Filtering Water & Aqua Mira

[Googan]

Is it necessary to carry a filter as well as a chemical like aqua mira? Also I've never had to get my own water. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of water system I'd like to use. Any input is welcome.

[Traveler]

Its not necessary to carry both, some folks carry both but typically its an either/or choice for most.

There are some advantages and disadvantages to each method and really depends on your comfort in dealing with chemicals and waiting for them to work, or dealing with a heavier pump or gravity filter in terms of effort and if you can keep the filter protected from freezing. There are numerous threads on this very topic on WB you can probably search out.

Myself, I prefer the filtration route over chemical or ultra violet (UV) treatments. I use the Katadyne Hiker Pro when there is more than two people with me, for solo hikes I will use the Sawyer Mini. I know people who use the Aqua Miria or SteriPen treatments and swear by them as well. Probably the best way to make this decision is to get a Sawyer Mini filter (for trial if you are by yourself, if you have people with you a regular Sawyer may be better) and the chemical/UV treatment you want to sample and try them both over a period of time to see if what the differences are.

[HooKooDooKu]

It is always advisable to carry two methods of water treatment. You never know when one method is going to fail you and need a backup. Of course that doesn't mean you have to carry a filter AND Aqua Mira. So long as you have a method of boiling water, you have a backup method.

[frontovik193]

I second what the above posts stated. I usually carry a Sawyer and use a smart water bottle sports top to back flush. I keep enough aqua mira stashed in my pack for a day or two in case the sawyer fails for some reason. I know a lot of people don't do this but the extra weight is minimal for the kind of assurance.

[garlic08]

I've never advised anyone to bring two methods of water treatment. I don't see water treatment falling into the emergency or survival category. (And I've just recovered from my first case of giardia.) It's more a low risk long-term health concern (and a very valid one, I can now attest).

The reason I started using AM was the failure of a couple of pumps on successive 500+ mile hikes. The Sawyer systems look much more reliable, though I haven't used them. If someone gave me one to try, I'd certainly try it.

There is no best way. If there were, there would only be one way.

[LuckyMan]

I use Aquamira or bleach in a tiny dropper bottle I got on Amazon, can't stand the Sawyer Mini. For water sources that have floaties, I bring a knee-high nylon stocking (weighs almost nothing) and insert it in my empty PowerAde bottle, use it as a strainer.

[HooKooDooKu]

The Sawyer systems look much more reliable, though I haven't used them. If someone gave me one to try, I'd certainly try it.
You can get the Sawyer Mini at WalMart for $20. That's less than a replacement filter cartridge of other systems and money well spent to give it a try.

[elray]

We used a Sawyer on our thru attempt and had no problems at all, we also carried AM to use in a clear water source just to save time. Typically I would treat some water in a bladder overnight to start out with, I hate filtering first thing in the am.

[Etoryn]

I wouldn't think its necessary to carry both. I carry Aqua Mira but you have to wait 5+ minutes after mixing parts A + B. If you want you could hook up your sawyer mini to a water bladder to save time. The sawyer mini is also so light (2oz) it really wouldn't hurt to take both. Majority of the time I don't treat water unless I feel the source is sketchy.

[CarlZ993]

I use to carry a filter (Hiker Pro) as me primary water purification & chemicals (AM) as a backup. Now, I almost always just carry AM. Just be sure you screw on the lids really tight.

[Harmless]

It isn't *necessary* to carry either.

The advantage of using a filter is that it will protect you against most bacteria and it will remove particulates. The advantage of using chemical treatment is that it will protect you against most bacteria and most viruses. Water-borne virus is uncommon, so many people treat filters and chemicals as equivalent.

Some people don't like consuming chemicals, so they might carry a filter, but also carry chemicals as a back-up in case the filter breaks. Some people are concerned about eliminating all the risks they can, and they might use both a chemical and a filter treatment, in order to kill viruses and remove particulates.

You get to decide where you fall on the worry-o-meter, and carry sufficient treatment for your level of concern.

[JohnG10]

If the water comes from a spring, you shouldn't need to purify it. Lots of rural homes have well water. A spring is the same thing.

If the water comes from a stream or pond in an area with lots of people or any livestock (ie: the east coast) then you should purify it.

Personally, I won't drink river water in the MD / VA area since the pollution from the Ohio valley coal and paper plants has led to the "down wind" water in neighboring states having some heavy metal content ---- that neither filters not chemicals nor steri-pens remove or deactivate.

However, the chemicals don't go down through 6 feet of dirt to pollute the springs :)

Ps: the MD and VA water sources are almost all springs. I think there are only a few streams. I just carry extra water from the springs and skip those. That way I don't have to worry about what might be upstream.

[Colter]

If the water comes from a spring, you shouldn't need to purify it. Lots of rural homes have well water. A spring is the same thing...

I respectfully disagree. Good, deep wells are quite safe from pathogens. Shallow wells and springs have been the cause of waterborne disease outbreaks. There is usually no way to know how much natural "filtering" spring water has been subjected to.

The CDC says "do not drink untreated water from lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, streams or shallow wells." That's not based on opinion or anecdotal evidence, but on tracking of waterborne disease outbreaks and confirmed cases of giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, etc. from surface water and shallow wells.

Quoting from an EPA paper (http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/2009_02_03_criteria_humanhealth_microbial_giardiah a.pdf): Hibler (1988) found Giardia cysts in 19% of springs...Hancock et al. (1997) collected 463 groundwater samples from 199 sites in 23 states in the United States; Giardia cysts were found in 14% of the springs

ABSTRACT Water samples from streams and springs in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were analyzed (http://www.researchgate.net/publication/227230494_Bacterial_water_quality_Springs_and_stre ams_in_the_Great_Smoky_Mountains_National_Park) for fecal coliform, fecal streptococcus, and total coliform bacteria. Levels of bacteria were found to be highly variable but related to elevation, time of year, type of water source, and water level of the streams. Visitors did not seem to be major contributors to bacterial contamination. Levels of fecal coliform and total coliform in most water samples were unsuitable for drinking without treatment. Tennessee state standards for body contact recreation (swimming and wading) were exceeded in a few samples but none from streams suitable for swimming. As a result of these findings, park managers increased efforts to inform visitors of the need to treat drinking water and removed improvements at backcountry springs which tended to give the springs the image of safe, maintained water sources.

Can you usually get by drinking from a nice looking spring? Sure. Always? No.

[bigcranky]

We carry both, but more for convenience -- I rarely if ever use both to treat the same water.

We used a Sawyer Mini for two people on a long hike last summer, and it worked pretty well. The bags are a pain and can develop leaks quickly, and my hand and wrist issues were a problem when trying to squeeze the bags, but we were able to get plenty of water using the Sawyer when we had time to do so (e.g., in camp). (Pro tip: sit on the bag and hold the water bottle out in front between your legs. Yes, it looks funny. But it works great.) We do bring the Swayer syringe and use it to backflush.

We also carried chlorine dioxide tablets (same stuff as in Aqua Mira). These were great for treating water while actually hiking - fill a bottle, toss in a tablet, wait 15 minutes, drink. Much faster than filling the Sawyer bags and trying to squeeze during a short water stop. The tabs weigh so little that there's no downside, at least for me. They are much faster and eaiser to use than the AM drops (though also FAR more expensive).

For a "water system" we've used several options. I like being able to collect water in one large container, like a six-liter Platypus bag, then carry it back to camp for treatment. At that point you can either run it through a regular filter like an MSR, or throw in enough mixed AM drops or tabs for the number of liters in the bag (works great overnight). Or carry and use a gravity filter. With the Sawyer, I collected water in several 2-liter Sawyer bags and carried them back to camp, then ran them through the filter into our water bottles (1-liter Gatorade bottles), leaving any untreated water in the Sawyer bags for later. Six liters is way plenty for two people for dinner, cleanup, breakfast, and a liter or so to start the next day.

[Traveler]

I respectfully disagree. Good, deep wells are quite safe from pathogens. Shallow wells and springs have been the cause of waterborne disease outbreaks. There is usually no way to know how much natural "filtering" spring water has been subjected to.

The CDC says "do not drink untreated water from lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, streams or shallow wells." That's not based on opinion or anecdotal evidence, but on tracking of waterborne disease outbreaks and confirmed cases of giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, etc. from surface water and shallow wells.


+ 3 Some springs provide adequate filtering if they are deep and travel a fair distance to the point of discharge, however believing it does and knowing it does are two different things. Given the issues with various parasites that exist and the debilitating effects they can deliver. I know some people rarely if ever treat or filter their water and advocate that. They have assessed their tolerance of risk and consequences of failure for themselves. However for me the best insurance you can have to continue on the trail is treating/filtering/boiling water you intend to drink. For the time and effort it takes, for me it makes little sense to risk health over.

[Colter]

Is it necessary to carry a filter as well as a chemical like aqua mira? Also I've never had to get my own water. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of water system I'd like to use. Any input is welcome.

Municipal water systems are, with few exceptions, required to filter AND treat surface waters, however very few hikers use both a filter and a chemical treatment on the same water. The only time I would would be some clearly questionable water, like a pond cattle have been drinking from.

I generally don't carry redundant items while backpacking and I personally wouldn't carry both a filter and Aquamira on the A.T. On the other hand, I've had pumps break and Aquamira bottles leak. For remote trails and long trips it often makes sense for me to carry, say, a Sawyer Mini AND Aquamira. Redundancy for an important item only costs 3 oz.

[e_scruggs]

I'm surprised I haven't seen much discussion of the Life Straw - light as a feather, not mechanical, inexpensive, and good for at least 200 gallons. I use AM as backup to filters (which often break) and Steripen (which I wouldn't count on for a through hike). I use a bottle to collect raw water, then drink right through the Life Straw. Haven't used it extensively, so would like to hear of anyone with comments for this system. I plan on Life Straw and AM for NOBO this March.

[Fredt4]

Has anyone used the Sawyer Mini on a thru-hike? Used a similar product years ago on a week hike, found it inconvenient.

[Odd Man Out]

I'm surprised I haven't seen much discussion of the Life Straw - light as a feather, not mechanical, inexpensive, and good for at least 200 gallons. I use AM as backup to filters (which often break) and Steripen (which I wouldn't count on for a through hike). I use a bottle to collect raw water, then drink right through the Life Straw. Haven't used it extensively, so would like to hear of anyone with comments for this system. I plan on Life Straw and AM for NOBO this March.

Sawyer Mini is the same weight, about the same price, more compact, more versatile, it's rated for 100,000 gallons, and has a smaller pore size (0.1 um vs 0.2 um). I have not used the LifeStraw, but it also looks like it should work fine too. I just don't see that it has many advantages over the Sawyer (which also has a straw for drinking through). I don't want to carry more than one water system. Boiling is my backup for emergency purification.


Has anyone used the Sawyer Mini on a thru-hike? Used a similar product years ago on a week hike, found it inconvenient.

Lots of people use it for all types of hiking. Not sure what is inconvenient about it, other than you do have to keep it from freezing, but this would be true for all filters. But unlike other filters, it is small enough to carry in your pocket to keep it from freezing.

[Dogwood]

Is it necessary to carry a filter as well as a chemical like aqua mira? Also I've never had to get my own water. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of water system I'd like to use. Any input is welcome.

In some areas of the world and in some situations which I recognize as high risk from a broad variety of really bad nasties and undesirables I would strongly consider both filtering and chemical treatment or two treatment methods one being a chemical like AM or Katadyn MicroPur. I'd want to address toxins, particulates, protozoa, bacteria, VIRUSES, etc.

At this time, for an AT thru-hike most would do fine with one treatment method administered proficiently.

[Dogwood]

I'm surprised I haven't seen much discussion of the Life Straw - light as a feather, not mechanical, inexpensive, and good for at least 200 gallons. I use AM as backup to filters (which often break) and Steripen (which I wouldn't count on for a through hike). I use a bottle to collect raw water, then drink right through the Life Straw. Haven't used it extensively, so would like to hear of anyone with comments for this system. I plan on Life Straw and AM for NOBO this March.

I see it applying in some situations or as a back up. My issue is that you are now carrying dirty contaminated water which increases the risks of spreading nasties. AM would be functionally better IMO for the AT. LifeStraw doesn't takeout most viruses.