Do you filter your water?

[backtrack213]

Going on a short section hike next week and I'm only bringing AM tablets. I wanna know how many people actually filter there water on trail and if its really that dangerous. I know there is always a risk i just wanna hear what other people do.

[Traveler]

A lot of people don't ever filter water and claim not to have ever had a problem. Having suffered with Giardia, I do not want to have to repeat that experience. I filter all my water I get from any source. It doesn't take much longer than fetching the water itself and a filter removes parasite cysts along with sediments. In winter I will keep the filter next to my body so it won't freeze. Its a choice, it depends on what level of risk you want to assume and what level of consequence of failure you can live with.

[illabelle]

We filter all water.

[Busky2]

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ..... oh and ALWAYS Giardia, had it, done it, NEVER AGAIN!!!

[BobTheBuilder]

I filter every time, all the time. The Sawyer is even lighter and simpler than my previous pump filter.

[Trance]

I just use Aquamira, and have for years.

People would be crazy not to use something tho.... when I was section hiking through the Smokies, some idiot was telling me that he never treated or filtered his water and was fine.... however his Girlfriend was a little under the weather and sick to her stomach in their tent lol.

[Lone Wolf]

Going on a short section hike next week and I'm only bringing AM tablets. I wanna know how many people actually filter there water on trail and if its really that dangerous. I know there is always a risk i just wanna hear what other people do.

this is a can of worms question. me personally i have never filtered or treated any water in 16,000 miles walked on the AT. never been sick

[Slo-go'en]

It depends. If it's a spring and I see the water coming out of the ground, then no. If it's a small stream high up on the ridge, probably not. If it's beaver pond, definitely yes. Avoid larger streams near or along roads, no matter what.

Remember when using Aqua Mira tablets to wait sufficient time for them to work. If the water is real cold like it is this time of year, that would be 30 to 45 minutes. Long time to wait to get a drink, which is why so many use a filter instead. Of course, when it's real cold, keeping your filter from freezing can be a problem too.

[Pedaling Fool]

Non-filterer here, only been sick once, of course I don't know if it was from the water or something else, but regardless I'm a stronger person for it:)

[Kerosene]

Just Aqua Mira drops for me. I don't mind waiting the 30+ minutes for them to do their job.

The only time I wish I had a filter is when the spring is very shallow or filled with leaves. Even then, I typically have the time to clear out/dredge the puddle and wait for everything to settle.

Note that cross-contamination is a very likely possibility with your typical filter.

[smokey mtn hiker]

Always filter. Never been sick, hopefully won't ever be.

[nsherry61]

Never filtered for 40 years of backpacking. Never got sick. I now generally carry a filter or a steripen enabling me to carry less or no water while hiking and don't have to be as careful about my water sources. I still don't treat good looking water sources. But, I also don't have to wait to find a good looking water source before I drink up because I have the tools to sterilize my water. And, I do always carry a few Chlorinedioxide tablets as backup, that I have never actually had to use.

[LoneStranger]

Yes.

I've not only heard reports that animals poop in the woods, I've actually seen it. What's worse is that some of those animals used TP and left it on top of their scat. Combine that with the chance of something dead rotting just up stream out of sight and I filter even when I don't want to.

[Seatbelt]

Always from a stream or lake, never from a spring or spigot. JMO

[No Directions]

I always filter. I haven't seen any advantage in not filtering.

I wear a seat belt when in a car and look both ways before crossing the road too.


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[Mr. Bumpy]

During winter hikes I still carry a filter, but since my winter hikes are only 2-3 days long and I'm not worried about fuel, I boil using the MSR Reactor which brings a liter to a rolling boil in about two seconds.

During warm weather hikes, outside of a few trusted springs, then I always filter. Sawyer and a dromedary bag just make it too easy, so why skip it.

[cwinkle]

I started my thru with a gravity filter. It was a big bag that you would fill up, hang it up in a tree or something, then let the water flow down a filter tube into your bottle. I'm sure there are people out there with better success with that than I had, but on day three at Mountain Crossings I traded in for a pump filter. That worked great until I got to Derrik Knob shelter a couple of weeks later. By then the filter was so clogged that it was spewing more water out the release valve than was going through the filter. Went in to Gatlinburg and cleaned the inside with a toothbrush. It was really dirty and took forever until no more dirt was coming off onto the toothbrush.

So at Hot Springs I made a decision. I would keep the pump filter for obvious situations where the water source would be sketchy, but bought a little plastic bottle and eyedropper and started carrying Clorox bleach. Two drops in a Gatorade bottle, shake it for a bit and I was good to go. Apparently though you have to have the right kind of bottle to store bleach. It likes to escape the bottle and burn holes in your pack. I got one of those in Damascus and had no further trouble. I had read that bleach loses its power after a while so every so often I would refresh. You actually don't use that much when it's just two drops per 16 oz.

I never had any problems with giardia or beaver fever or the other bad one I can't remember the name of, but I did develop a kidney/bladder stone by the time I was in Massachusetts. I don't know if bleach can do that, but passing that stone was pretty intense and I hope I never have to experience that again. Haven't done real long distances since 2011, but I still carry my bleach/pump water treatment system for backcountry hikes and will again on any future long distance hikes.

[QiWiz]

I generally do not filter/treat water from a spring, but treat all water from creeks, rivers, and lakes. I use Aqua Mira drops in camp or when not in a hurry and a SteriPen or Sawyer Squeeze for on-trail quick treat and drink treatment.

[Old Hiker]

Filter AND chem treat with iodine after + neutralizer tabs.

[fiddlehead]

No filter for me.
Just drink it.
Got sick twice (6 thrus)
Have used chorine on occasion (rarely)
Guy above says 2 drops per 16 oz.
If I do use it, I say 1 to 2 drops per litre depending on quality of water. (mostly just one)
Wait according to temperature of water (colder it is, the longer you must wait)
(not just shake it and drink it)
20-30 minutes wait is what I did.
Perhaps 5 times per thru on the AT, 10 on the PCT and 10 on the CDT (mostly when cow **** is in the water out west) (mostly when too many hikers around in the east)

[RangerZ]

Filter AND chem treat with iodine after + neutralizer tabs.

Filter plus Aqua Mira. Belt plus suspenders. Haven't been sick since the last time that I didn't.

[FlyFishNut]

W O W. Reading this thread, I'm surprised at how many people do not filter!!

I always filter. I use an MSR MiniWorks and while it is some work and probably not the fastest - the unit is light and easy to use. I wouldn't risk not filtering, but to each his own.

[nsherry61]

W O W. Reading this thread, I'm surprised at how many people do not filter!! . . .
I think it depends on a couple of things:
1) Some of us are more risk averse than others.
2) Having grown up drinking out of streams and never getting sick from it (that I'm aware of), I don't have the same sense or perception of risk that someone might have that has always drunk tap water or treated water, and their only sense of risk come from literature which, by its nature, tends to be very pro drama instead of just measurably risk aware.
3) Having never been sick from water, that I am aware of, in 54 years of drinking untreated wild water, I also don't imagine being sick once in my life for a week or two is the end of the world if it is unlikely to happen anyway.
4) Maybe I haven't ever been sick because I am a carrier and have been infected my whole life and am unaware of it. Apparently, most cases of giardia are not particularly bad experiences. It's the 10-20% that are bad that get all the attention.

Just some thoughts . . .

[Christoph]

I only filter if the water isn't running fairly swiftly. If it's coming out of a spring or flowing fairly well then I don't worry about it. Of course, I always keep an eye out for any pastures, outhouses, or scat upstream, but this has always worked for me. If I'm unsure, I carry a Sawyer with me but I use it rarely. Lucky? I dunno.

[Rain Man]

Always filter. Always wear seatbelt. And if I were to carry a gun, I wouldn't have a round in the chamber.

Obviously, others practice different safety skills.

[Hikes in Rain]

Another Giardia survivor. Thought I was going to die, and at the time, it didn't seem to matter. Let's never do that again. I have an old MIOX system, which if nothin else, has a lot of "cool" factor.

[Puddlefish]

Swift water isn't necessarily clean water. I can hike alongside the local river, which rages along at the trail head in the spring and fall. Further up, there's a swampy pond section where waterfowl are fouling the water, further up some impressive falls, further up a small beaver dam...

I grew up on a pond, I was always getting inadvertent mouthfuls of water, some from the spring fed portions, some from the swampy portions. I don't recall ever getting really sick. That said, if I did get sick, I was home where I could be easily cared for and get plenty of rest and proper nutrition.

I wouldn't risk it on the trail, where you're making decisions regarding your safety, finances, and general well being while trying to trudge along sick and disoriented.

I'll be filtering every drop.

[jersey joe]

I began my thru-hike with a filter and the intention to filter my entire trip.
Then in the Smokies, while filtering water I dropped the clean end of my filter in the water and just wound up drinking from the spring and never looked back. I sent home my filter shortly after.

There are predominantly clean springs and small springs along the trail but occasionally you will need to get water from a large river or bog and in those cases I used iodine tablets.

[SouthMark]

38 years never filtered or treated. Never been sick but grew up in the country drinking form all kinds of streams, creeks, ponds, etc. Maybe just have a strong immune system.

[egilbe]

I've seen too much moose and deer poop in streams and brooks, as well as the occasional rotting carcass, to not filter my water. With more and more people visiting the back country who have no clue how to properly dispose of their waste, its a no brainer.

[Seatbelt]

38 years never filtered or treated. Never been sick but grew up in the country drinking form all kinds of streams, creeks, ponds, etc. Maybe just have a strong immune system.
I believe there is something to this immunity. I, too, grew up just as you did drinking well water and creek water, etc. and have been fortunate with non-filtering. I am not advocating that everyone(or anyone) else do it.

[SouthMark]

I believe there is something to this immunity. I, too, grew up just as you did drinking well water and creek water, etc. and have been fortunate with non-filtering. I am not advocating that everyone(or anyone) else do it.

Yes and I failed to say that I grew up in the flatlands and not mountains. Most of those creeks and streams flowed threw cow pastures.


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[Traveler]

38 years never filtered or treated. Never been sick but grew up in the country drinking form all kinds of streams, creeks, ponds, etc. Maybe just have a strong immune system.

There can be immunity to viruses, but there is no immunity of intestinal parasites like Giardia per se. You can contract parasites and be asymptomatic, eventually the body rids itself of them or you can be a carrier, passing them to others though never having the symptoms that are different than common food reactions on occasion.

[Furlough]

I filter - currently using a Sawyer Mini.

Furlough

[rafe]

Did fifteen+ years of hiking, never filtered, never got sick. Then my luck ran out, had the trots for a week and a half, lost ten pounds. Since then, been filtering my drinking water in the woods. No recurrence of the trots.

A pump filter, heavy as it is, means you can drink from a muddy puddle -- if it comes down to that. Sometimes your choices for water are less than ideal.

[MuddyWaters]

W O W. Reading this thread, I'm surprised at how many people do not filter!!

I always filter. I use an MSR MiniWorks and while it is some work and probably not the fastest - the unit is light and easy to use. I wouldn't risk not filtering, but to each his own.

Only a third of people exhibit symptoms when infected with giardia. For the other 2/3 of the population......no big deal at all. Odds are in your favor 2:1 for giardia to not treat water, even when exposed. Now throw in the fact that many sources are fine , and odds are pretty small

[Offshore]

Always filtered, but this thread has convinced me to save time and the 3 ounces of weight and leave the Sawyer at home. While I'm at it, I'm going to start smoking 3 packs/day since I heard somewhere that someone's friend's grandpa did just that and lived to 103. Seriously - this board is filled with threads bemoaning crowded trail conditions and bad hiker behavior as far as sanitation. Add the "contribution" to surface water sources from wildlife and it makes a pretty compelling argument for the trivial cost (in terms of time, effort, and money) for water treatment.

[Sparkeh]

I use the MSR sweetwater just in case I want to suck from a puddle and Aqua Mira drops as backup or in a hurry.

[shelb]

I always filter.... because:
*I saw what my mother went through with a case of giardia.
*I liken her experience to my colonoscopy prep, and there is NO WAY I want that experience in the woods!

[lonehiker]

When I started hiking I made a decision to filter all of my water. To the best of my recollection I have only not filtered one time.

[lonehiker]

I liken her experience to my colonoscopy prep, and there is NO WAY I want that experience in the woods!

What a wonderful birthday present when you turn 50....

[nsherry61]

Come to think of it, I know of more people that caught various STDs in college than I do people that have ever gotten sick from drinking untreated water.
I know far more people that have been badly injured in car accidents than I do people that have ever gotten sick from drinking untreated water.
Heck, I know more people that have gotten malaria than I do people that have ever gotten sick from drinking untreated water.

I would not suggest that the above statistics are any justification for not bothering to treat ones water, but, I would suggest that we all make choices about risk in each of our lives, and drinking untreated back-country water is not particularly more dangerous than many of the other activities we all choose to partake in at various times in each of our lives. It is important to appreciate that, just because one of us is particularly cavalier or particularly risk averse, does NOT mean that someone choosing a different personal risk choice is in any way being either irresponsible or ridiculously overcautious. . . okay, I do think people that treat all their water all the time are ridiculously overcautious, but the personal cost of that caution is so small I have not business making an issue of it.

[Traveler]

Come to think of it, I know of more people that caught various STDs in college than I do people that have ever gotten sick from drinking untreated water.
I know far more people that have been badly injured in car accidents than I do people that have ever gotten sick from drinking untreated water.
Heck, I know more people that have gotten malaria than I do people that have ever gotten sick from drinking untreated water.

I would not suggest that the above statistics are any justification for not bothering to treat ones water, but, I would suggest that we all make choices about risk in each of our lives, and drinking untreated back-country water is not particularly more dangerous than many of the other activities we all choose to partake in at various times in each of our lives. It is important to appreciate that, just because one of us is particularly cavalier or particularly risk averse, does NOT mean that someone choosing a different personal risk choice is in any way being either irresponsible or ridiculously overcautious. . . okay, I do think people that treat all their water all the time are ridiculously overcautious, but the personal cost of that caution is so small I have not business making an issue of it.

Interesting the last sentence :-?

Far more people you knew were having sex when you were in college than you probably know hike at a level they would need to filter water, so its a certainty more got STDs from sex that you knew about than got sick from a water source. Malaria is insect borne and not something the sufferer invites to themselves like eating rotten meat or drinking from unknown water sources. Suffice to say, we all know far more people doing simple daily things and are injured than we know people who hike routinely and at distances enough where filtering of water becomes a question.

Some people don't filter a drop and are fine. Other people filter all but once and find Giardia a miserable experience. Its all up to your level of risk tolerance. Having had Giardia, I don't wish to repeat it, so I filter most all water I come across with few exceptions. You call that "ridiculously overcautious", I call it experience in reducing the potential of ruining a grand time. Either way, we are both content in the practices we practice.

I do like what Rainman said though, "Always filter. Always wear seatbelt. And if I were to carry a gun, I wouldn't have a round in the chamber. Obviously, others practice different safety skills." That was perhaps the best stated response to personal precaution issues I've read in a long time.

[nsherry61]

Sometimes filter, almost always wear a seat belt, almost never carry a gun, with or without a round in the chamber, depending on the gun and the situation.
I guess I'm pretty weak on that absolutes thing.

Maybe drinking untreated water from a back country source, for some of us, is linked to a sense of freedom and back-to-nature, kinda like running naked on a probably deserted, tropical beach, under a full moon . . . there is risk, but what an awesome sense of freedom and being naked and exposed to nature. Maybe there is a bit of personal spirituality.

Speaking of spirituality, I wonder how many people get sick after drinking from those communal cups that Catholic church uses for communion?

[Traveler]

Sometimes filter, almost always wear a seat belt, almost never carry a gun, with or without a round in the chamber, depending on the gun and the situation.
I guess I'm pretty weak on that absolutes thing.

Maybe drinking untreated water from a back country source, for some of us, is linked to a sense of freedom and back-to-nature, kinda like running naked on a probably deserted, tropical beach, under a full moon . . . there is risk, but what an awesome sense of freedom and being naked and exposed to nature. Maybe there is a bit of personal spirituality.

Speaking of spirituality, I wonder how many people get sick after drinking from those communal cups that Catholic church uses for communion?

LOL! Well, there are no absolutes in this stuff that others observe that you have to. The point Rainman was making was those were his practices, others practice different safety skills. If drinking untreated water is akin to freedom of running around naked and being exposed to nature, beyond creating a mental stain that will haunt for a while, thats entirely up to you!

[GoldenBear]

> I wonder how many people get sick after drinking from those communal cups that Catholic church uses for communion?

Epidemiologists are unanimous that the risk of catching an illness from a common cup; used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Lutheran services; is smaller than the risk of talking with someone after worship.

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jan/01/local/me-beliefs1
http://www.pccc.edu/uploads/Eq/at/Eqatj9mwAcuWFO3G6UsXEw/Communion_Survey.pdf

They may not be what you WANT to be the indisputable fact, but it still is.

[TexasBob]

People seem to be falling into 3 groups in this thread:
1. Never treat water and haven't gotten sick
2. Didn't used to treat water but got sick once and now treat their water
3. Always treat water and haven't gotten sick

I wonder how many trail miles on average it takes to go from group 1 to group 2.

[MuddyWaters]

People seem to be falling into 3 groups in this thread:
1. Never treat water and haven't gotten sick
2. Didn't used to treat water but got sick once and now treat their water
3. Always treat water and haven't gotten sick

I wonder how many trail miles on average it takes to go from group 1 to group 2.

66% will not ever reach group 2, regardless of exposure., at least for giardia.They will be asymptomatic for giardia. If they get sick, it will be from bacteria. This is why plain bleach works fine for most folks.

Truly...some people need to worry. Some do not. Some have past experience that says to worry. Some have past experience that says dont.

When I was a kid, we drank water from nasty lakes and streams when we were out playing in woods. And swimming in them. Some of my friends got ear infections from the water repeatedly. Me or my brother never did. Never got sick from drinking either. I remember having worms once in my stool, didnt tell my mom, they went away by themselves.

[Mtsman]

The majority of the time I filter my water but then again I grew up a city boy on tap water. Maybe its more psychological than not but it works for me, if nothing else it gets me to not doubt the water I have to drink. If I don't doubt that source then I drink much more and I feel healthier for it. Maybe that will change over time, maybe not, but I prefer the peace of mind of filtering.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Going on a short section hike next week and I'm only bringing AM tablets. I wanna know how many people actually filter there water on trail and if its really that dangerous. I know there is always a risk i just wanna hear what other people do.


Is it really that dangerous? No it is not. Is there really the possibility of it being dangerous? Yes there is. In the end it's a cost benefit analysis. I usually do treat my water, though I've gone on a few trips where I've reached into my bag on trail only to find that my filter was still sitting safely at my house and had to go without treating. Never gotten sick either way.

I will mention that while people love to talk about how you can get giardia from water, it is also very common for it (and many other pathogens) to be spread through contact with other hikers or things that other hikers have touched (like anything near a shelter or privy). Wash your hands with actual soap and water whenever it's smart to do so, hand sanitizer is supposedly good against giardia, but it is not very effective against other common hiker germs such as Norovirus.

[DavidNH]

you'd be crazy NOT to filter your water!

[SouthMark]

People seem to be falling into 3 groups in this thread:
1. Never treat water and haven't gotten sick
2. Didn't used to treat water but got sick once and now treat their water
3. Always treat water and haven't gotten sick

I wonder how many trail miles on average it takes to go from group 1 to group 2.

I'm a number 1. Don't know exactly how many trail miles but 38 years of miles on many different trails and still a number 1.

[Lone Wolf]

you'd be crazy NOT to filter your water!

why is that?

[TexasBob]

66% will not ever reach group 2, regardless of exposure., at least for giardia.They will be asymptomatic for giardia. ....

Well that is a good news/bad news situation. Good news for you that you don't get roaring diarrhea but bad news for those around you because now you are a source of giardia and possible infection for others.

[Puddlefish]

Well that is a good news/bad news situation. Good news for you that you don't get roaring diarrhea but bad news for those around you because now you are a source of giardia and possible infection for others.

Do people actually shake hands when meeting each other on thru hikes? I tend to treat everyone as if they're potential plague carriers. There are all too many people who stroll right out of public bathrooms without going near the sink, I wouldn't expect the personal hygiene on the trail to be any better.

[TexasBob]

Do people actually shake hands when meeting each other on thru hikes? I tend to treat everyone as if they're potential plague carriers. There are all too many people who stroll right out of public bathrooms without going near the sink, I wouldn't expect the personal hygiene on the trail to be any better.

From the CDC website: "Anything that comes into contact with feces (poop) from infected humans or animals can become contaminated with the Giardia parasite."
So, Mr. Asymptomatic doesn't wash hands (or not very well) after a squat and then writes in the shelter log. How many people are going to handle the shelter log after Mr. Asymptomatic?

[NoSew]

I don't filer unless i am at a very low elevation. Be mindful of what is or may be upstream from you. I do carry a sawyer squeeze just in case...not filtering is definitely risky, but if you hike everyday for months, drinking straight from the source without filtering is just too easy for me not to do...

[rafe]

"One of the curses of American society is the simple act of shaking hands, and the more successful and famous one becomes the worse this terrible custom seems to get. I happen to be a clean hands freak. I feel much better after I thoroughly wash my hands, which I do as much as possible." On a number of occasions, he later referred to handshaking as "barbaric (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,992477-1,00.html)." -- this from (and about) the man likely to be a nominee for president, soon.

[Lone Wolf]

don't go swimmin' in ponds or lakes or splash your face with stream water. BIG risk of giardia

[Cheyou]

I use a squeeze and soft Brita water bottle. I like water . Never add flavor crap . The USMC learned us not to pee on our hands , and soap and water are a good thing to b used often.

Thom

[Puddlefish]

From the CDC website: "Anything that comes into contact with feces (poop) from infected humans or animals can become contaminated with the Giardia parasite."
So, Mr. Asymptomatic doesn't wash hands (or not very well) after a squat and then writes in the shelter log. How many people are going to handle the shelter log after Mr. Asymptomatic?

I'm not actually putting the burden on Mr. Asymptomatic, I'm putting it on myself. I'll just assume that most surfaces have something that can add to the discomfort level and expense of my hike.

So, here's my overly long too much information story. Not for the squeamish, you've been warned.

My elderly dad very often gets diarrhea, and his doctor is always prescribing some sort of pills. My dad always blames it on something he ate. He's mostly blind, has limited mobility and balance issues, he doesn't feel confident standing at the sink to wash his hands. Therefore, he never washes his hands until he stinks so bad that his wife nags him to.

He was dashing to the bathroom one night with the diarrhea, had an accident, slipped in it, fell and broke his femur. Had major surgery, complications from the surgery, and barely lived through it. I became his caretaker for 8 weeks until he could bear half pressure on the leg and hobble around with a walker again.

He still wouldn't wash his damned hands without being nagged. I explained that the diarrhea was from the crap on his hands, and his habit of picking at his eyes/eating with his crappy fingers. I bought him portable hand sanitizer and wipes that he could keep by his recliner. He was offended that it made him look like an infant using baby wipes, and he pulled out the stupid line "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!" That's only somewhat true, but at some point what doesn't kill you, will weaken you just enough so that something else will kill you. Even that didn't sink in despite what he'd just gone through.

What finally sunk in, was that I explained that he was risking his wife's health by spreading feces across the house. Frickin stubborn old people!

[TexasBob]

I'm not actually putting the burden on Mr. Asymptomatic, I'm putting it on myself. I'll just assume that most surfaces have something that can add to the discomfort level and expense of my hike.

So, here's my overly long too much information story. Not for the squeamish, you've been warned.

My elderly dad very often gets diarrhea, and his doctor is always prescribing some sort of pills. My dad always blames it on something he ate. He's mostly blind, has limited mobility and balance issues, he doesn't feel confident standing at the sink to wash his hands. Therefore, he never washes his hands until he stinks so bad that his wife nags him to.

He was dashing to the bathroom one night with the diarrhea, had an accident, slipped in it, fell and broke his femur. Had major surgery, complications from the surgery, and barely lived through it. I became his caretaker for 8 weeks until he could bear half pressure on the leg and hobble around with a walker again.

He still wouldn't wash his damned hands without being nagged. I explained that the diarrhea was from the crap on his hands, and his habit of picking at his eyes/eating with his crappy fingers. I bought him portable hand sanitizer and wipes that he could keep by his recliner. He was offended that it made him look like an infant using baby wipes, and he pulled out the stupid line "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!" That's only somewhat true, but at some point what doesn't kill you, will weaken you just enough so that something else will kill you. Even that didn't sink in despite what he'd just gone through.

What finally sunk in, was that I explained that he was risking his wife's health by spreading feces across the house. Frickin stubborn old people!

I am not putting anything on others either or trying to fault someone, it just made me think hard about what I do and how easy it would be for germs to get spread around and maybe get something no matter how carefully you treat your water. Sorry to hear about your Dad and glad he is better.

[Puddlefish]

I am not putting anything on others either or trying to fault someone, it just made me think hard about what I do and how easy it would be for germs to get spread around and maybe get something no matter how carefully you treat your water. Sorry to hear about your Dad and glad he is better.

Oh, I wasn't trying to imply you were. Was just emphasizing that I don't trust other people's hygiene habits in general.

[rafe]

don't go swimmin' in ponds or lakes or splash your face with stream water. BIG risk of giardia

Yeah, do like Roman soldiers did, dust themselves with dirt and have a companion scrape it off with a knife blade. This is was great opportunity for male bonding.

I don't often swim when I'm hiking on the AT, but when I do, I don't worry about germs. Little Rock Pond and Pierce Pond come to mind.

[LoneStranger]

If you are the sort that licks your fingers after eating chips with them it doesn't matter how clean your water is. Stick with the idea that your hands are contaminated at all times even if you've just washed them and filtering becomes much more important. No sticking them in your eyes, mouth or nose, no touching food of any sort that you intend to eat. Once it becomes habit it takes no effort at all. I picked it up decades ago during a hantavirus scare out on Palomar Mountain in California and have kept with it since.

I follow that practice when camping alone, but its even more important if you are sharing shelters, food prep areas and latrines with a number of folks night after night for months.

[colorado_rob]

Here's my favorite take on all this germophobia.

CAREFUL ! CAUTION !

Tons of profanity involved, lots of extremely sensitive WB'ers would definitely be offended:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X29lF43mUlo

All this being said, I still treat my trail water!

So I am one of those "&u$$ies" the late great George Carlin talks about. But at least I never, ever worry about shaking hands or other hiker contact. Nor do I wash my hands 12 times a day. give your immune system a workout and it will treat you well!

[Cheyou]

Never worried fixing ,resetting , installing toilets. Thousands of them .

[greensleep]

I may be wrong about this, but growing up in the 50s meant that my immune system got a pretty good workout and I've rarely been ill from a "contagious" bug. I believe those of us lucky enough to have spent our youth outdoors, drinking from hoses, swimming in lakes and ponds (before water treatment plants), playing all day in the dirt and in close physical contact with our friends, are a truly lucky bunch. Our immune systems are set up to handle most anything we throw at it. With that said, I still carry a Sawyer filter and occasionally use it.

[MuddyWaters]

So, Mr. Asymptomatic doesn't wash hands (or not very well) after a squat and then writes in the shelter log. How many people are going to handle the shelter log after Mr. Asymptomatic?

The shelter log is about the last thing you want to handle. But if you wash your hands after, go for it. Nothing in it worth looking at......unless theres an active bear

[StubbleJumper]

> I wonder how many people get sick after drinking from those communal cups that Catholic church uses for communion?

Epidemiologists are unanimous that the risk of catching an illness from a common cup; used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Lutheran services; is smaller than the risk of talking with someone after worship.

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jan/01/local/me-beliefs1
http://www.pccc.edu/uploads/Eq/at/Eqatj9mwAcuWFO3G6UsXEw/Communion_Survey.pdf

They may not be what you WANT to be the indisputable fact, but it still is.


Getting back to the question at hand, here's what the epidemiology literature has to say about back-country water treatment:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971200901024

[MuddyWaters]

Getting back to the question at hand, here's what the epidemiology literature has to say about back-country water treatment:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971200901024

"Further studies should attempt to separate the specific risk factor of drinking water from backcountry sources from other behaviors among this group that may contribute to the risk."

Yep.
When people in close community havent showered or changed clothes in a week, and wipe hands on shirt all the time, and bacteria (and worse) is literally leaking from their sweaty arses and saturating their shorts...theres a whole lotta sharing going on.

[DCM767]

I have read in other articles, and called our own water dept, and they say two drop of bleach in 1 liter of water ( for 30 minutes) will make it safe to drink.
I have tired it and the beach taste is negligible. Has anyone heard of this or tried it. Seems it would make things much simpler...

[Gonecampn]

I filter water on the trail. If you've ever gotten Giardia ( or seen someone that has ) especially in a third world country, I think that you'd deem the process to be legit. I don't have a phobia but I find it just to simple to carry a pocket Katadyn or MSR filter and use it. We filter once a day and that is usually enough water for the day, including a Backpacker meal or the like. I do add a few drops of bleach to the gallon of water that stays in the back of my jeep for use if case of an emergency. Or to fill bottles before hitting the trail. I try to remember to change it out every 6 or so.

[GoldenBear]

> two drop of bleach in 1 liter of water ( for 30 minutes) will make it safe to drink
> I have tired it and the beach taste is negligible. Has anyone heard of this or tried it

http://www.epa.gov/your-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water

Note the words, "The water should have a slight chlorine odor. If it doesn’t, repeat the dosage and let stand for another 15 minutes before use."

[fastfoxengineering]

Filtering my water is just one more preventative way to not get sick on the trail. Some water sources I take an educated decision to drink from non filtered. However, I would never leave my filter behind. Sometimes, while I'm out hiking, I don't have the luxury of choosing my every water source, therefore I bust out my filter.

A sawyer squeeze costs $30 and is a very light piece of equipment. I don't see why one wouldn't bring one along.

[rocketsocks]

I apprieciate the fact that many don't filter, but I just don't find it that much of a bother, so yes, I filter...and treat.

[BonBon]

I filtered. I didn't always feel like it, but I saw enough people sick as dogs with giardia and didn't want to take the chance. One guy was so sick that he contaminated his tent and gear beyond saving and was medevaced from the mountain severely dehydrated. He spent 3 or 4 days in a hospital getting better. Im sure that is not the norm but it made a big impression on me. That said...Im one good bout of giardia away from my goal weight.

[perdidochas]

Sometimes filter, almost always wear a seat belt, almost never carry a gun, with or without a round in the chamber, depending on the gun and the situation.
I guess I'm pretty weak on that absolutes thing.

Maybe drinking untreated water from a back country source, for some of us, is linked to a sense of freedom and back-to-nature, kinda like running naked on a probably deserted, tropical beach, under a full moon . . . there is risk, but what an awesome sense of freedom and being naked and exposed to nature. Maybe there is a bit of personal spirituality.

Speaking of spirituality, I wonder how many people get sick after drinking from those communal cups that Catholic church uses for communion?

Not sure, but at least locally, they stop offering anything but the host during flu season. I know I am considerate, and if I'm sick, I only take the host.

[Lone Wolf]

I filtered. I didn't always feel like it, but I saw enough people sick as dogs with giardia and didn't want to take the chance. One guy was so sick that he contaminated his tent and gear beyond saving and was medevaced from the mountain severely dehydrated. He spent 3 or 4 days in a hospital getting better. Im sure that is not the norm but it made a big impression on me. That said...Im one good bout of giardia away from my goal weight.

how do you know it was diagnosed giardia