| With each passing day, more news stories and | | | | Some feature a filtration media that's in a plastic unit |
| scientific reports come out about how bad bottled | | | | while others are portable ceramic water bottles. The |
| water is for us. We wound up spending millions for | | | | ceramic bottles will usually be more expensive than |
| something we usually received for free. ABC News | | | | the plastic, sometimes three or four times as |
| show "20/20" famously sent famous brands of | | | | expensive. These bottles will look more like small |
| bottled water to a lab and they discovered that the | | | | pumps or fire extinguishers rather than the typical |
| contents were identical to tap water. The plastic | | | | water bottle. |
| bottles are also found to be not biodegradable. So, | | | | How Safe is the Water? |
| are portable water bottle filters the same bill of bad | | | | There are pros and cons to using portable water |
| goods? | | | | bottle filters. The pros are that it can filter out dirt, |
| | | | even asbestos and bacteria like salmonella. They also |
| What are They? | | | | are lightweight and can be easily packed with you. |
| Portable water bottle filters are found mostly in | | | | They are also far less expensive than many other |
| sporting goods, camping and RV supply stores. They | | | | kinds of water filtration systems. |
| look just like a usual plastic water bottle - only they | | | | But you can't live on strange bodies of water |
| have an intricate logo and a small unit inside containing | | | | strained through a portable water bottle filter. For |
| water filtration media. These are sturdy bottles to be | | | | one thing, the bottle only holds about as much water |
| used again and again. You definitely don't want to use | | | | as a soda can. You need to keep refilling all of the |
| these just once, especially since the average price is | | | | time. Also, many dangerous chemicals are much |
| $15 - and that does not include replacement | | | | smaller than the filtration media can handle and will slip |
| cartridges. | | | | into your water anyway. |
| Many times, portable water bottle filters are made of | | | | If you are taking a hike, twist your ankle and have |
| a plastic that is not derived from hard to decay | | | | to wait a couple of days for help next to a trickling |
| petroleum but from corn oil or other botanical | | | | stream, then a portable water bottle filter is better |
| materials that are biodegradable. Others feature | | | | than nothing at all. But for more practical use in |
| designs that don't have many problems leaking, which | | | | camping, you should boil your water and let it cool |
| stops any waste of the precious water inside. | | | | before drinking it. |