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View Full Version : Issue of weight and your thoughts....



Totally Different Subject
08-12-2004, 19:08
Good day.

Hey there potential 05 AT hikers!

I am conditioning and planning for a NOBO assult beginning mid to late February. Partly to beat the big rush but mainly because I love cold weather camping. And the storms don't scare this good ol boy. Without a little adversity where would the adventure be, right?

Anyhow, I have purchased the backbone of my gear. Backpack, bag, stove etc. By the way, the MSR pocket rocket, so far, is unbelievable. Its light, sturdy. You've got a nob to adjust temperature and the fuel bottle is disposable. I also really like this Mountainsmith Mountainlite Auspex pack. Oh its lite but they rubbered over the zippers to truly make this water tite. ALso the pack features a zipper down the side so you can get to your inner gear quick. At first I was suspect of the hipbelt and shoulder strap system. You know-the simplicity. They seem to work well. I;ve never put on a pack regardless of the pack job and felt so balanced.

In another thread, the topic of water purification came up: Iodine, Polar Pure, Chlorine or a pump. Many of the past Thru hikers spoke of using the method resulting in the least amount of packweight.

What are your thoughts about water purification?

Also, how many folks who are planning a 05 AT Thru hike are living in the Nashville, TN area?

Jason
aka Three Moose

skeeterfeeder
08-17-2004, 04:52
I've read a great deal about light weight water purification, but I have to admit, I will carry the extra weight to avoid having to come off the trail with a bad stomach. A hundred years ago I'm sure drinking water from streams was second nature, but you have to think about the hundreds, if not thousands of 'two legged critters' that may have tainted the water supply along the trail.
If I'm going to start, I have every intention of finishing, so why take the chance?
I hope to start around the same time as you. so maybe we will meet out there somewhere. (I lived in NashVegas for a little while, just off 21st street over near Vandy, and worked at the Sunset Grill.)

Flash Hand
08-18-2004, 02:00
Hi Three Moose (is that your trail name?)

I attempted the thru hike this year but failed at 523 miles due to money. So, I will attempt again next year... I will start somewhere between Mid February to March, depending on the weather. I plan on going to celebrate the Mardi Gras in New Orleans then stay one or two weeks at Hiker Hostel in GA or Kincora Hiker Hostel in TN waiting for the weather to warm up. So, I might see you and your companion during that time.

About water, I used only water filter straighted out from springs. I rarely use water from creek. Spring water taste real good. Usually, it always keep me nervous about not using water purification. SO, if you don't want to feel nervous at any time, then use the purification, if that way it would make you feel better.

And no, I never got sick from water during the hike.

Hope to see you guys in 2005

Flash Hand :jump

cupcake
08-28-2004, 11:48
hi there,
i used aqua mira drops for my hike --- the two bottle set weighs less than 3oz. i debated between a pump or chemical purification -- i have to admit, the choice of pumps was mind boggling. starting your hike in the winter also means your overall pack wt. will be more, --- warmer bag, bulkier clothes, etc ..... so, why carry more wt. and take up more pack space? as far as taste goes, i've never noticed any chemical flavors. hmmm ..... activation time may take longer though if the water is soooo cold.
some people say they never filter or purify. i guess they've never had giardia or amoebas --- have either of those once (or even at the same time --- that was unpleasant) and you'll protect yourself better next time.

SalParadise
10-29-2004, 18:34
I started out this year with a water filter, but since my pack was already too heavy, it became a casualty, and I stuck with using Aqua Mira or iodine. No filter only meant drinking a few small particles -- no big deal. The drops/iodine are great to have if you have to refill your water in a gap or valley, or if drinking from a standing source is the only option. Otherwise the water sources are pretty good, very often they are either high on a hill or it comes through the ground, and I usually didn't bother to treat those. No sickness in my 700 miles. Otherwise I think the AT giardia scare is slightly overrated.

Frosty
10-29-2004, 18:48
the fuel bottle is disposable. Yeah, but don't you have to carry it in your pack until you get to a town to dispose of it?

Water purification has been beaten to death in a number of threads. If you check the archives or do a search, you'll have more conflicting information than you dreamed possible,

JimSproul
11-07-2004, 10:50
Hey Three Moose -

I plan to carry a filter and Aqua Mira drops. In the Appalachian I have seen plenty of good water sources you can't dip from without getting a bunch of junk. Also the filter is faster than drops. I use the drops if I have any questions about the source. Whole setup is about a pound, worth it to me.

Knees
11-24-2004, 10:08
I'm doing the filter + Aqua Mira thing here too. I can see situations where both are handly, so I'm at least starting with both.

minnesotasmith
11-25-2004, 09:24
Why not bring some coffee filters and a small food-grade plastic funnel, and filter out the big chunks? Both items are extremely light-weight, not particularly fragile, cheap, easy to get in the first place, and are easy to replace at any decent-sized trail town grocery store. The coffee filters would be multiple-use for anyone who drinks coffee or loose tea (leaves) while hiking. Also, speaking as someone with some microbiological background, doing even some coarse prefiltering before chemical treatment will make that treatment faster and more effective. I will likely bring these along when I do a section hike next month, even though I have a Katadyne and an Aquamira set, for these reasons.

minnesotasmith
11-25-2004, 09:27
Why not bring some coffee filters and a small food-grade plastic funnel, and filter out the big chunks? Both items are extremely light-weight, not particularly fragile, cheap, easy to get in the first place, and are easy to replace at any decent-sized trail town grocery store. The coffee filters would be multiple-use for anyone who drinks coffee or loose tea (leaves) while hiking. Also, speaking as someone with some microbiological background, doing even some coarse prefiltering before chemical treatment will make that treatment faster and more effective. I will likely bring these along when I do a section hike next month, even though I have a Katadyne and an Aquamira set, for these reasons.

SalParadise
12-05-2004, 20:03
Anybody use coffee filters instead of a regular water filter? Any particular tricks to using them, and how long does one last? Are they degradeable? I'm assuming just rubber-band them to the top of the bottle, right?

Icicle
12-24-2004, 14:51
I'm doing the filter + Aqua Mira thing here too. I can see situations where both are handly, so I'm at least starting with both.
Hubby and I are only filtering (one of those cermaic water pump filter thingy's)....such a knack for all this techy language me! ;)

creepyspots
12-27-2004, 13:21
A pound for water purification?? Come on! Important? YES, but not a Pound worth.

I just hooked myself up with the MSR Miox. 3 ounces. Done. Safer than Iodine on your system over time, and at just about the same weight.

SalParadise
12-27-2004, 17:38
AquaMira is chlorine-based if you don't want to use the iodine over time. I couldn't find it as easily as the iodine along the way, but it's lighter still than the Miox.
I really didn't find the extra 20-minute wait to be a problem with the chemicals as opposed to the filter. It didn't happen too often that I'd be out of water before I found a source. It was just a matter of knowing how much you've got and finding a source before being empty.

Nameless
12-28-2004, 18:34
One other thing about chemical water treatments...

They dont break down. I have had countless filters malfunction or break down over time, and just have grown tired of it. So, i now plan for chemical purification (I have also drank my share of water strait from good water sources, but i may have been a little sick from that once, but it was gone quick, and i lived, so life goes on)

Polar pure is cheaper the Aqua Mira, the main reason why i chose it. After a week or so of drinking iodine water you wont notice the taste, and town water will taste funny :)

Pink

SalParadise
12-28-2004, 20:54
I usually buy the sugar-free koolaid-type mixes in the store and carry those out. The're very light, and not only does it mask the iodine flavour, but you end up drinking more water because it's better tasting.