View Full Version : Water treatment methods
White Chocolate
12-29-2005, 15:25
Greetings all.
I'm a lightweight hiker through and through, but I haven't made the transition to aqua mira or klearwater yet. I still use my katahdin hiker filter, which works great but weighs 11 ounces. I have avoided the chemicals for lack of experience and knowledge of how they work. Basically, I want to start a thread for prospective thru-hikers and seasoned veterans to discuss their preferences, plans, and experiences. Godspeed.
if it's a spring, drink it straight. use iodine for creekwater.
I prefer to use my water filter. I have a PUR "hiker". I don't care for the after taste that chemicals leave behind. The weight (which is not much, for me) is worth it. A filter also gets rid of some of the silt or tiny debris.
That's my 2 cents worth.
Happy Trails,
Chip ;)
Lone Wolf
12-29-2005, 17:14
I don't filter or treat anything.
im with lone wolf i dont filter or treat my water anymore.
Whistler
12-29-2005, 17:27
On the AT, Aqua Mira when absolutely needed. Otherwise, I take it straight.
-Mark
april2006
12-29-2005, 21:43
I'm too much of a scardy cat to drink the water without filtering (my dad got a nasty parasite - and that was from our well!). So I won't drink it straight. I'm also really sensitive to chemicals, so I won't be using any chemical means of purifying. So I guess for me anyway, the filter's the way to go. Just my .02.
Happy Hiking!!
April
White Chocolate is not asking what you would do on some short hike with lots of time to look around. He asked what to do on a 6 month hike that in order to 'finish' he will need to keep moving. Before I thuhiked the AT I had never treated my water. I had plenty of time to look around for a clean spring and even if I did get the runs...so what, by then I was home. I started out with a Katahdin ceramic 8 oz filter. Way too slow and hard to pump. I saw a PUR (now Katahdin) Hiker that another hiker had and liked. I saw a hiker putting tabs in his water bottle and he said he had to wait for the water to be ready and it tasted funny. I ordered a Hiker pump filter. I finished the trip with it and took it on several short trips after the trail.
Just walk right up, throw the tube in, pump some, drink some while it is still cold, pump some more and go. This is one of the verw few items that just will not go lightweight for me.
Be willing to change. Bring love.
Skidsteer
12-29-2005, 22:57
Uhhh.... Although I've never met the man, I'm pretty sure Lone Wolf has taken his share of "long hikes".
I heard L. Wolf treated his water with Jack Daniels.
Lone Wolf
12-30-2005, 10:59
Bulls**t. 18 year old Glenlevit. JD is swill.:D
heyman62
12-30-2005, 11:55
You can now treat water that has iodine to remove the taste. Besides carrying the filter around I worry about it malfuntioning in the second or third day of a hike. Pills for me! I don't mind waiting 30 minutes to remove some nasty buggers from my H2O.
Footslogger
12-30-2005, 11:57
I heard L. Wolf treated his water with Jack Daniels.
======================================
Now why would he spoil a perfectly good nalgene of Jack Daniels that way ??
'Slogger
Conductor
01-07-2006, 14:58
Greetings all.
I'm a lightweight hiker through and through, but I haven't made the transition to aqua mira or klearwater yet. I still use my katahdin hiker filter, which works great but weighs 11 ounces. I have avoided the chemicals for lack of experience and knowledge of how they work. Basically, I want to start a thread for prospective thru-hikers and seasoned veterans to discuss their preferences, plans, and experiences. Godspeed.
WC, just thought I would steer this thread back to the original topic.
I carried a katahdin ceramic filter for years and still do in some places. Once when the best water source I could find was a detritus filled (dead leaves) puddle I was glad I had the filter. Wish some of these "I don't like chemical taste" dudes could of got a mouthfull of that. :rolleyes: But as you say it's very heavy.
I use Aqua Mira because its light and easy to use. Klearwater is probably just as good. The thing is, some of the micro-organisms in natural water sources are highly resistant to iodine and clorine. Clorine used in swimming pools for instance can take up to one week to kill Cryptosporidia. For me, I'd rather carry 3 ounces of protection. Don't confuse clorine (bleach) with clorine dioxide (Aqua Mira, Klearwater, Micropur) they are different chemicals. Here are some info links.
Clorine Dioxide Facts (http://www.clo2.com/)
Klearwater from Backpacking Light (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/klearwater_xinix_chlorine_dioxide_clo2_water_treat ment.html)
Aqua Mira Manufacturer's info page (http://www.mcnett.com/)
Good Hiking, don't let the bugs slow ya down :)
mweinstone
01-07-2006, 16:01
pros;water tastes like water.wate is still water after filtering.carrying weight makes you strong. carrying a heavy filter makes you buy ultralightweight other things to offset the filter weight.you look much cooler pumping water out of the ground the old fashioned way than popping pills all over the place.and shinning cool lights on your water to zap it isnt cool at all. nor is leaving behind a lifelong trail of batteries or spraying mixed oxident all over the planet.no sir for my calories i stick with pumping water in mty 19 ounce momma,witch is in fact the dali lamma of traumma!matthewski will see all you on da trail .all my hope on this summit seasons eve!
I use the First Need Deluxe water purifier (http://www.generalecology.com/) - it is a true purifier in that it removes viruses, cysts and bacteria - and it does it chemical free. It screws right onto my nalgene bottle and I can pump and drink right away. The filter can be backwashed for cleaning and is rated to last for 125 gallons. If the filter ever clogs (hasn't yet) we can use it with a gravity feed. My wife and I have used it for our last 4 summers of hiking, including a 38-day outing in Vermont. Once we filtered out of a scuzzy beaver pond with no problems. We will also filter out of motel sinks when we run out of our own water supplies.
On the downside the filter and pump weighs 1 lb. but to me (someone who is meticulous about pack weight) it is well worth it. My wife and I have both had immune-system problems in the past and the purifier provides good-tasting water and peace of mind - a great combination.
I know this sounds like a commercial but I'm grateful to have a backpacking product that reliably meets my needs.
KirkMcquest
01-07-2006, 17:12
Greetings all.
I'm a lightweight hiker through and through, but I haven't made the transition to aqua mira or klearwater yet. I still use my katahdin hiker filter, which works great but weighs 11 ounces. I have avoided the chemicals for lack of experience and knowledge of how they work. Basically, I want to start a thread for prospective thru-hikers and seasoned veterans to discuss their preferences, plans, and experiences. Godspeed.
I use the msr miox system. It is the size of a magic marker, very light and effective. I used it on a long distance thru hike on the Arizona trail ( lots of cattle=bad water), with no problems. Have been using it successfully ever since.
I use a zero weight filter - my brother does the carrying. :)
From other forums, I have read that pouring the water through an old bandanna removes the heavy stuff, iodine or aqua mira kills most things, and vitamin C kills the aftertaste. You can substitute and orange peel or powdered drink for the vitamin C, but I don't see too many orange peels going your way on a thru. You may want to give the bandanna, aqua mira, C suggestion a try.
There is also an ongoing debate on whether any of this is truly needed. Many say that the water filter business owners are scaring hikers into filtering so they can sell you a filter. Many drink unfiltered water and do not get sick. You just need to use your head on where you dip for water. If there is a smokestack, highway, or even a single house uphill, move on. In NJ, NY, and CT it is said that you will be using a garden house from someone's house or buy water at a deli, because there is no water on the trail during the summer.
Each of us makes our own peace with ourselves on what works for us. Try a couple of methods and see what works for you.
Bulls**t. 18 year old Glenlevit. JD is swill.:D
Glenlevit works. How about Macallan?
mweinstone
01-07-2006, 20:22
lets all hope and pray the day never comes when thru hiking pa means watering up at man made sources and all the springs are dry or dead.remember fellow users ...take water from a source and do everything away from the water.springs die when all manner of camp chores are performed at waters edge.someday this season you will come to a spring with a soap pad, or food particals ,or just a dead bottom of a creek from soap dumping. even the salt on your sox can kill a whole pond. do everything away from the water and take not but shots and leave lots o prints!
starvingmusician
01-08-2006, 00:44
Lagavulin anyone?
Try the Steri-Pen...just replace the 4AA batteries every 10-14 days...slightly larger than the miox and about the same weight...nothing else is needed...just stir your water for about 90sec. and its ready to drink...you may never use anything else again to treat your drinking water...I used it in the 100 mile wilderness ...will be taking it Nobo in 06...
I spoke with someone that thru hiked last year that used aqua mira and ended up in the hospital with giardia for 9 days during his hike.
i just got the Katahdin Hiker Pro. It does weigh 11 oz but it filters quick and water tastes great. It also gets rid of the silt. I have tablets for emergencies.
Has anyone used the hiker pro before? I would be interested in hearing reviews.
i been using aqua mira last couple of months,but used polar pure for years:cool: neo