• There are numerous ways that you can filter your water.water splash - bottle and water in a moment image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  People often take clean, filtered water for granted. However, in the event that your power goes out, or you find yourself out in nature without a clean tap, you still need to be able to purify the contaminants from your water. There are some methods available which may sound strange or exotic, but they still give you drinkable water.
  
  

Carbon Filter Bottles

• One of the more exotic ways of filtering your water is also extremely portable. A variety of companies are releasing bottles of water that have built-in filters in the top section. This filter is made of a carbon mesh that holds back contaminants and lets water trickle through into the container section of the bottle. These bottles, such as the Clear2Go water bottle that was developed through a partnership with NASA, can cost anywhere from $20 on up, but they're completely reusable and recyclable.
  
  

Chemical Additives

• There are also a number of chemical additive treatments that can be added to water to help kill the pathogens in it. For campers, especially those who get their water untreated from lakes or streams, there are pills that can be dissolved in the water. These pills, some of which contain iodine, will kill the pathogens and germs that live in a sample of water. Unfortunately the downside is that the pathogens and germs may still be in the water, even though they're dead. Running treated water through a secondary filter process helps ensure that your water is safe.
  
  

Still

• One of the more complicated and exotic methods of filtering water is to build a still. This requires a container of contaminated water (salt water, urine, etc.) that can be completely sealed off with a glass pipe leading out of it. The glass pipe curves around to a second, empty container. The water in the first container is heated, and the water vaporizes, leaving the contaminants behind. The steam then travels through the pipes and slowly condenses back into water, which drips into the secondary container.