Polar Pure Water Disinfectant With Iodine Crystals

by Polar Pure

Product Features

• Polar Pure Water Disinfectant
• Portable water disinfectant ideal for camping, backpacking, or traveling
• Unique bottle design deploys pure crystallized iodine into water
• Destroys waterborne pathogens, including Giardia and microorganisms
• Treats up to 2,000 quarts of water per bottle; indefinite shelf life
• Bottle cap measures and decants solution--no other tools required

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Whether you're traveling in unfamiliar countries, camping in the great outdoors, or just want to be prepared in case of emergency, the Polar Pure water disinfectant is a space-efficient, reliable choice. Polar Pure uses a unique bottle design to deploy pure crystallized iodine into contaminated water. This iodine destroys waterborne pathogens, including the Giardia cysts and microorganisms (viruses) that normally pass through filters. All you have to do is simply add water to your Polar Pure bottle--which features a particle trap to prevent the loss of iodine crystals--and you will create a saturated solution to disinfect your water. The water cap then acts as the measuring cup, dispersing the required amount of Polar Pure to disinfect each quart/liter bottle of water.

Polar Pure offers several advantages over other water-disinfectant methods. It's far more portable than carrying household chlorine bleach, which is often available only in a dilute solution when traveling in many parts of the world. It's more convenient than bringing along enough fuel to boil water every time you want a drink, especially at altitude. And unlike most water filters, Polar Pure doesn't get clogged over time. In fact, a single bottle of Polar Pure treats up to 2,000 quarts of water. Other advantages: Polar Pure doesn't deteriorate in extreme temperatures, it has an indefinite shelf life, and it's small and light enough for backpacking or traveling.

Product Description

Even if you have a great water filter, it's hard to destroy water-borne pathogens, including Giardia cysts that can pass through the smallest of filters. This disinfectant destroys these hazards with the power of pure Iodine Crystalline. This specially designed bottle has a thermometer that determines the iodine solution and temperature. One lightweight bottle can purify up to 2,000 quarts of water. Perfect for travel, the disinfectant has an indefinite shelf life and does not deteriorate when exposed to temperature extremes. Features: Safe and fully effective as long as iodine crystals are visible 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 printed on the bottle Bottle cap measures and decants solution -- no other equipment needed Compact and lightweight for convenient packing Essential for emergency preparedness Item Specifications: Active ingredient: 99.5% Iodine Crystalline Capacity: Purifies up to 2,000 qts. Weight. 3 oz.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• ASIN: B00068M3HY
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,678 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #14 in Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Camping & Hiking > Hydration > Water Purifiers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1,486 of 1,496 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comparing chemical treatment methods, September 4, 2010

By 

Arthur Bradley "Arthur Bradley" (Eastern USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Polar Pure Water Disinfectant With Iodine Crystals (Sports)

The EPA estimates that 90% of the world's fresh water is contaminated and unsuitable for drinking. The days of kneeling down on a hike and sipping from the stream are long gone. Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because water looks clear or tastes good that it is free of contaminants. That includes frozen water, which can house hepatitis A, Salmonella, and Cryptosporidium for months.

There are many options for purifying the water, but this post will compare commercial products that rely on halogen chemical treatments.

Polar Pure - contains iodine crystals, has an almost indefinite shelf life if kept tightly sealed, and very inexpensive per dose cost, requires measuring the dosage using the cap (which can be imprecise).

Potable Aqua - contains iodine tablets, shelf life of up to four years if properly stored - if they've turned a light green don't use, moderately expensive per dose cost, easy to administer doses (two tablets per quart of water).

Micropur MP1 - contains chlorine dioxide tablets, has a shelf life of at least four years, moderately expensive per dose cost, and comes in easy to administer doses (one tablet per quart of water).

Simple household bleach - 2 drops per quart of water (assuming a a bleach solution of 5-6% hypochlorite), may wish to double the dose for cloudy water, shelf life of bleach is only about 6 months, must use a dropper to administer dose, very inexpensive per dose cost.

Tincture of iodine - 5 drops per quart (assuming a 2% iodine solution), may wish to double the dose for cloudy water, almost indefinite shelf life if properly stored, must use a dropper to administer dose, modest per dose cost.

All of the methods are effective at killing bacteria, somewhat effective against viruses, and of limited value against protozoa cysts. Cryptosporidium in particular is resistant to halogen treatments.

Most treatments only require 30 minutes. However, very cold water (i.e., less than 40 degrees F) should be allowed to sit for 2 or more hours, or be treated with a double dose.

As far as taste, all will introduce some chemical taste into the water. In a very unscientific taste test of chemical treatment methods, my own family concluded that iodine-treated water was by far the worst smelling and tasting, bleach-treated was second, and water treated with Micropur MP1 ready-to-use tablets was the least objectionable.

Finally, you can add Kool-aid to treated water to help the taste. Not only will it help to mask the chemical taste, but the ascorbic acid (vitamin C) converts the chlorine or iodine to tasteless chloride and iodide.

Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family."

274 of 275 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Serious water treatment, November 14, 2009

By 

Big Jon (U.S. Army) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Polar Pure Water Disinfectant With Iodine Crystals (Sports)

I have used Polar Pure for a number of years, sometimes under difficult conditions. It's much better than any other chemical treatment I have found. I don't recommend drinking stagnant water from a swamp, but if you treat it following the manufacturer's instructions, you can do it and won't get a disease or parasite.

One bottle of this product will treat a LOT of water...at least in the thousand liter range. Most products are sold as little tablets and only treat about 50 liters. This is hands-down a better product.

Like all chemical treatments, it only kills living organisms. If the water is toxic, you are still out of luck.

Great product. I swear by it.

354 of 369 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good but with cautions, January 12, 2010

By 

TucsonShopper (Tucson, Arizona) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Polar Pure Water Disinfectant With Iodine Crystals (Sports)

Shri says, "Just dip your water bottle over the side of the canoe to fill, add a capful of Polar Pure solution, shake, and wait 20 minutes" - but this may be dangerous advice. The problem is any water left on the outside of Shri's water bottle was, of course, not cleaned by putting iodine inside the bottle. Since Shri didn't report getting sick, Shri might have built up a tolerance to giardia, which is found in all waterways... or, Shri could have only gotten sick up to 4 days later and not connected the two (half of all Flu reports, in fact, are due to bacteria). Shri should have, perhaps did, "burp" the treated water bottle in order to clean the outside as well. Just as important, though, is to regularly clean hands and cooking utensils (since these are more often the sources of bacteria and viruses). You can reduce the minor iodine aftertaste by halving the dose and doubling the wait time - including doubling either dose or time if water is cloudy (the point being that adjustments are far easier with this product than, say, tablets like Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets). Instead, I add an acidic sport mix to both counter (turns the iodine to iodide) and cover aftertaste (only after 30 minutes to next day wait to let iodine first do its work). I also dilute powder with twice recommended water in an attempt to aid faster digestion.

Issues being addressed are large 2-15 micron Protozoa and medium 0.2-0.6 micron Bacteria most likely to affect dehydration by causing diarrhea as well as rare small 0.02-0.03 micron Viruses from other humans (as animal waste not generally considered a problem) - note many feel Viruses are not likely in U.S. (at least it's a smaller problem). Issues NOT being addressed include very large 25 micron tapeworm eggs, etc from raw sewage contamination (dealt with by any filtration including with coffee filter, silk scarf, or boiling). Tennimon's natural sand filter suggestion could take a week to work optimally (so, water should be treated anyway - unless naturally occuring, why spring water is so clean) and his claim of nasty taste (while never trying) is wholly unfounded. Just fill the Polar Pure bottle with water and shake. The solution will be ready for use in about an hour. The particle trap should prevent crystals from getting into the water - this is important as iodine in a crystal is poisonous and can burn tissue or eyes. Always refill the bottle so the solution will be ready for next use. Enough to treat about 2,000 quarts (compared to only about 50 quarts for tablets).

When camping, take water from the surface since it will be cleaned by the sun's ultraviolet rays while giving floc a chance to settle. Important to remember iodine is less effective (requiring more) if water is below "room" temperature, so warming water first can be useful (say, by leaving in sun). Best if water is filtered in any way (even if just with a coffee filter) as floc can shield pathogens from iodine (and no one likes to chew their water). Even the very best filters, though, can possibly leave some types of viruses (which are tiny dead protein fragments) but which iodine will destroy. I prefer this to other forms of iodine as well as chlorine (if just for the indefinite shelf life) - only other treatment product I would consider is Aqua Mira Water Treatment (1 kit) (good for 120 quarts). No treatment, of course, will affect toxins like industrial waste or heavy metals from mining tailings. Don't use if allergic to shellfish (since you may also be allergic to iodine). Good for foreign travel as well as backpacking. Homeland Security also recommends having at home in case of emergency, they prefer boiling or filtering AND treating water to be 100% safe.