View Full Version : Purify or filter water?
grrickar
06-04-2004, 12:34
Just wanted to check how many of you guys use chemicals to purify your water versus carrying a filter. I am considering carrying a filter, although the weight advantage of carrying PA or Aqua Mira are tempting.
Lone Wolf
06-04-2004, 12:35
I never treat, purify or filter any water on the AT.
Vote with L - Wolf. Climbed all over the mountains in WVa. when young. Drank from streams, creeks, springs, rivers and even stump water. Never got a thing. Watch you sanitation and clean your hands and pots thoroughly before preparing food. Don't share food unless you know that the other person is cleaning his hands and pots. I try not to even shake hands.
smokymtnsteve
06-04-2004, 13:48
you shook my hand bailcor...then I used alcohol hand cleaner :D
George and Joan also say hello....
and bailcor..nowadays.. you better treat that h2o ... or I'll be having to get ya back home again!
Still amazes me that after all this time, the "water is evil" myth so persists... How is it that multiple generations hiked the AT without such worry, fear, weight, expense, and grunting hours of time bent on knotting legs in buggy clouds (or freezing rains) over water sources?
And besides the weight, fear, time and expense, what *else* has it got us? Since we don't like the bother of filtering, or the consternation of waiting around for the chemicals to kill (but not remove) bad stuff, we make our water bottles bigger in response, and end up carrying LITERS of water for HOURS at a time, walking right past perfectly good water every hour, again and again and again. Carrying 2-4 pounds of water past an AT water source is not smart.
sloetoe
from the ancient Class of '79,
back from spending a 3-day on the AT
with a 16 pound pack, including (my) water
and the food for myself and two sons.
smokymtnsteve
06-04-2004, 13:58
water is not evil....
with increased numbers of people in the back country and increased development in areas near the trail...we also have increased contamination in our water sources. it is pretty simple...
also some folks using At water sources practice a lot less than standard sanitary practices...but the choice is yours.
It starts witha S
and ends with a T.
with increased numbers of people in the back country and increased development in areas near the trail...we also have increased contamination in our water sources. it is pretty simple...
This is the heart of the myth -- that "increased numbers" and "increased development" = "increased contamination". The Appalachian Trail is the biggest water filter you're likely to ever want to invent, and you don't even have to carry it -- it's already installed, and the filter never needs changing. And it's FREE. And it's got a LONG way to go before it reaches its carrying capacity.
(Now *that's* simple. But the real nub of it is that the water sources are generally better now than a quarter century ago. But that just makes the whole question *too* simple.)
smokymtnsteve
06-04-2004, 14:18
guess you have never noticed what folks are doing right above that spring at
the cold springs shelter ....
and having spent time being caretaker at IceWater spring shelter in the smokies cleaning up around the spring and the make shift campsite that some folks "use" for many purposes right above that spring.
well you go ahead and do as you like... but I would suggest being safe and treating water...BTW do you carry an anti-diarrhea med in your first aid kit?
I would highly suggest that for everyone.
SGT Rock
06-04-2004, 14:38
I agree with Steve on the meds. I have been treating water for years and have still occasionally got sick. But it was not the water. There is a growing body of information that points the main cause of gastric illness to things other than water like sharing GORP bags and dirty hands.
But to caveat that: It has also been my experience in a few years of going to other lands, that any "new water" to a person will generally cause some sort of illness because there is always going to be some sort of micro-organism forign to your system. Once or twice getting it will adapt you to the organism. Sometimes this isn't anything more than a little indegestion and sometimes it can be pretty nasty. If you drink water all over the AT and don't get anything, then you are probably VERY safe from the water. So I guess what I am saying is the best way to treat most water like that is to actually get used to it. Obviously people like Lone Wolf are.
No matter how you treat or filter water there is still the chance to get a bug from contaminated food, dirty hands, etc. One Immodium can keep you from dehydrating while your stomach gets over it.
smokymtnsteve
06-04-2004, 14:52
I even agree that most of the water along the AT is probably fairly safe most of the time..however..it just takes that one time at that one water source to make you pretty sick. and I have personally seen and helped clean up some pretty nasty stuff around and near water sources on the AT. but the choice is yours...
guess you have never noticed what folks are doing... <snip>
BTW do you carry an anti-diarrhea med in your first aid kit?
I would highly suggest that for everyone.
Ohhh, I've seen it all, and occasionally had to dig it out of the spring (once in the northern PA summer, a wayyyyys down the hill; that one was fun).
Anywho, no, I don't carry an anti-diarheal [how *do* you spell that word?] No need -- if not sick, it's of no use; if sick, you can live without it. Either way, you're not killing any pathogens, you're just tying up your guts. In 24-72 hours, the story is over. (Don't have one at home, either.) My first aid kit (solo) consists of
duct tape
neosporin
red led
white led
indelible marker
safety pins
candle
someotherstuffthatslipsmymind
With my kids, I carry more, but it's mostly in weight, not in variety. And yes, I've been sick in the woods (curiously, 5 days after returning to the AT from a multi-day shin-dig at my parents house in Connecticut). And as a teenager, there was Fartwell Stream -- so named [by us] because, if you and your buddies drank enough, and were all crowded in the car on the way home with somebody's innocent parent at the wheel... well, a good time was to be had.
sloetoe
pathogen carrier
to the world
and I have personally seen and helped clean up some pretty nasty stuff around and near water sources on the AT.
You know, we generally expect that the farther we get from the road, the better the people we're likely to meet up with are going to be. And we expect this because, as a rule, it is a generally reliable one. So why is it that sometimes, even far from the nearest road, we come upon some situation that was *obviously* crapitated by a human? Trash, uncovered poop/paper in clearings, along with the variously fouled water sources, etc...... Real head scratchers, you know?
Anywho, "Thanks!" to you and to all WhiteBlazers who leave the woods better than you found 'em.
The Old Fhart
06-04-2004, 15:42
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/giardiasis/factsht_giardia.htm has some good information on Giardia. Another common water problem is E. Coli. While the chances of getting sick by drinking untreated water are not great, keep in mind that the consequences of Giardia can be severe and last two weeks or so. Lone Wolf says the water hasn’t made him sick but as the CDC says: “Symptoms include diarrhea, loose or watery stool, stomach cramps, and upset stomach. These symptoms may lead to weight loss and dehydration. Some people have no symptoms.” You could be a carrier and have no symptoms, or you could just be lucky. Infected persons may be contagious for months. I hiked with one woman who didn’t treat any water and got Giardia twice on her thru hike. Like Clint said: “Do you feel lucky today, punk?”
I’ll take my chances with treated water instead of staying glued to the hopper for two weeks. I saw a poll that indicated hikers had about a 2% chance of getting Giardia and 20% chance for getting all other G.I. related problems. Obviously good hygiene is very important. You’re probably more likely to get diseases from other hikers or by sharing their food than from water.
smokymtnsteve
06-04-2004, 16:10
sure you can live without the anti-diarrhea med...but having one with you sure could help with dehydration after an episode...esp. in hot weather.
I would also advise a head-ache remedy and an antacid...I know you don't get eithier of these things very often but to be out a couple days from town get a head-ache or upset stomach it sure is nice to have...but you'll probably live...even if you wish you wouldn't at the moment.
Ramble~On
06-05-2004, 05:25
Once upon a time I said screw the filter and went to chemical.
Then I said screw the chemicals...somewhere in N. Virginia I got giardia.
My guts said screw you. THEY SAID IT REAL LOUD.
I filter everything now.
To each his & her own...
Giardia Sucks.
Coulda been simple bad luck on my part but I do not gamble with water anymore.
I currently filter my water, because I've been around too many "non-treaters" who have gotten ill, and I've seen too many water sources that have been trashed by inconsiderate campers. Also, it's helpful in the fall when many of the springs are mere mud puddles!
I recently found out about the "Steri-pen" and am considering buying one. It is 8 oz with batteries and uses UV light to kill the "bad stuff". Like a filter you don't have to wait to drink the water, but it won't help much with the mud puddle scenerio. Has anyone out there tried this system? If so; do you recommend it?
Ramble~On
06-24-2004, 08:32
"Steri-pen" Hmmm sounds interesting. I'll have to check that out.
I'm still sold on my Pur Hiker filter.. 10 years old now? still in great shape.
A new element last me a long time, pumps quick...no complaints.
15 ounces for it and its gidgits and gizmos...weight I don't mind carrying.
Anybody else on here ever had Giardia ???
Lone Wolf
06-24-2004, 08:37
I have giardia mouth. Diagnosed by Mountain Dew. :D
Ramble~On
06-24-2004, 08:40
:-? HMmmm. Don't try soap. It won't work. My mother tried that it the taste made even worse words come out.
Giardia Mouth isn't quite what I'm talking about..
I'm talking about full-blown Giardia...where you become a walking "anal-volcano"
Lone Wolf
06-24-2004, 08:45
I've had major s**ts for 2-3 days then back to normal. I never filter or treat water so it happens once in awhile.
smokymtnsteve
06-24-2004, 08:48
I've had major s**ts for 2-3 days then back to normal. I never filter or treat water so it happens once in awhile.
guess that only happens when your full of it. :D
SGT Rock
06-24-2004, 09:00
The Steri Pen keeps poping up. Apparently it only works on 8 ounces of water at a time and has to be in the water for a certain amount of time to work. I will just stick to chemicals.
I think any method you choose (including none) will never prevent you from being sick forever.
Alligator
06-24-2004, 09:11
I have giardia mouth. Diagnosed by Mountain Dew. :D
Well, kiss and make up then.
Just wanted to check how many of you guys use chemicals to purify your water versus carrying a filter. I am considering carrying a filter, although the weight advantage of carrying PA or Aqua Mira are tempting.
i use the iodine tabs (about 50% time)...because they WORK!
the weight factor is also a BIG BONUS! :D
The Steri-Pen will treat up to 32 oz. of water in about 80 seconds. The estimated cost of treatment is 32 cents per gallon.
Discolored or dirty water has to be prefiltered. A big drawback.
I've also read a couple blurbs about pen failure, though the website (http://hydro-photon.com/) claims it is durable.
Anyone have any not-before-posted information on the Miox treatment?
Edited to indicate 80 seconds instead of 8 minutes.
grrickar
06-24-2004, 09:57
[QUOTE=Jaybird]i use the iodine tabs (about 50% time)...because they WORK!
Doesn't the iodine taste bad? I read that it takes some getting used to. I know the Potable Aqua now has some tabs called PA+ that is supposed to be for after the iodine had done it's job, and the reason for the PA+ is to eliminate the taste.
I was thinking about using the chlorine dioxide tablets. Seems that they too would be light but wouldn't have an aftertaste.
The other worry I had was the warning label on the iodine tab bottles - several read "for temporary emergency use only". Is there something harmful about iodine's long term use?
grrickar
06-24-2004, 10:09
Anyone have any not-before-posted information on the Miox treatment?
I did some reading and the MIOX pen just uses salt, water and a current to make a batch of chlorine dioxide that you then dump into the water you wish to treat. It's expensive, and more prone to break at some point than just using the chlorine dioxide tablets. I'm not sure in the long run if you would be cheaper with the MIOX or just using the tablets. You can buy a lot of tablets for the cost of the MIOX. I ended up buying a MSR Miniworks EX filter. Kinda heavy, but breaks down easy in the field without tools in case a repair is needed.
Alligator
06-24-2004, 10:34
Doesn't the iodine taste bad? I read that it takes some getting used to. I know the Potable Aqua now has some tabs called PA+ that is supposed to be for after the iodine had done it's job, and the reason for the PA+ is to eliminate the taste.
Vitamin C ground up works just like the nuetralizer in PA+. Kills the iodine taste. Polar Pur is better on taste because the amount of iodine added is better controlled. With PA, you can add one or two tabs. IMO, the Polar Pur is much milder than PA.
SGT Rock
06-24-2004, 10:43
I tried the Chlorine Dioxide, and I actually prefer the Polar Pure, although Polar Pure is a little heavier.
Nightwalker
06-25-2004, 14:05
I’ll take my chances with treated water instead of staying glued to the hopper for two weeks. I saw a poll that indicated hikers had about a 2% chance of getting Giardia and 20% chance for getting all other G.I. related problems. Obviously good hygiene is very important. You’re probably more likely to get diseases from other hikers or by sharing their food than from water.
I used to not treat water at all, but now I just add chlorine. I used to use Viral-Stop, but figured out that it had the same level of sodium hypochlorite in it that household bleach (read the labels, duh).
5 drops per liter of regular-strength bleach (3.5% sodium hypochlorite) or 3 drops of the newer "ultra" type (6% sodium hypochlorite)
I think any method you choose (including none) will never prevent you from being sick forever.
Now thats the truth!
And when any of us occasionally do develop the loose bowel symptoms, we'll never know for certain exactly what caused it, either, whether we get it at home or backpacking. But if we get it while backpacking it is all to easy to just throw the blame on "bad water", completely excluding any other possible source. Perhaps its just the uncertain fear of getting sick that drives so many to use filters or chemicals for their drinking water from mountain springs or crystal clear mountain streams.
i mostly do neither .
I have directly sampled the water alongside the AT now through Georgia and part of North Carolina and found it to be about the sweetest of any water anywhere. I did find rainy runnoff tumbling down the sides of cliffs to be a little gritty but i didnt treat that either.
HMMmmmmm. I wonder if I was just lucky or are some fears just unfounded?:)
Anyway, I agree with your quote. And, each of us should do just what we feel more comfortable with and if one occasionally does decide to "sample direct", it just might be a pleasurable experience instead of a painful one. :jump
SGT Rock
06-26-2004, 08:49
I had no filter or treatment on one hike from Bly Gap south to Neels Gap because I was relying (for the first and only time) on a filter that clogged to the point of uselessness after only a bout a week on the trail. The water between those two points never made me sick at all, and most of those sources were within view of the trail and trail shelters. I suspsect folks like LW who don't filter or treat are used to most of the "cooties" that live in the mountain water, but I am starting to think that on the AT I may just forgo most any form of water filtering or treatment and just drink - except in the worst of cases like water near cattle. a 1 ounce bottle of iodine tablets should be good enough back up for situations like that.
Rock, that was my first trip to the At so I had not developed any immunity to specific "cooties" in the AT water. I remain convinced that our water fear is more imagined than real, especially when one chooses their drinking water from either springs or clear, fast moving streams in the upper elevations. At lower elevations though, or near those cattle you mentioned, or where the water was stagnant, I agree that some treatment would certainly be a safer bet. But to treat all the water though would be to lose something of the AT experience.
Pencil Pusher
06-29-2004, 19:01
I agree, highway. I read some of these same thoughts a few years ago and remembered back to my Boy Scout days, drinking from the stream. Using pretty much the criteria you listed is how I ditched the filter. Some people look on in disbelief as I drink, like I'm going to keel over at any minute. Well one morning I awoke with severe abdominal pains and thought for sure I'd drank from one stream too many. Went to the hospital totally convinced it was giardia and swearing to myself how stupid I was and how I'd never drink from the stream again. Turns out it was a kidney stone (doh!). So I went back to drinking from the streams:D I still carry iodine tablets, just in case I get to water that doesn't look so good.
Of the iodine tablets, I recall the doctor-types mentioning to not drink it on a continual basis. As far as adding stuff to erase the taste, I've also heard you should only add the drink mix after waiting the prescribed time for the iodine to work its magic. This is so the drink mix does not interfere with the iodine treatment process. The taste isn't that bad, unless you think about it after taking your first sip. Just chug-a-lug and fahgeddaboudit;)
orangebug
08-14-2004, 22:10
Of the iodine tablets, I recall the doctor-types mentioning to not drink it on a continual basis. As far as adding stuff to erase the taste, I've also heard you should only add the drink mix after waiting the prescribed time for the iodine to work its magic. This is so the drink mix does not interfere with the iodine treatment process. The taste isn't that bad, unless you think about it after taking your first sip. Just chug-a-lug and fahgeddaboudit;)
It would take a huge amount of Iodine to have any effect on thyroid function. I doubt it would be possible to take enough on a thru hike.
The idea of water treatment is a judgement call. There is nothing that really demonstrates that water treatment will prevent Giardia or any of the more common sources of diarrhea. Toilet hygiene is probably a more important factor.
Bill...
jackiebolen
08-15-2004, 00:20
I made it 1500 miles on the AT not treating any water source and lived to tell the tale. I'm convinced that a lot of people get sick because they feel indestructable with their filters and chemical treatments and drink from bad sources that no one in their right mind should be drinking out of. Filters and chemicals can only do so much, even boiling doesn't get rid of nasty metals.
I think a lot of people get sick from lack of sanitation as well and call it gardia. Examples:
1. Sharing food...community trail mix, your spoon in my pot, etc, etc. Who knows if the other person sanitized their hands after taking a crap.
2. Not using alcohol sanitizer religiously before eating and after using the bathroom.
3. Not cleaning pots and spoons...moldy crusties can't be good for you!
Some people also get sick out of laziness. Instead of going a little bit further upstream at a source, maybe above the shelter area they get water from the same spot as everyone else. Who knows what the heck people have been doing in that water...if you go upstream at least a little bit you can hopefully avoid most of the stupid people who bathe in the streams.
eyahiker
08-15-2004, 00:36
My MSR filter is heavy, but I filter everything, it just tastes better. I'm not as brave as L Wolf :)
grrickar
08-15-2004, 04:16
Well the filter is staying behind this trip, I'm going to use iodine after all. I'm glad I have the filter and may carry it on some trips, but the weight if it and all the other stuff I'm taking is too much.
eyahiker
08-15-2004, 06:15
jackiebolen, some good points to think about:)
I've thought about losing the filter, but just want the instant H20. Maybe I'll drop it for my next SH and see how it goes....
If you've ever had real giardia, you'll take every precaution not to get it again.
I know much--but not all--of the water on the AT is probably safe to drink "as is," but I'm not brilliant enough to always tell those sources that are not. (And I strongly agree that bad sanitation habits, sharing GORP, communal meals, etc. is a bigger threat on the AT than much of the water.)
So I avoid all that sharing, carry a small bottle of wintergreen rubbing alcohol which I use to stay safer, and I filter most water.
In 1984, I and about 400 other people got giardia from a contaminated small town water supply where I was visiting in Western PA. The local hospitals were swamped. Extra medicine had to be rounded up. It was flowing freely from both ends for days before I felt halfway human again. I can't imagine how I would have coped had I been in the woods instead of a comfortable private home surrounded by helpful people and access to resources.
YMMV.
Man is very far from being the dominant organism on this planet. The truth is that bacteria are number one. And they're almost everywhere. In the rocks deep underground. Next to high temperature vents on the bottom of the ocean. Even inside our cells (mitochondria, the energy producing organelles, are bacterial in origin).
Bacteria use mammals as spreading agents very effectively. As a result, water in pristine wilderness areas carry fecal coliform bacteria. That is an indication of fecal contamination. On the Trail, we all drink water that is contaminated by mammal feces. Some of us choose to remove and/or inactivate the organisms derived from those feces. Others choose, knowingly or otherwise, not to.
Most bacteria don't cause disease. But the ones that do, the pathogens, know how to defeat your immune system and make you very sick. Their cousins, the opportunistic pathogens, have to wait for your immune system to be weakened, then they too have free reign.
Those that haven't treated or filtered their water probably have two things going for them: consistently strong immune systems and luck. Unfortunately, the laws of probability don't play favorites. Drink enough bad water over a number of years, and you're likely to be nailed by a pathogen. Many people on this site, including myself, have had that decidedly unpleasant experience. Few care to repeat it.
If you practice good hygiene, and you remove the microorganisms (bacteria, protozoans, and viruses) in your drinking water, you will significantly lower your chances of getting sick on the trail. Note that some treatment methods do not kill or remove all protozoal cysts, and many treatment methods do not inactivate viruses. Be careful about choosing your method of treatment or filtration.
anneandbenhike
05-08-2005, 14:53
From a doctor....you can safely use iodine to treat all water on a thru hike without worrying about over-iodining yourself. Although they say on the bottle that you should use two tablets per liter, one is plenty unless the water source is really bad, and then you probably should look elsewhere for water! You can get rid of the taste by using a small scraping with a knife off a Vitamin C tablet. Once you drink your water, you MUST rinse the bottle throughly AFTER using Vitamin C or if you use any Vitamin C containing drink mix in the bottle and BEFORE using the iodine for purification the next time or the iodine will not work as it will be neutralized immediately by any remaining Vitamin C. I found that after using iodine for so long that I do not notice the taste anyway. I never have to worry about whether there is any residual Vit. C in the bottle either. Amen to all those talking about camp hygiene...this is more important than much of the water purification. And yes, definitely wait the 1/2 hour for the iodine to work before adding the Vit. C.
Uncle Silly
05-08-2005, 15:10
found a cute little outdoors-inspired bit on Immodium while rereading this thread:
Ode to Immodium
Oh, Immodium,
Constipator of my colon,
Immobilizer of my bowel;
You make it possible
For me to leave
The house and take
A long walk in the
Countryside, without
Having to remember
To pack
Toilet roll
And a small trowel.
© Alex Frankel 1998
(url: http://frankly.users.btopenworld.com/immodium.htm)
saimyoji
05-08-2005, 17:13
Man is very far from being the dominant organism on this planet. The truth is that bacteria are number one. And they're almost everywhere. In the rocks deep underground. Next to high temperature vents on the bottom of the ocean. Even inside our cells (mitochondria, the energy producing organelles, are bacterial in origin).
Not a dig against you Hog, but the endosymbiont hypothesis is just that: a hypothesis. Don't buy into anything until you see the evidence. Have we seen it happen in the lab? Not yet. Fossil evidence? Yeah right. More evolutionist propaganda. Wait a minute, did I jut hijack this thread? Oops, sorry. :jump
I lived in Thailand for 6 years and only got sick once: in the first week I was there. After that I ate at the street vendors, drank the local water on occaision, drank drinks from restaraunts where you know the ice is made from local water (this is something many people overlook) and never got sick (from the water; from other adult beverages is another story). I agree that once you acclimate your immune system, (stimulate production of anitbodies to those various microoganisms) you'll be just fine. Its the initial introduction of the nasties into your body that can get you sick.
I saw an advert for the SteriPen and it seemed very expensive, for my pocket.
Has anyone had any experience of a failure using brand name chemical solutions or plain old bleach, for water purification.?
check out the thread by Medicineman about Aquastar water purfier. www.uvaquastar.com (http://www.uvaquastar.com). Kills crypto,e.coli,and virus's. And they will replace or repair damaged units for $30. Sells for under $100. Weighs 3 oz. and fits inside 1 liter wide mouth nalgene. Now even LW can drink clean water.(lol)
Programbo
05-10-2005, 19:19
I`m sure my reply won`t help much as I haven`t hiked seriously for a LONG time..But I just wanted to comment how much times have changed..Way back when I hiked my heaviest (My longest hike was from Mid-Shenandoah Nat Park to New Jersey) I never even considered purifying my drinking water..Or maybe we were just stupider back then :rolleyes:
yellowsun
05-10-2005, 21:00
My brand new modem has been doin' the freak and has cut me off three times...So I will try to respond again...In the Ozarks I got dysentary.My two freinds from Denmark got sick as well. We drank charcoal it helped a little..The sell it over the counter in Europe.Then to the clinic..The doctor said I should try real hard not to get it again or it ca be fatal..I am bringing on my next excursion both tablets and a filter...That was the summer from hell. I got bit by a brown recluse. I have a half dollar size scar...My freind LIsa had to help unpack and pack the wound it was 2" deep by the time I got to the doctor have a scar to prove it...When we had no money for disinfectant...Hot soapy water makes a good soak for any wound...I rember projectile vomiting and really watery diareeah...It's insane to have the urge to poop and have not eaten in days because you cannot...I am extremely clean and bandana bathe...I can't figure out the resistance to starting the trail south and heading North. At the Camping store today I was strongly advised to start South...But all I can rember is Dysentary....that spider..then I fell in a mole hole and broke my ankle months later on the bus I cut my hand and spaghetti like tendons hung out...It was the worst summer of my life down South...I never get hurt but that summer...Kinda funny...But It wasn't then.. The doctor took a melon scooper like tool and dug out rotten flesh from the tiny biting beast of a spidey...HURT....The doctor had to hold my butt cheek still because my freind Lisa kept making me laugh...But we made the doctor laugh...:sun
saimyoji
05-10-2005, 21:21
The doctor had to hold my butt cheek still because my freind Lisa kept making me laugh...
This makes it sound as if you got bitten on your butt. True? How, pray tell, did that happen? I can just imagine squatting down to do your business, only to be greeted by one of the nastiest spiders around. YIKES.:eek:
My husband says you could probably hike the entire AT without any filter or chem to treat water. You may have to boil a few times. I personally use the old Pur Hiker, love it. hikerwife
We usually hike in NH or Maine. I choose to purify with the MSR Miniworks. I like the idea of having totally clean water without the taste of chemical treatments. Since crypto is on the rise in the New England area, I wouldn't even consider not treating the water. Though 18 years ago I drank from the headwaters of streams on Mt Flume and Mt Tripyramid, I don't think I would do so now. The White Mtns in particular are overused and abused. I hate to say it, but I don't trust what others may have done to the water. Too many people like to go to the woods, but have no concept of how to "go" while there. Not something that they teach in public school. So I filter. Besides, if I run out of water and am dying of thirst, I can always filter from a bever pond and not worry about giardia! :)
The filter also came in handy while section hiking the first 50 miles of the AT. I hiked in June and almost all the springs had dried up. If I had to actually dip for water (to chemical treat) in the muddy bug infested remnants of the spring, I wouldn't have been a happy camper. Using a filter turns any water source into a "good" water source.:D
BTW, the steri pen is an ultraviolet system. As stated on the website (www.hydro-photon.com), the pen does not kill the protazoa that cause disease, it sterilizes them so they can't multiply, "Without the ability to replicate DNA, the microbe cannot reproduce and is rendered harmless". So the original protazoa you collect in your water bag are still swimming around, but their DNA is destroyed. Technically there have to be many (millions??)of organisims to make you sick(i.e. they must be able to reproduce to get to that many organisms), there by making the steripen a valid form of sterilization for clear water.
saimyoji
05-10-2005, 23:26
Using a filter turns any water source into a "good" water source.
Not true. There are many chemicals and heavy metals that cannot be removed with hiker filters. There is a certain stretch of trail around Palmerton, PA that I don't recommend you drink, filter or no.
saimyoji, your right! One should consider that when looking for water near urban or industrial places. What I meant was that if you're given a mud puddle as a water source, it is easier to filter water from it (via a hose) than try to get good water by scooping it out. I ran into many thruhikers last year who were complaining about the poor water sources (puddles) near a few shelters in west NH.I have considered the chemical issue while hiking in Illinois on the Michigan-Illinois Canal trail. You can't tell what has been dumped into the Illinois river near Chicago. We always play it safe and use the water pumps in the parks and scenic/historic stops (filter or no!).
We usually hike in NH or Maine.
### Me too; and VT.
> I like the idea of having totally clean water without the taste of chemical treatments.
### Me too.
> Since crypto is on the rise in the New England area,
### total myth. crypto "IS" everywhere, but the likelihood of your contracting a disease from it is 1,000th that of getting hit by lightning. I doubt you carry a lightning rod.
> I wouldn't even consider not treating the water. Though 18 years ago I drank from the headwaters of streams on Mt Flume and Mt Tripyramid, I don't think I would do so now. The White Mtns in particular are overused and abused.
### total myth. the Whites are in MUCH better shape than 18-25-30 years ago, and (although I am loath to grant the AMC or their lackeys the USFS/WMNF any credit at all) they are getting better all the time.
> I hate to say it, but I don't trust what others may have done to the water.
### But your distrust does not translate into fact, only weight in your pack.
> Besides, if I run out of water and am dying of thirst, I can always filter from a bever pond and not worry about giardia! :)
### Curious, as beaver catch giardiasis from human transport MUCH more than the other way around.
> I hiked in June and almost all the springs had dried up. If I had to actually dip for water (to chemical treat) in the muddy bug infested remnants of the spring, I wouldn't have been a happy camper.
### Nor would you have treated your water (and water source) with the respect it deserves.
Peace, and Salute!
'toe
One should consider that when looking for water near urban or industrial places.
### Which includes the "industrial" agriculture areas of the US bread basket.
> I have considered the chemical issue while hiking in Illinois on the Michigan-Illinois Canal trail. You can't tell what has been dumped into the Illinois river near Chicago.
### The only reason I own a water filter (the $8 inbottle filter element variety, or the newer filter "straw" at 1 ounce), is to hike in Indiana's woods without worry of what Bubba has dumped on the 200 square miles of clay collection upstream. Eeessh.
scaredytoe
I`m sure my reply won`t help much as I haven`t hiked seriously for a LONG time..But I just wanted to comment how much times have changed..Way back when I hiked my heaviest (My longest hike was from Mid-Shenandoah Nat Park to New Jersey) I never even considered purifying my drinking water..Or maybe we were just stupider back then :rolleyes:
### Hold yer course, ol'timer. Cutting edge now, don't worry, you'll be new- fangled and a fad "early adopter" in another few years.
fellowdinosaurtoe
Just treat your water with a positive attitude! On a long distance hike... you're going to come into contact with Giardia at some point, even if you filter/treat it methodically. The question is… does it make you sick? 2/3rds of all people are immune.
Using a filter turns any water source into a "good" water source.
Not true. There are many chemicals and heavy metals that cannot be removed with hiker filters. There is a certain stretch of trail around Palmerton, PA that I don't recommend you drink, filter or no.
There are probably dozens of water "sources" along the AT that have chemicals in them because of upstream polluters, and filters can't help you. The Potomac River alongside the C&O Canal (concurrent with the AT north of Harpers Ferry) is a prime example.
YEP, AND YA DID REAL GOOD ON SUNDAY!!!!!!HAHAHAHAHAHAHA,HOPE YOUR FEELIN BETTER, WAS A LONG RIDE HOME,BUT I MADE IT! SEES YA SOON, TAKE CARE!
I have giardia mouth. Diagnosed by Mountain Dew. :D
Buckingham
07-11-2005, 15:14
Can't start fires in most parts of the A.T., so boiling water is out of the question(with a sterno, still a major pain in the sack). I've tried the chemicals, just made for some nasty, vile tasting swill. So now I just drink it straight and hope for the best. If I do happen to get unlucky, it's okay, I always travel with plenty of T.P.
I carry a filter and use it when I don't trust the supply but if the water's coming out of the ground I don't bother.
But I pratically grew up in the woods around here and drank out of all the small streams so long as they were running and looking back I'm sure they were not safe but if I ever got sick I can't recall or didn't attribute it to the water.
Paul Bunyan
10-22-2006, 16:07
I concur, i drink straight out of springs, as long as its the pipe. I never drink out of rivers or streams. Use aqua mira for that stuff.
fiddlehead
10-23-2006, 00:41
Can't start fires in most parts of the A.T., so boiling water is out of the question(with a sterno, still a major pain in the sack).
That's a new one to me. Since when?