New Improved Super WAPI - now with stainless steel wires and brass end caps that are an improvement over the older fishing line version.
The Reusable WAPI - Water Pasteurization Indicator. A small polycarbonate tube contains a wax that melts when water is heated enough to be pasteurized (65°C/149°F). The wax changes state and falls to the botton of the tube, This is an extremely useful, pocket sized, resuable device that should be in every campers kit and every home emergency kit. It is just 1.5 inches long and about the diameter of a pencil, and weighs about 5 grams.
Disease-causing micro organisms in water are killed by exposure to heat in a process known as pasteurization. Water heated to 65 C (149 F) for a short period of time is free from microbes, including E. coli, Rotaviruses, Giardia and the Hepatitis A virus. (Milk and other Foods require 71 C (160 F) ). The
This is an effective way to get safe drinking water without boiling. Reference Temperatures: :
Worms, Protozoa cysts (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba) are killed rapidly at 55°C (131°F)
Bacteria (V. cholerae, E. coli, Shigella, Salmonella typhi), and Rotavirus are killed rapidly at 60°C (140°F)
Hepatitis A virus is killed rapidly at 65°C (149°F)
Water Boils at 100°C (212°F)
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That's right - you don't have to bring water to a roiling boil to make it safe. This can be useful in emergency situations, when fuel is scarce, or in sensitive wilderness areas when fires are not permitted.
The reusable, durable WAPI is a simple device containing a special soy wax that helps users determine when water has reached and exceeded pasteurization temperatures (65°C/149°F). The WAPI can be used for pasteurizing over most fuel sources — including wood, charcoal and gas — but it works particularly well in conjunction with a solar cooker. Great for camping and emergencies.
How to use a WAPI (solar mode):
1.) Pour water into a black pot, jar or vessel
2.) Slide Wapi into Pot using the washer and string to orient WAX in the UP position. Make sure WAPI is in the deepest part of the CENTER of the pot, not touching sides - use extra fishing line if necessary.
3.) Put Pot in your Solar Cooker as you would for cooking (facing Easterly in the AM and West in the PM) - reorient as needed.
4.) Let it Warm the water - generally 1 hour per liter of water
5.) When the WAPI Wax melts and falls to the bottom of the indicator, pasteurization temperature (65°C/149°F) has been obtained. Even if the water has re-cooled - if the indicator has fallen to the bottom, pasteurization has occured.
6.) Let water cool before drinking. Keep water covered until use to preven recontamination, Don't let fingers or unclean object touch clean water. If you are unsure, re-pasteurize the water
You can also use this with water heated by a campfire or camp stove. The recently improved WAPI contains a heat specific soy wax that helps users determine when water has reached pasteurization temperatures. The WAPI now has the added benefit of a tough stainless steel cable and brass end caps. Both are designed to withstand high heat which means they won’t melt when used over an open flame. This feature makes the WAPI especially valuable when used over an open fire, like camping or in situations where solar cooking is not an option Remember you can use lower burner settings on stoves as water does not need to boil.
Note: Pasteurization does not remove dangerous chemicals, like arsenic. Pasteurization is not the same as sterilization - a process whereby everything, including heat resistant spores, is killed. The heat resistant spores that survive pasteurization are harmless to drink. Where sterilized liquids are needed - in hospitals and in certain food canning processes, for example - high temperatures above the boiling point are achieved using special pressure cookers.
