View Full Version : Seeking hikers who do not treat their water
Erik Schlimmer
12-01-2008, 13:04
Greetings all;
As an ongoing study of the effects of Giardia on hikers, I am seeking people who usually do not treat their backcountry water. If you rarely or never treat your water while recreating, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Some respondents have listed the water sources they have drank from unscathed, how much untreated water they have drank since when, and what changed their minds about treating their water. Whatever your experiences, the more specific the detail, the better.
Conversely, for those that feel all water requires treatment, I would love to hear from you as well. Some respondents have told horror stories of gastrointestinal illnesses, how Giardia was not a problem in the good old days, and how they will continue to treat their water no matter what they hear to the contrary.
A movement gaining momentum calls for not treating water and simply paying closer attention to personal hygiene. This is shown in the below article, which is now being greatly expanded and updated. I hope to include your responses (only with permission) in this work:
http://erikschlimmer.com/pdf/GiardiaMyth-Buster.pdf
If you have experiences to share, please send a note to the address below.
Thank you.
Erik Schlimmer
info@erikschlimmer.com
I sometimes carry Potable Aqua or Polar Pure but seldom if ever treat. Places I would be beaver streams and beaver ponds. Haven't got sick once. (must be the purple berries)
Lone Wolf
12-01-2008, 13:18
i've never treated or fitered water in over 16,000 miles of AT hiking. never been sick. end of story
I always filter, never know what could be floating down the stream. I'll continue to do it for piece of mind.
I don't filter or treat.
I have not gotten sick.
I carry PA Plus, but havn't taken it out of the pack in 2 years. In fact, I'm so unlikely to treat, I took the nutralizer out of the pack, & I'm not dead sure the treatment part is actually still in my pack right now.
SouthMark
12-01-2008, 13:32
Don't treat or filter. Carry homemade gravity filter in pack but never use it other than to loan it out. Never been sick.
ChinMusic
12-01-2008, 13:44
I treat my water but believe that Lone Wolf and Sly are correct. I tend to be the canary in the coal mine and just don't want to take the "chance". Prob unjustified fear.
taildragger
12-01-2008, 14:01
I rarely treat anymore. When I'm out west, I'm prone to treat or filter if I really need the water, and it looks like cattle or partiers have been near the watering hole.
I do carry some Aqua Mira, and will use it on questionable sources. When I was out east, I could usually find water and camel enough to avoid treating. I treated once while I was in the Catskills, and that was solely to find out what Aqua Mira tasted like.
I've gotten the ****s once, that was when I get dehydrated hunting, to the point of wooziness, and drank out of a cattle pond. I had the runs for about 2 days.
The Solemates
12-01-2008, 14:31
sometimes i filter sometimes i dont. depends on where i'm at. i typically filter along the AT (although some portions I may not), but often do not filter on other trails. the AT has a higher probability of its streams containing disease than do a lot of the other trails i hike.
i have used iodine before as well.
The Solemates
12-01-2008, 14:32
forgot to add that ive never been sick.
Plodderman
12-01-2008, 14:47
Most times I do and sometimes I don't. I have never been sick but it would sure ruin a trip. The more populated the tail becomes and the closer houses get the the trail the more I would treat.
Greetings all;
As an ongoing study of the effects of Giardia on hikers, I am seeking people who usually do not treat their backcountry water. If you rarely or never treat your water while recreating, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Some respondents have listed the water sources they have drank from unscathed, how much untreated water they have drank since when, and what changed their minds about treating their water. Whatever your experiences, the more specific the detail, the better.
Conversely, for those that feel all water requires treatment, I would love to hear from you as well. Some respondents have told horror stories of gastrointestinal illnesses, how Giardia was not a problem in the good old days, and how they will continue to treat their water no matter what they hear to the contrary.
A movement gaining momentum calls for not treating water and simply paying closer attention to personal hygiene. This is shown in the below article, which is now being greatly expanded and updated. I hope to include your responses (only with permission) in this work:
http://erikschlimmer.com/pdf/GiardiaMyth-Buster.pdf
If you have experiences to share, please send a note to the address below.
Thank you.
Erik Schlimmer
info@erikschlimmer.com
I rarely treat my water in the continental US. When I do treat it I use Aqua Mira. On the PCT this yr. I used less than 1/2 of each one of the bottles. I carry it just as a back-up if I have to take water from questionable sources. I have never been medically diagnosed as having contracted a water born pathogen. And, unless one is medically tested positive for a pathogen one can not definitively state what one has. And, like U mention in your article, too often, I hear hikers state, "I must have Giardia". When I ask, "have U been medically diagnosed with Giardia"? Their answer is often, "no". In Hawaii, where I live and often hike, I treat my water more often. There, we have Leptosporosis which often comes from feral pigs. IMO, Leptosporosis is one of the more serious pathogens/diseases that can be encountered on the trail in the US. When I go to Patagonia this yr. to hike I will probably treat my water more often than here in the US.
I agree that we R led to believe that backwoods water sources in the US R more contaminated than they generally R. But, the extent and likely hood of encountering contaminated water varies. I also agree that with experience and knowledge one can minimize the risk of contracting a water born disease while on the trail(your well written article makes mention of this). The problem is that not everyone who goes into the woods and drinks the water has the same base of experience and knowledge. That's one of the reasons why many agencies make blanketing statements like, "all backcountry water sources should be treated". Great article Erik!
I rarely treat my water. This photo (http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php/component/option,com_gallery2/Itemid,36/?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=15316) says it all. :)
Like many experienced hikers, I believe sanitation is more important than water treatment. REI, of all places, is posting this train out thought on their website, too:
From http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/hygiene+sanitation.html
(http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/hygiene+sanitation.html)
(http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/hygiene+sanitation.html)
"A bigger concern, Backer says, is what medical types such as him call "fecal-oral transmission." Ew, gross. But it happens. Happens a lot, in fact—and research indicates it causes many more cases of intestinal distress than does ingesting Giardia."
Waterborne pathogens such as Giardia are not as widespread in backcountry water sources as once believed. A number of researchers and medical experts believe that much water in the wilderness (particularly in remote, high alpine settings) is drinkable without treatment.
Additionally:
Careful attention to personal hygiene can help prevent the spread of infection. Thomas R. Welch in a 2004 editorial in the journal Wilderness Medicine expressed the view that "stopping hand-to-mounth spread is the key to preventing gastrointestinal infection" and that routine universal treatment of water should be de-emphasized.
If I can see it coming out of the ground I don't filter it.
_terrapin_
12-01-2008, 17:22
ILike many experienced hikers, I believe sanitation is more important than water treatment.
I have read that, and would like to believe it. But the one time I got sick from hiking, I was entirely on my own, so there was no sharing of food whatsoever.
So to respond to the OP: in approx. 35 years of hiking, no water treatment or illness for the first 15 years. Since that one bad incident (in 1989) I've been carrying and using filters, and haven't gotten sick from hiking.
I have read that, and would like to believe it. But the one time I got sick from hiking, I was entirely on my own, so there was no sharing of food whatsoever.
Yes, but many GI illnesses often incubate BEFORE you head out on the trail. Throw in a possibly weakened immune system from a body not used to exercise and you get the trekker trots.
I don't know if that is the cause for you, but my experience tells me it is rarely the water. People with many initials behind their name seems to back this up, too.
No offense to you Terrapin, but I am going to believe the MD before I go by anecdotal evidence. :) Bad water CAN cause GI illnesses..it is just much rarer than marketing would have you believe.
jersey joe
12-01-2008, 17:35
I used a pur water filter on my thru hike until the smokies where I dropped my filter in the river and saw no point in pumping water if the clean end was already contaminated. I drank right from water sources the rest of the way and didn't have any problems.
warren doyle
12-01-2008, 17:59
32,000 miles of walking the AT. Never treated my water (never will).
More and more I'm only treating water if it's from suspect sources. I try to keep good sanitation in the woods.
_terrapin_
12-01-2008, 18:07
No offense to you Terrapin, but I am going to believe the MD before I go by anecdotal evidence. :) Bad water CAN cause GI illnesses..it is just much rarer than marketing would have you believe.
No offense taken. No question, the "evidence" is meager. I'd only add that a defense against cooties in the water is only one reason for schlepping the filter. Two others: 1) getting usable water from murky/muddy sources, if need be, and 2) getting water from very shallow sources... if need be.
I don't filter water for dinner or for tea, since it's going to be boiled anyway. And I don't filter water from true springs -- ie., where I can see the water emerging from the ground (or a pipe.)
Hammock Hanger
12-01-2008, 18:18
I do not treat. I have hiked through FL (drank swamp water, canal water and Suwanee River). I hiked through lower Alabama got my water from just about anywhere, ponds, gutters, lakes, you name it. ( I did hike a stretch around the chicken farms where I was a little more careful but not much.) I drank water from creeks that I later found beavers living in the pond the creek ran off.
During the summer of 2007, when water was scarce I found that any criteria that I had, which was little to start with, went completely away. If I came to water I drank.
My husband who hikes with me always filters. It is a matter of choice and it is your gamble.
I have not been sick.
camojack
12-01-2008, 18:28
I bought a filter years ago...but have never used it. So far I've never gotten sick from water I've gotten while out on the trail, either. Most recently that was Labor Day Week in New England.
I got sick back in the early 1980s after a hike in the Pemigewasset Wilderness in the White mountains. I drank from a river near a well-used campsite. Who knows what made me sick, or whether or not it was giardia? Nevertheless, I bought a First Need water filter right after that, use it all the time, and haven't been sick )during or shortly after a hike) since.
I was glad to have a filter that removes chemical impurities when I ran out of water along the Housatonic River in Mass. I think now that it's more important to filter out chemical pollutants than parasites, so I continue to use my filter unless I collect rain water. Water coming out of the ground was once on top of it somewhere, and I don't know how well soil can filter water.
Kudos to you guys who never filter. I wish you luck.
Erik:
Do you want anything more than we have been posting?
Like examples of: where we drink from, number of times (per: year, month, day, etc.) we drink in the wilds, years hiking, etc.
Flush2wice
12-01-2008, 21:27
My filter broke in 1992, never gotten sick from drinking "wild" water since then. I think I have developed an immunity to the most common nasties that might be found in the water around my area.
I did get a nasty case of backdoor boogy from a salad bar about 2 years ago.
taildragger
12-01-2008, 21:36
My filter broke in 1992, never gotten sick from drinking "wild" water since then. I think I have developed an immunity to the most common nasties that might be found in the water around my area.
I did get a nasty case of backdoor boogy from a salad bar about 2 years ago.
Should have set down your poles and filtered that salad :rolleyes:
I filter with a Katadyn and boil when in doubt but I tried to stay away from the chemicals
Skidsteer
12-01-2008, 21:51
I used to filter or treat 100% of the time. The last 4-5 years? Not so much. Maybe 30-40% at a guess and trending downward.
I've never gotten sick either way.
warraghiyagey
12-01-2008, 22:19
i've never treated or fitered water in over 16,000 miles of AT hiking. never been sick. end of story
Same answer (minus about 14,500 AT miles)
Erik:
Do you want anything more than we have been posting?
Like examples of: where we drink from, number of times (per: year, month, day, etc.) we drink in the wilds, years hiking, etc.
I think this is a good questions as I feel where I hike and where and how I take my water is relevant to minimizing my chances of contracting a parasite. When I take water from a stream I try to take it upstream from the trail at a waterfall. The waterfall doesn't have to be big. In my mind, when I put my Nalgene under the edge of a waterfall multiple parasites have to be going over the waterfall at the same time and enter the mouth of my Nalgene. Seems to me, like it's high odds that I'm going to get a sufficient number of parasites in my water that will cause me to contract a disease. And, that's if there R a sufficient concentration of viable living cysts in that body of water to begin. When taking water from ponds or lakes I try to choose deep clear water sources. I disturb the water as little as possible and dip my Nalgene or Platypus a little below the surface. I try not to take the surface water either.
Some of the factors that I consider when I take my water and if I should treat it R: is the water source downstream from or near known livestock areas, how highly impacted is the area by humans, is the trail I'm on or other trails in the adjacent area visited by pack animals, have I noticed beavers, muskrats, moose, waterfowl or other significant wildlife signs like numerous tracks near the water, if I'm taking water from a spring is it flowing with a high volume and what's its location(high on a rarely visited mountain or is it next to a road), smell and appearance of the water, etc. Many of these factors I have learned from experience and getting myself informed. They R not always easily communicated to others.
I also believe that health and metabolism play a role. I have a healthy digestive tract - meaning I supplement with beneficial flora(probiotics), eat a high fiber diet low in animal products, and eliminate regularly. What I eat at camp at 8 p.m. is eliminated by 10 a.m. the next morning. To me, this means cysts have less time to incubate inside me if I do happen to ingest them.
I filtered everything I drank on the LT last summer, and still got sick for a few days. Used a Katadyn filter. I didn't blame it on the water at the time, and I still don't think it was water that got me sick, but I mention it here for what it's worth.
Serial 07
12-02-2008, 02:24
never treated, never got sick...
with that said, i also was conscious of what i was doing...springs or streams higher on the mountainside, i drank up...low level stuff, farm area stuff, i avoided...i'm a "if it feels good, do it" kinda guy, so often i just went by feeling...
my boy snackies, aka "rigged methodology", treated every single liter of water he drank (even on roan mountain :confused:)...it just made him feel better...
I've experience diarrhea at the normal incidence rate in North America, perhaps less, but never associated with outdoor activies, such as swimming, sailing, paddling, or backpacking. I got a nasty carbunkle a few years ago, also not associated with outdoor activities. I bought aqua-mira several years ago don't treat my water any more, except to boil it with my Kelly Kettle when making tea or oatmeal. On a long hike on the AT I think it is more important to protect the environment from people than to protect people from the environment. The best way to do that is for people to stay healthy and not spreading human borne diseases to one another and hence to the environment in greater numbers. Basically, wash your hands before and after contacting other people. Boil your water places you think might be contaminated by people. Don't worry so much about getting sick from a dead moose upstream. Just try and be as clean in the mooses home as you are in your own. Fact is, the mooses home is much cleaner than our kitchens and bathrooms and hospitals and offices, in terms of bugs that will do us harm.
Always filter or treat. Don't listen to these cowboys.
Lone Wolf
12-04-2008, 10:06
Always filter or treat. Don't listen to these cowboys.
this thread is about real hikers who don't treat and aren't afraid of water not for sheeple like you that follow the masses
I rarely treat either and I have never been sick. Growing up in the Virgins gave me a pretty solid stomach. We had a cistern and often my Dad would clean out frogs, rats, etc... from it.
Always filter or treat. Don't listen to these cowboys.I met some type of water quality scientist that was a professor at University of Florida on the trail and he gave me a quick lesson on choosing water sources that do not need treatment. I wouldn't call him a cowboy.
garlic08
12-04-2008, 10:15
I just crack up when I see hikers in the Smokies carrying their $3 liter bottles of "Smokey Mountain Spring Water", then filter or treat the water coming from the actual spring. When you're in the city, you're afraid of the city water. When you're in the mountains, you're afraid of the mountain water. Sad.
superman
12-04-2008, 10:17
There are times and places that are good to have a filter.
I think it was the Johnson farm overlook in VA. There was a sign that said something about water and camping .2 mi. It was the end of the day and I needed water. It was at least .2 mi. down. When I got down there the camping consisted of a elevated 10' square covered by cow manure. The water source was below that with cow manure in and all around the water source. I filtered. There were water sources on the CDT and the FT that were nasty even after filtering. I filtered. I won't even discribe the water from the Song Dong Nai. I wish I'd had a filter or a medevac.:)
john gault
12-04-2008, 10:18
I never treat water never been sick...well once, but not sure if it was the water...although it was some nasty ass water, so maybe it was...it was a slimy mudhole -- a real challenge for my immune system.
We do seem to be just as afraid of "wild water" as we are from the tap. I knew 1 guy who got sick on the Pct from the water in the Sierras. But, that is about it.
_terrapin_
12-04-2008, 10:20
this thread is about real hikers who don't treat and aren't afraid of water not for sheeple like you that follow the masses
Why do you find it necessary to insult those who hike differently from you?
Lone Wolf
12-04-2008, 10:22
i don't. go away
fiddlehead
12-04-2008, 12:12
interesting thread. THe OP is looking for guys who don't treat and already it has turned into a pissing contest.
anyway, I don't like to say "NEVER" but i really can't remember the last time i treated water.
I guess it was in Nepal in 2004. I sometimes drink the water in Nepal but not if there is a town above the water source. (Nepali people like to put there outhouses over the streams)
I was just hiking out in AZ in the desert 3 weeks ago on a 3 day-er.
We didn't treat anything although there were a lot of frogs in the water and scum at one source. We drank it. It was fine.
We ran into some other hikers who asked us what we do about the water. In order not to get into a long discussion, we just told them where there was some decent water sources.
I used to carry chlorine and still will when i go back to the Himalayas. But i wouldn't on the AT. (now I hear it has a short shelf life so that's why i stopped carrying it)
I have a theory that once you've had giardia, you won't get it again. I had it in Nepal in 1989 and yes, it sucked. But i never got it again. Nepali people don't treat the water and it has been known to be full of giardia. I never saw a native treating it.
I won't say i'll never treat the water. If i start getting sick when i'm out there and i think it's coming from the water source, then i'd start doing something about it. until then..............i don't need to !
In 20,000 miles of hiking, i've probably treated the water less than 20 times and that was at questionable sources (himalayas, rivers, stagnant ponds, etc)
May i suggest that those who want us all to treat and think they should be involved in the discussion, well, they could start their own thread (or search for the many that have already been discussed)
Have not treated in 3,000 AT miles. Never got sick
Have not treated on other section hikes over the years, and have never gotten sick.
Started out with Aqua Mira on the PCT, used it about 3 or 4 times at really "questionable" sources, and then got Giardia somewhere around Aqua Dulce....sick, sick, sick. Did not use anything after recuperating, and never got sick again on the PCT.
I'm taking a simple, light, bag filter on the CDT in April, just to filter out large "floaties", ie., cow manure, small animals, etc. I will probably not use it often.
Flush2wice
12-04-2008, 12:31
The water in my house comes from a spring. It's not treated.
_terrapin_
12-04-2008, 12:36
interesting thread. THe OP is looking for guys who don't treat and already it has turned into a pissing contest.
The OP does say this: Conversely, for those that feel all water requires treatment, I would love to hear from you as well.
I have a theory that once you've had giardia, you won't get it again.
That's because people who get it learn to treat their water! :-?
I had Giardia before, haven't gotten it since (I do and don't treat water,) but my buddy drank from the same bottle from the same sources at the same times that whole week and didn't get it, so his tolerance must have naturally been higher...
Just kidding. I have the same theory too. I'm sure the body has natural tolerances for Giardia and I'm sure if you don't cross the "tolerance threshold," you don't get sick from it, but instead, increase your tolerance threshold each time.
Eventually, you're practically immune to it. Then you can brag all you want about how much fetid water you can drink, how much hiking you've done, how many daises you can pick and how other people "aren't real backpackers" because they are inable to pick as many daisies or piss as far.
More and more I'm only treating water if it's from suspect sources. I try to keep good sanitation in the woods.
To expand upon this... if it's from a spring, I don't treat any more. Streams I rarely treat, but I do inspect the surrounding area first and make sure I don't see anything too suspect. Lakes I do still treat, but I use fewer drops than I used to, maybe 2 or 3 tops instead of 5. Swamp runoff I still treat, even if it's a stream.
I currently use bleach drops (MSR sweetwater drops), but I rarely put in the requested 5 drops when I treat, unless it's from a very suspect source, like a stream in a cow pasture or swampwater.
Edit to my post above:
That's because people who get it learn to treat their water! :-?
I had Giardia before, haven't gotten it since (I do and don't treat water,) but my buddy drank from the same bottle from the same sources at the same times that whole week and didn't get it, so his tolerance must have naturally been higher...
Just kidding.
Should Read:
That's because people who get it learn to treat their water! :-?
Just kidding.
I had Giardia before, haven't gotten it since (I do and don't treat water,) but my buddy drank from the same bottle from the same sources at the same times that whole week and didn't get it, so his tolerance must have naturally been higher...
I wasn't kidding about my partner and the drinking from the same water
I wasn't kidding about my partner and the drinking from the same water
I was wondering about that. :sun
Again it depends on the source, I carry in my pack polar pure and it doesn't get much use unless there is a very questionable source. I believe I adopted the phrase "live water" from somebody. My theory is as followed. Growing up all my life on various sources of well water and drinking frequently in the backcountry with no purification I think builds up a certain strength within the digestive system. My theory continues that those folks that grow up or live in cities/town that treat water with chlorine or other chemicals, their system is use to only pure (purified) elements, when "live" water is digested or "wild" water, they will become sick on some level since their bodies have no natural resistance. Its only my theory.
I remember FH borrowing a water filter once he, he, he ;)
Blissful
12-04-2008, 15:17
Who cares if you treat or not? It's not worth arguing about which WB seems to be doing a lot of these days.
Stop being scrooges or the ghost of Christmas yet to come will knock on your door.
:)
Who cares if you treat or not?
This dude:
Erik Schlimmer
info@erikschlimmer.com
this thread is about real hikers who don't treat and aren't afraid of water not for sheeple like you that follow the masses
I don't know if it means we are real hikers or not, but the people who seem to have the most backcountry time also tend to treat their water the least. Make of that what you will...
And such "cowboys" as MDs who study this for a living now think sanitation is more important and that all water does NOT have to be treated... Kinda what has been said by many people for years as well.
So treat water if you want..but wash those hands! :)
superman
12-04-2008, 15:27
Greetings all;
As an ongoing study of the effects of Giardia on hikers, I am seeking people who usually do not treat their backcountry water. If you rarely or never treat your water while recreating, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Some respondents have listed the water sources they have drank from unscathed, how much untreated water they have drank since when, and what changed their minds about treating their water. Whatever your experiences, the more specific the detail, the better.
Conversely, for those that feel all water requires treatment, I would love to hear from you as well. Some respondents have told horror stories of gastrointestinal illnesses, how Giardia was not a problem in the good old days, and how they will continue to treat their water no matter what they hear to the contrary.
A movement gaining momentum calls for not treating water and simply paying closer attention to personal hygiene. This is shown in the below article, which is now being greatly expanded and updated. I hope to include your responses (only with permission) in this work:
http://erikschlimmer.com/pdf/GiardiaMyth-Buster.pdf
If you have experiences to share, please send a note to the address below.
Thank you.
Erik Schlimmer
info@erikschlimmer.com
This was the question. He was looking for those who don't filter, not all us "depends on the source" or those who "analy filter" people. It's interesting to note that the same people are wrong on this question ... yet again ... for the 100th time it's been asked in different ways. :)
Stop being scrooges or the ghost of Christmas yet to come will knock on your door.
:)
Does that is apply to Jewish, Buddhist, Scientologist etc. hikers, too? :banana
_terrapin_
12-04-2008, 15:33
It's interesting to note that the same people are wrong on this question ... yet again ... for the 100th time it's been asked in different ways. :)
There's no "right" or "wrong" on this issue.
superman
12-04-2008, 15:36
There's no "right" or "wrong" on this issue.
Think how much easier life would be if you just accept that what I say is right.:)
This was the question. He was looking for those who don't filter, not all us "depends on the source" or those who "analy filter" people. It's interesting to note that the same people are wrong on this question ... yet again ... for the 100th time it's been asked in different ways. :)
Whether or not he asked a black or white question, he's getting a grey answer. There does exist a bell curve in this area and fortunately people are giving him such a response.
I am seeking people who usually do not treat their backcountry water.
...
Conversely, for those that feel all water requires treatment, I would love to hear from you as well.
He also opened the floodgates with this one
Whatever your experiences, the more specific the detail, the better.
So, if you want to argue about exactness and following his instructions, you're better positioned to poke at this one:
If you have experiences to share, please send a note to the address below.
Thank you.
He didn't say "please post a lengthy argument on the forum I'll never return to again."
superman
12-04-2008, 15:52
Whether or not he asked a black or white question, he's getting a grey answer. There does exist a bell curve in this area and fortunately people are giving him such a response.
He also opened the floodgates with this one
So, if you want to argue about exactness and following his instructions, you're better positioned to poke at this one:
He didn't say "please post a lengthy argument on the forum I'll never return to again."
Now there you go again doing all that quoting stuff. It's very impressive. Did you notice that I was one of the “depends on the source” responders? Every time this question is asked, in it’s various forms, we all pile on and aver what we think is the right thing to do. It would be easier for all of you to just accept my answer as the correct one so we can all get on to "what breed of dog is the best to hike the AT with." :)
Now there you go again doing all that quoting stuff. It's very impressive.
YOU BETCHA! ;)
It would be easier
for all of you to just
accept my answer
as
the correct one
No, Because it is your answer, not everybody's.
It would be easier for all of you to just accept my answer as the correct one so we can all get on to "what breed of dog is the best to hike the AT with." :)
Remember: Hike my Hike, damn it! (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37459)
:p
Remember: Hike my Hike, damn it! (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37459)
:p
I oft allude users on WB to be equal to that of drivers on the road, as the old saying goes:
People that drive faster than you are maniacs.
People that drive slower than you are morons.
People who match my pace are ********.
minnesotasmith
12-04-2008, 16:48
Greetings all;
As an ongoing study of the effects of Giardia on hikers, I am seeking people who usually do not treat their backcountry water.
Try a parisitology/gastrointestinal ward. ;)
superman
12-04-2008, 16:48
Remember: Hike my Hike, damn it! (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37459)
:p
LMAO:p
SassyWindsor
12-05-2008, 02:23
It amazes me to see several hikers sharing a bag of GORP using nasty hands but insist on filtering their water. I have never filtered my water when in the mountains, I don't share, and I keep my hands clean when handling food. If I ever do get Guardia, I probably still won't filter.
Serial 07
12-05-2008, 03:54
Should have set down your poles and filtered that salad :rolleyes:
i know in "thread life", this was a long time ago, but i thought it was funny...
Serial 07
12-05-2008, 04:06
...so we can all get on to "what breed of dog is the best to hike the AT with." :)
this is funny too...
gonewalkabout
12-05-2008, 11:54
I met some type of water quality scientist that was a professor at University of Florida on the trail and he gave me a quick lesson on choosing water sources that do not need treatment. I wouldn't call him a cowboy.
Could you please share this experts qualifications if know and his advice so the rest of us ccan benifit.
Thanks
fiddlehead
12-05-2008, 12:55
I remember FH borrowing a water filter once he, he, he ;)
Yeah, you laughed then too!
May I explain?
PCT 96, i hiked the 2 or 3 miles off trail to the water source (now they have a cache nearby from what i understand).
When i got there, there were about 15 cows IN the water source which was basically a swamp with just as much cow **** as water being mixed together by their feet in their frightening state to get away from me aproaching them.
I found where the spring entered the swamp after a while, although it was below the top of the water/**** level. I cleared it as best i could and filled my bottle. I was then building a fire to boil it when you and RM came up laughing and holding that filter out for me.
Sure i was glad to use it.
But you didn't have to charge me that pack of cigerettes i was carrying for the day you ran out.
Anyway, yes it was a very memorable day Blister Sister and I even carried bleach for our hike in 2002 for that very spot. But now, of course there are cases of water up at the trail so you don't even have to walk down to the ****hole.
Good memories for sure.
this thread is about real hikers who don't treat and aren't afraid of water not for sheeple like you that follow the masses
Sheeple is it? That's downright feeling hurting.
Could you please share this experts qualifications if know and his advice so the rest of us ccan benifit.
ThanksAll I remember about qualifications was he knew what he was talking about. He was out with a coworker at Overmountain Shelter and I overheard them talking shop so I asked him.
What he said was if you see it coming out of the ground and there are no cattle fields or anything with a massive amount of poop uphill then you are good to go. So I asked about the spring there and he said he would drink it.
The Professor
12-12-2008, 16:30
I rarely treated my water during my thru in 07. I did have a number of qualifications though. I did not purify water that:
A. was not flowing through an agricultural or urban area
B. had a clear flow, not heavy in sediment
C; I could take from a point above where it crossed the trail
D: had otherwise no obvious contaminants (dead animals/feces/trash)
And this accounted for most of my water. Probably purified less than 25% of the time.
The only time I was ill was coming out of Atkins, the day after I stayed at an incredibly dirty motel (most of you know that one).
I think most giardia and infections are transmitted hiker-to-hiker, not by water. And one common vector would be shelter logs. Everyone touches them, and few of us touch them with pristine hands. And then many of us eat hand-to-mouth.
Alligator
12-12-2008, 16:48
...
I think most giardia and infections are transmitted hiker-to-hiker, not by water. And one common vector would be shelter logs. Everyone touches them, and few of us touch them with pristine hands. And then many of us eat hand-to-mouth.I'm especially suspicious when the log has pages ripped out...who would need an emergency sheet of paper:-??
Almost There
12-12-2008, 22:42
Only filter near roads or from standing water/mudpuddles. Have not filtered at all in the last two years. This includes NC/Tenn north of Smokies, parts of Central Va, and the 100 mile Wilderness.
I treat with iodine tablets just for peace of mind.
bloodmountainman
12-15-2008, 16:13
Sheeple is it? That's downright feeling hurting.
You'll get used to it if you hang around here enough! Wear your thickest skin!!!
I usually boil water for cooking and drink the left over after it cools overnight. Tried and trued method of water treatment.
I treat occasionally. It all depends on where I am and what the source looks like.
I wouldn't drink from a lake witout tesTing if I could avoid it. I prefer springs where
I see the water coming out of the ground. Water dripping off of rocks, or small streams
are other preferred sources I will size up a source looking for a animal sign or if there is any nearby development. No drinking from beaver ponds.
In 2000 I got sick in Maine. I suspect it was food poisoning from Gorham, but I really don't know. I was using Polar Pure at the time. I use Aqua Mira these days. When I hike with my daughter I soMetimes carry a filter and treat water more often. 100% for her.
I understand I am taking a risk. My choice.
Damn, I must be a real badass because I don't treat my water or wash my hands while I'm on trail. Haven't filtered my water since I was a 12-year-old boy scout that preferred drinking clean, stream water to the smoky-tasting, boiled-over-an-open-fire water the rest of my troop was drinking.
I've never gotten sick on the A.T. Did get the squirts twice while hiking the PCT, but I chalk that up to the greasy diners I ate at in town the previous day because the shlts only lasted 24 hours. And yes, since I didn't have any soap, I didn't wash my hands during those episodes either. I'm just real particular about my water sources and extra particular about how I wipe my ass. :banana
Damn, I must be a real badass because I don't treat my water or wash my hands while I'm on trail.
Remind not to share any food with you if I meet you on the trail.
Eeew!
:D
stargazer0311
12-18-2008, 13:53
In years of hiking and marine corps service as a sniper I have never treated or filtered my water except when I was in that hell hole called Iraq. My only water safety equiptment is Knowledge and a bit of common sense.... If it is moving cool and clear it is prolly good barring a pile of crap from some critter right close to the bank, so I check upstream a bit before I partake in a cool mountain drink.
Lone Wolf
12-18-2008, 14:07
In years of hiking and marine corps service as a sniper i have never treated or filtered my water except when i was in that hell hole called iraq. My only water safety equiptment is Knowledge and a bit of common sense.... If it is moving cool and clear it is prolly good barring a pile of crap from some critter right close to the bank, so i check upstream a bit before i partake in a cool mountain drink.
get some! Semper Fi