Joan

Have gotten very ill from bottled waters in Egypt,Turkey, & China. Off to Russia in 2001 and considering taking iodine crystals and making my own safe water. Any opinions?

Al

How do you know that it was the bottled water that made you ill? We have traveled widely in the back country of Asia and Africa, being careful to wash our hands regularly, and keeping fingers away from our mouths and eyes, and using SEALED bottles of water. Brush your teeth with the bottled water, too. And stay away from any ice cubes, salads, and unpeeled fruit. No problems. As for the use of iodine, how do you know such a crude practice will work? Years ago, in the service, we used water-purification tablets. Sometimes they worked, but generally they did not. I would use Clorox instead of iodine, if the choice were mine. Awful stuff, but effective -- against bacteria, but not against viruses.

Rudy

If you drank from sealed water bottles, you probably didn't get sick from the water. We never had the problem. Did you also make sure not to get any water in your mouth while in the shower? We were advised to keep our mouths shut while washing.

JP

It's not impossible to get sick from bottled water. Sometimes someone will try to make a buck by refilling bottles and selling them as new. Even in the US, a lot of small bottled water companies just use the municipal water supply. To be sure, find out what the major reliable brand is locally and buy it somewhere you trust, like a good hotel.

Annie

Go to REI or a camping/outdoors store, and buy a water purifying system. DO NOT use the iodine tablets--these are for emergency use, and should not be used on a daily basis for an extended period (more than a couple of days). They're great for hikers, not great for travelers.

Annie

thanks for the suggestion....I will make a quick trip to REI. Guides always give us the name of two or so "safe" bottled waters and then 50 miles away that water isn't available. so......need to know that my water is good. Thanks for your info.

stephanie

Joan-

Depends where in russia you're going. In Moscow and St. Petersburg the water is safe. And even outside of Moscow you can find bottled water everywhere. You will almost NEVER be served tap water anywhere. I've traveled to Russia dozens of times, never brought my own water, and never got sick. If you need to feel safe, go ahead and bring a portable water filter, but personally I think it's a waste of space. You can buy safe bottled water when you get there and use it to brush your teeth if you need to.

Good luck-
stephanie