Using AquaMira

[pyroman53]

Since I've always used iodine tablets and am considering AquaMira, I'm trying to picture the process. How do you mix the two liquids when filling several bottles? Is there room in the mixing cap for enough liquid to treat several liters? If so, do you then use an eye dropper to put into the water bottles? Do you use the water bottle caps to mix it in?

[Two Speed]

Since I've always used iodine tablets and am considering AquaMira, I'm trying to picture the process. How do you mix the two liquids when filling several bottles? Is there room in the mixing cap for enough liquid to treat several liters?

Yes, but the simpler method is to use the bottle cap from the bottle you're treating.

If so, do you then use an eye dropper to put into the water bottles?

The bottles that Aqua Mira comes in dispense drops just fine, no need for a separate eye dropper.

Do you use the water bottle caps to mix it in?

That's what I do.

[hoz]

The AquaMira bottles come with a mixing top.

I mix enough for one platy (2 litre) then go collect the water. When I return the AQM has "reacted" and I pour it into my platy.

It's hard to mix multiple batches in one top as a certain amt should be used for each treatment and then you will have to estimate amounts.

I feel it's best to treat on container at a time, or have a couple mixing tops.

[bigcranky]

I carry extra caps -- I just keep the old cap from a previous set of A.M.

When treating two bottles, I use two caps. But mostly I collect water in a 4-liter bag, and treat it all at once. I can mix all the A.M. I need for the 4 liters in one cap.

[spirit4earth]

how long do you really have to let the aqua mira do its thing if the water is from a cold mountain stream?

[hoz]

I shake it up good after adding, then settle on 15-20 minutes.

[Nearly Normal]

In higer elevations it's your call. I usually just use the water. Lower elevation with high traffic or maybe farm runoff I'll use AM.
Cooking water brought to a boil is what it is.

[Cool AT Breeze]

In higer elevations it's your call. I usually just use the water. Lower elevation with high traffic or maybe farm runoff I'll use AM.
Cooking water brought to a boil is what it is.

What he says.

[tlbj6142]

You can half the dose if you double the treatment time. I do that when I treat water overnight or if I know it will be some time before I drink the water (long dry stretch, etc.).

So, for evening 1L bottles, I'll use 4 drops of instead of 7.

[Cool AT Breeze]

You can half the dose if you double the treatment time. I do that when I treat water overnight or if I know it will be some time before I drink the water (long dry stretch, etc.).

So, for evening 1L bottles, I'll use 4 drops of instead of 7.

Where did you see that?

[JAK]

I use a third bottle, one of those wedding bottles, to mix the drops in. I pre-mix the drops in the wedding bottle 5-10 minutes before I hit a water stop. That way I can just scoop up the water, add the pre-mixed stuff, and keep hiking until the water is fit to drink, usually by the top of the next hill. This works best if you know in advance where the water stops are. Maybe not so good if you don't.

[SteveJ]

You can half the dose if you double the treatment time. I do that when I treat water overnight or if I know it will be some time before I drink the water (long dry stretch, etc.).

So, for evening 1L bottles, I'll use 4 drops of instead of 7.

Great Idea, Yellow Jacket - but this is the first I've heard that doubling the treatment time allows you to half the dose - where'd you hear of it?

[tlbj6142]

Great Idea, Yellow Jacket - but this is the first I've heard that doubling the treatment time allows you to half the dose - where'd you hear of it?

On bpl.com about 2 years ago. In was in a water treatment article (web? or print? I'm not sure). RJ (bpl publisher) is a very big fan of AM so he talks about it often.

[tlbj6142]

I can't find the article on the web site, so I think it must have been in the print version of the magazine. That said, it is what I would call "common knowledge" in ultralight backpacking circles. I'm sure if you looked around the bpl.com forums you'd find it mentioned multiple times by several individuals.

FWIW, I don't often use the full 7 drops as (let's face it) most back country water doesn't need to be treated any way. We do it more out of fear than anything else. I make a judgement call based on the water source. Is the water from a stream down in some valley? 7 drops. Is it from a barely used high elevation back country stream? 2-4 drops. 99.9% of the bad stuff is killed in 30s anyway (that I know is found in a bpl print article). The rest of the dwell time is there to kill some of the less found, but harder to kill things.

[Seeker]

how long do you really have to let the aqua mira do its thing if the water is from a cold mountain stream?

5 minutes for the 2 parts to react, then 20 minutes for it to work once you mix it with your water.