Water Safety

[Procras108r]

I am not a great fan of the taste of most chemical purifying systems. Yes, I know I can add packets of various flavorings......but I wonder if it is feasible or wise to boil all the water for my needs?

With so many nearby towns, the fuel load should not be that great, but I would have to boil all my water for that day's hike each morning or previous evening. Hell, there is plenty of time.

Am I missing something? I am new to hiking and would like some of your expert opinions.

[Mags]

Don't know how expert I am...

But, boiling water for a whole day? Yeah..it is going to take a lot of fuel..and be time consuming AND it is going to weigh a lot (approx 2 lbs per lit). Assuming you drink oh..let's say a gallon a day..that's 8 lbs of water.

Here's the Q&D on water treatment IMO:
http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php/Backpacking-and-Hiking-documents/Backpacking-A-Beginners-Primer.html

Four common ways to treat water are:

1) Boiling Boiling water to a rolling boil will kill nasties in the water. But, it takes very long, makes the water tastes flat, and uses lots of fuel. Most use boiling as a last resort only

2) Chemically Using iodine is the old standby for water treatment up until recently. Typically known as “Portable Aqua” these tabs will treat one liter of water each. They take longer to treat water than a filter/purifier but are lighter and less complex than the filters. Iodine does have an aftertaste that some people do not like. You can also use iodine crystals (i.e. Polar Pure) and a newer chemical treatment known as Aqua Mira. Aqua Mira takes less time to treat water than iodine and is a two stage chemical process.

3) Filters/Purifiers Filters and purifiers are for most people the standard tool in the backpacker’s water treatment arsenal. Though they are heavier, bulkier and can break down/clog, they will treat water quickly and without a chemical after taste. They are also great for filtering out "floaties" more so than other water treatment methods. If using a filter, be sure to keep the intake (dirty water) and output (clean water) hoses separate.

4) Steripen The equipment of choice for geeks! :) This pen-like device uses UV radiation to sterilize water. Besides being a bit expensive (~$80 online), it also depends upon batteries. They are also somewhat fragile and need more care than other methods of water treatment. You may need to filter out "floaties". Its main attraction is that it is quicker than other methods of treating water.



(Yeah..another link of mine. I write a lot of outdoor stuff. :D)

[Tennessee Viking]

I am not a great fan of the taste of most chemical purifying systems. Yes, I know I can add packets of various flavorings......but I wonder if it is feasible or wise to boil all the water for my needs?

With so many nearby towns, the fuel load should not be that great, but I would have to boil all my water for that day's hike each morning or previous evening. Hell, there is plenty of time.

Am I missing something? I am new to hiking and would like some of your expert opinions.
Google boiling water requirements. Some hikers will bring water just to a boil, and others will boil it for 5 minutes or longer.

But in theory, the higher in elevation and the more remote you are from civilization, the cleaner the water. When you get closer to roads, farms, and civilization, boiling water is highly recommend.

Remember, plan on being out in the wilderness for 5 days or more. If you use alcohol, do test boils before hitting the trail to see how long it take. That will give a good idea of how much fuel to take. More than likely a lot. But if you are using fuel canisters, you will burning through those quickly.

Then of course, we got the purists. Drink straight from the stream. Usually they know which streams are realible.

[Manwich]

Filter if you don't like the taste. Boiling for a days worth of water isn't too feasible of an option. Who says it'll be cool enough in time for you to have a nice cold sip of yum?