iodine crystals at the bottom of the bottle
one bottle treats up to 2000 quarts of water at less than 1/2 cent per quart
dosage chart is printed on the bottle
bottle cap is used to measure and decant solution -- no other equipment needed
small size and light weight makes it convenient for backpacking and travel
essential for emergency preparedness

Directions for Using Polar Pure

Polar Equipment utilizes a unique bottle design featuring a particle trap to prevent loss of iodine crystals during decanting for water treatment. Your bottle cap is used to measure the required amount of Polar Pure for each quart of water.

Polar Equipment recommends that each person carry his or her own bottle of Polar Pure to ensure sufficient quantities of safe drinking water.
For proper water disinfection, you must use a water container that can be tightly closed to eliminate possible iodine vaporization. Quart or liter sized bottles with screw tops are recommended.

Step One--Prepare the solution: Fill your Polar Pure bottle with water. Set aside. Solution will be ready to use in one hour.

Step Two--Treat your water: When your Polar Pure solution is ready, pour the required capfuls of solution into your quart container(s) of water. A green dot on the DOSAGE TABLE on the bottle of POLAR PURE indicates the amount of solution required for your QUART / LITER of water. Warmer solution will be more saturated so fewer capfuls will be needed.

Temperature of Solution	Capfuls per Quart
95° F (35° C)	1.2
86° F (30° C)	1.3
77° F (25° C)	1.5
68° F (20° C)	2
59° F (15° C)	2.5
50° F (10° C)	3.5
41° F (5° C)	4

Let treated water stand (tightly covered) for 20 minutes before use. Water to be treated that is colder than 68 F will take longer.

Step Three--Refill Your Polar Pure Bottle: Refill your Polar Pure bottle with water and tightly cap. The solution will be ready to use in one hour. It is best to keep your bottle filled and ready to use at all times.

Maximizing the use of Polar Pure

One bottle of Polar Pure is capable of treating between two and six quarts of water at one time before refilling. The amount of Polar Pure needed varies with the solution temperature. Warmer solution will have a higher concentration of iodine and fewer capfuls will be required.

One way to maximize the use of the saturated solution is to warm the bottle of Polar Pure. This can be achieved by warming the bottle against your body, or by placing it in a dry, sunny spot prior to use.

Holding a piece of fabric over the mouth of your quart container when filling with water is recommended to act as a pre-filter blocking large organic particles (bugs, leaves, etc.), thereby increasing the efficiency of Polar Pure.

Eliminating iodine taste / smell: Iodine taste (actually odor, sensed in the nose) is usually unnoticed below 2-3 ppm (parts per million). Any flavoring, sugar, or vitamin C can be added to the water AFTER the necessary disinfection time.

Protect filled bottle of Polar Pure from freezing Once your Polar Pure bottle is filled with water, it is important to avoid freezing. The bottle could crack due to expansion of the liquid inside if frozen. If you are hiking in freezing conditions, keep the bottle in an inside pocket close to your body or with you in your sleeping bag. The effectiveness Polar Pure is not altered by freezing. When not in use, store your bottle of Polar Pure where it will not freeze between uses. You may empty the bottle between uses if you prefer. Emptying the bottle is not necessary and it is best to have it filled and ready to use when needed. Some liquid will be retained in the bottle when emptied.

PLEASE NOTE: Polar Pure orders are subject to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) inquiry.
Customer names and addresses may be shared with law enforcement officials.

Sorry, we cannot ship this product outside the USA.

Polar Pure Water Disinfectant --USA Only-- $20.00 Quantity:

Participating in Nature, 5th Edition. $25.00 Quantity:

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Polar Pure Water Disinfectant --USA Only--	$20.00	Quantity:
Participating in Nature, 5th Edition.	$25.00	Quantity:


USA Customers We ship all USA orders via USPS Priority Mail, except as otherwise noted on the website. Express Mail shipping is available by special request.	International Customers outside the USA please click here for additional shipping information.