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ncmtns
09-14-2006, 21:45
How do you deal with less than clear water sources to use for drinking purposes and your not carrying a water filter? I plan on using Aqua Mira but what about the mirkiness of your water supply say.. after a rain? Do you use a coffee filter to seperate the grim?

Footslogger
09-14-2006, 21:50
Honestly ...it's just something you get used to. The floaties you can don something about but a lot of times the water is "tannic" (brownish yellow) and that congers up a lot of things.

You just have to trust in the treatment and know that the most important thing is that you HAVE water to drink. Add some flavor, close your eyes, hold your nose ...whatever works.

'Slogger

doodah man
09-14-2006, 22:12
How do you deal with less than clear water sources to use for drinking purposes and your not carrying a water filter? I plan on using Aqua Mira but what about the mirkiness of your water supply say.. after a rain? Do you use a coffee filter to seperate the grim?
I carry a small 6'' x 6'' silk hanky (~5 grams) and filter the floaties thru the ultra fine weave. Also works well as a pre-filter to extend the life of any pump or inline 'real' filter if you happen to be using one of those. doodah-man

Litefoot
09-14-2006, 22:33
I use Aqua Mira when the water looks good (just to be safe).
I use a squeeze bottle with a filter in the cap when the water doesn't look so good. Yes, it's a little extra weight, but I can also carry water in the bottle.

TOW
09-15-2006, 14:05
How do you deal with less than clear water sources to use for drinking purposes and your not carrying a water filter? I plan on using Aqua Mira but what about the mirkiness of your water supply say.. after a rain? Do you use a coffee filter to seperate the grim?

Yes you can use a coffee filter but I never use one, I just put the chemicals in and if the water is too murky I will let it settle a bit and then skim the clear water from the top.

MAD777
09-15-2006, 15:25
You know, we all have a couple of things we carry that add to the weight of our packs. We love the outdoors but there are certain creature comforts .... wow! that cup of real coffee in the morning sure tastes good. Well, I'm like that about my water. Nothing like a crystal clear gulp of mountain water after a hard climb to a summit. So, I carry a H2O Amigo made by ULA at about 9 1/2 oz. just so I don't have to chew my water. I figure I save a little of that weight by not having to carry toothpicks to get the solid out of my teeth. :-)

SGT Rock
09-15-2006, 15:32
Chewing water is one of the pleasures of life.

A bandana is all I use for filtering if I even use that. Tried the coffee filter thing once and got tired of waiting for the water to go through.

Just Jeff
09-15-2006, 16:17
I bet a ring of no-see-um with elastic around the edges would weigh a few grams and slide over the top of any bottle to keep out chunkies.

But I just ignore it or use a bandana.

Ender
09-15-2006, 16:33
I just drink the chunkies, for the most part. If it's really nasty I'll try to filter through a bandana first, and then let it settle.

I have wondered if something like this --> http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47928627&parent_category_rn=4500495&vcat=REI_SEARCH would work with a lexan bottle or gatorade bottle, and how well it would filter out chunkies while still keeping a high flow rate.

weary
09-15-2006, 17:38
How do you deal with less than clear water sources to use for drinking purposes and your not carrying a water filter? I plan on using Aqua Mira but what about the mirkiness of your water supply say.. after a rain? Do you use a coffee filter to seperate the grim?
Keep in mind that organic matter makes chemicals less efficient -- and in the case of chlorine actually reacts with Chlorine to produce complicated chemicals that cause cancer.

I keep a spare container of boiled water in my pack, and use that when the water looks too bad. I find I usually can find a cold spring or free flowing stream before thirst gets to be a problem.

Weary

Old Hillwalker
09-15-2006, 17:48
It's been about 15 years since I happened to look into my half empty water bottle and saw all the little wrigglers that I had been swallowing for the past few hours, during a hike in Garibaldi Park, BC. I still have he sight of those little larval beasties etched in my memory, and they are still wiggling. Mosquito babies are protein too;). I suppose I drank even wierder things during the war games in Viet Nam, but didn't look and didn't care:rolleyes:.

Second Place finishers, Viet Nam War Games 1968&69

mweinstone
09-15-2006, 17:51
would you stop drinking bleach already? drinking water from the ground is safe. live it, love it, learn it. and your only argument is im lucky. after 30 years on the at and the west,and thousand of ground drinks,.. no im more smart than lucky. you all have been duped and are card carrying members of a scared sociaty. how is it that i can drink untreated water?exsplaine it to me. and im sensitive, i get food poisoning easy.go ahead. how am i not dead?

Just Jeff
09-15-2006, 17:52
Hillwalker, that's why GI canteens aren't clear...

Ender, I've seen someone use those filters before...she was very happy with it and brought it on every trip. Didn't seem to noticeably slow the flow rate, either. I don't know what brand hers was, though. I tried the MSR one at the store here in Pacific Grove and it wouldn't quite fit the Nalgenes here...about .5" too big to get down inside the mouth. They may have other models that fit Nalgenes, though.

Skidsteer
09-15-2006, 18:36
Ender, I've seen someone use those filters before...she was very happy with it and brought it on every trip. Didn't seem to noticeably slow the flow rate, either. I don't know what brand hers was, though. I tried the MSR one at the store here in Pacific Grove and it wouldn't quite fit the Nalgenes here...about .5" too big to get down inside the mouth. They may have other models that fit Nalgenes, though.

Jeff, I just gave it a try. It was tight but it fits at least halfway in one of my Nalgenes. It'd probably work but I bet the flow would be better if used in a container that allowed the filter to slide all the way in.

mweinstone
09-15-2006, 18:54
everyone goes where you guys are ,... and then they go to a bandanna. its quick as can be and does a fine job. that thing is too fine man.

Just Jeff
09-15-2006, 21:32
Skids, that looks like the one I tried. Is it the MSR model? The one I saw that lady using actually fit inside the mouth perfectly.

Skidsteer
09-15-2006, 21:39
Skids, that looks like the one I tried. Is it the MSR model? The one I saw that lady using actually fit inside the mouth perfectly.

Yeah, it is. I'm thinking they (MSR) must've changed the diameter at some point.

I don't think the Nalgene opening has changed at all so far as I can tell. :-?

saimyoji
09-15-2006, 22:18
So long as the chemicals you are using will kill bacteria and viruses, you have nothing to worry about. Note that a simple filter such as a cotton t-shirt or bandana can be used to pre-filter floaties that may harbor disease carrying micro-organisms (cholera, which exists on copepods that get stuck in even loose cotton weave, can reliably be removed this way...thank you Jimmy Carter) and will increase the efficacy of your chemicals, see weary's post. I grew up in Japan, Thailand, HongKong, travelled the world over while over there, and only had problems drinking local water once (I believe that once established an immunity that has protected me since). I was real young and was deathly ill, but I've never had a problem since.

Oh, and BTW: :banana:banana:banana

SGT Rock
09-16-2006, 01:32
So you get the benefits of a protein powder without actually carrying one.

Sweet.

dloome
09-17-2006, 19:32
Strain through a bandana, coffee filter, etc. You get used to it. I have a HydroPhoton pre-filter which I occasionaly use in addition to my usual Aqua Mira. It weighs 1.4 oz and takes out all the chunkies and then some.