Harness The Sun for Clean Water

Tortoise Gear launched a water disinfection system that makes dirty water drinkable using just the power of the sun’s rays.

For longer treks, carrying sufficient water can be a weighty proposition. At a certain point it becomes sensible to carry a water purification system, and the SOL Water system offers to remove the majority of bacteria and viruses from water using just sunlight.

The bags use solar water disinfection (SODIS) to harness ultraviolet rays from the sun to kill nasty agents. During the middle of the day, Tortoise Gear claims that SOL will purify water in just three hours. The bags are reusable and can also be frozen, while serving as a waterproof pouch for your gadgets when not in use.

Sol Water comes in three different versions. The first is a one-liter bag called the Survivalist, while the Day Tripper has the same capacity but also features a drinking spout; the Backpacker has a two-liter capacity. Not only will the bags serve as a disinfection system for trekkers, Tortoise Gear believes the technology could have a significant effect on disaster relief efforts.

Although bacteria and viruses are killed, debris will remain due to the lack of filter, while chemicals such as pesticides will not be purified. As such, SOL Water may be best used in times of emergency rather than as a primary water purifier on the trail. A Kickstarter campaign offers a Survivalist bag for $3, and all three bags for $27. At the time of writing, the campaign surpassed its goal of $23,000.