DebW
10-19-2003, 17:08
On my recent Long Trail hike, I carried a Sweetwater Siltstopper prefilter, the pump from an old First Need filter, and chemical treatment (both AquaMira and iodine tablets). It being fall, I figured that many water sources could be low and difficult to fill from without a pump. This was true in a number of cases. My hiking partner depended on dipping to fill her waterbag, and sometimes had to go further for water than I did. With the pump and prefilter, I could often pump from puddles in the trail on rainy days. The Siltstopper did a good job of removing silt, mud, leaves, etc before they got into my waterbag, giving me more confidence that the chemical treatment would kill the waterborne pathogens. It did clog quickly from pumping murky water (or even not-so-murky water), but I found that I could take it apart, wipe the outside of the filter element on some leaves or grass to remove the worst of the sediment, and continue using it. It actually clogged the first day at one water source, and my replacement filters were in a drop box due to arrive 2 weeks later, but I was able to clean it and keep it working. Because the filter housing is clear plastic, you can see how quickly it clogs and how much sediment is in the water you're pumping. Sometimes the water looks clear, but you an see sediment accumulating around the siltstopper as you pump. In my opinion, the 1 oz siltstopper is definitely worth carrying, at least in some locations and seasons. It would be nice if the pump weighed a little less though. Total weight of pump, tubing, siltstopper, and platypus coupler was 5 oz.
Here's what I learned about the relative convenience of AquaMira vs. Iodine tablets. Since I ran out of AquaMira between resupplies, I had to open the backup iodine.
AquaMira pros:
- minimal taste
- kill more bugs, including crypto
- wait time after adding chemical is only 15 minutes if water is warm
AquaMira cons:
- counting drops (3 liters = 21 drops of 2 different chemicals)
- waiting 5 minutes after mixing (Once I forgot until 30 minutes had elapsed and had to start over. Once I knocked over the mixing cup and had to start over.)
Iodine tablet pros:
- easy, no waiting to add the chemical
- works below freezing (at least it can be dispensed into the water, but give it plenty of time to work).
Iodine tablet cons:
- taste
- sometimes turns cooking water blue
- stains water bottles, bags, hoses
- wait time after adding chemical is 30 minutes
When I had both chemicals available, I ended up using iodine for most on-trail water refills to avoid the 5 minute wait. At a shelter or campsite, I used AquaMira, since the wait was no problem. But I had to use my watch timer so I wouldn't forget when 5 minutes was over. I hate to make other people listen to a beeping watch, but... Whenever I prefiltered the water with the Siltstopper, I used only one iodine tab per quart (which gives 4 ppm) rather than 2 as instructed. Note that proper use of PolarPur also provides 4 ppm of iodine.
Here's what I learned about the relative convenience of AquaMira vs. Iodine tablets. Since I ran out of AquaMira between resupplies, I had to open the backup iodine.
AquaMira pros:
- minimal taste
- kill more bugs, including crypto
- wait time after adding chemical is only 15 minutes if water is warm
AquaMira cons:
- counting drops (3 liters = 21 drops of 2 different chemicals)
- waiting 5 minutes after mixing (Once I forgot until 30 minutes had elapsed and had to start over. Once I knocked over the mixing cup and had to start over.)
Iodine tablet pros:
- easy, no waiting to add the chemical
- works below freezing (at least it can be dispensed into the water, but give it plenty of time to work).
Iodine tablet cons:
- taste
- sometimes turns cooking water blue
- stains water bottles, bags, hoses
- wait time after adding chemical is 30 minutes
When I had both chemicals available, I ended up using iodine for most on-trail water refills to avoid the 5 minute wait. At a shelter or campsite, I used AquaMira, since the wait was no problem. But I had to use my watch timer so I wouldn't forget when 5 minutes was over. I hate to make other people listen to a beeping watch, but... Whenever I prefiltered the water with the Siltstopper, I used only one iodine tab per quart (which gives 4 ppm) rather than 2 as instructed. Note that proper use of PolarPur also provides 4 ppm of iodine.