Water purification - what's popular? What works?

[Sassafras Lass]

I'm not a fan of chemicals, even trace chemicals, so right off the bat I'm opposed to that.

However, I'm not so mule-headed as to think that I can have everything perfect whilst hiking through 6 mths' worth of wilderness. :D

So - what kind of purification do you guys use? What brands, what methods, and what positive/negative feelings and experiences?

Thank you all SO much!

[Panzer1]

MSR Water Works II

http://www.outdoorreview.com/cat/outdoor-equipment/backpacking-camping-hiking/water-filters/msr/PRD_77108_2960crx.aspx

I thought that if filtered slower than my old Pur but still for one person it was fast enough.

Panzer

[rp1790]

For me, I started last year with a Katadyn Hiker Pro and it clogged up in the Smokies and the handle broke. I switched to Aqua Mira and was very happy with it. Very minimal taste.

A friend I was hiking with had the same filter and his did the same thing about 2 weeks later...

[white_russian]

For me, I started last year with a Katadyn Hiker Pro and it clogged up in the Smokies and the handle broke. I switched to Aqua Mira and was very happy with it. Very minimal taste.

A friend I was hiking with had the same filter and his did the same thing about 2 weeks later...
I had a filter that lasted about as long as the smokies as well. That was a old plain hiker filter and not the hiker pro with the prefilter on the cartridge. Since I have had the pro filter in my regular housing just cleaning the screen has let me use one cartridge for about 1000 miles and still going. My handle is still good so they may have switched plastics or maybe yall were just pushing too hard against the clogged filter.

[Roche]

I gave up the filter after trying AquaMira. I crossed the chemical bridge after reading Lightweight Backpacking & Camping by Ryan Jordan. So I bought some ($15), tried it at home, on hikes, overnights, then week trips. You'll get plenty of opinions on all methods, but use what you are comfortable with. Trust, but verify.

[flemdawg1]

Steripen Classic. But I'm not a thru-hiker, so I can't speak as to that application over a 6-month period.

[GeneralLee10]

This is one you should really look at. I use it in Fl and it does take all color, fowl taste out of the water. I have never had an issue with it at all. My brother has had one for 13 yrs and it still like new(not the filter).

http://generalecology.com/category/portable/product/first_need_xl_portable_water_purifier-new

[Lyle]

Not intending to be argumentative with the OP, but without chemicals, we'd all be dead. Just sayin' :D

For me AquaMira. Light, reasonably convenient, compact, effective, little or (in my opinion) no taste.

I've used filters, both gravity and pump, Iodine tablets, Steipen. AquaMira still wins.

[Sassafras Lass]

What about going completely au naturel?

I'm not opposed to boiling water, only that it takes a lot of fuel and time.

Aside from the occasional runs, would it really be that terrible and unhealthy to drink untreated water? Many people do, and many people have for millenia before the creation of fancy filters and chemicals.

Just sayin' . . . . :)

If I were to make sound decisions regarding my water sources (running water higher up a mountain, etc.), how would I fare?

[CrumbSnatcher]

katahdyn hiker/pro is a great filter. if you had a problem it was probably operator error!

[Lyle]

Actually, I do treat or not depending on my water source. Not that anyone can tell by looking.

Used to be I would treat if the water source looked NASTY. Cow manure, hoof prints, body parts, slime, stagnant, etc. Otherwise I just dipped my cup and drank. Kept a Sierra cup hanging off my pack just for these dip and drink locations.

Now I treat unless the water source looks pristine and is in an area unlikely to be polluted. True springs, as opposed to a temporarily underground stream resurfacing, are almost always trusted.

Decide for yourself, no right or wrong, if you are willing to take the risk. Lots more people and development around today, by the same token, more environmental regulation and awareness too.

Also, have you ever tasted boiled water, even after it's cooled? Nasty stuff.

[Tipi Walter]

For me, I started last year with a Katadyn Hiker Pro and it clogged up in the Smokies and the handle broke. I switched to Aqua Mira and was very happy with it. Very minimal taste.

A friend I was hiking with had the same filter and his did the same thing about 2 weeks later...

Long term ingestion of chlorine? Just wondering. Check out:

http://www.healthynewage.com/chlorine-cancer.htm

And anyway, the original poster said he's against using chemicals, so why recommend Aqua Mira?



Not intending to be argumentative with the OP, but without chemicals, we'd all be dead. Just sayin' :D


There are chemicals and then there are chemicals. There are hundreds of man-made foreign chemicals in our bloodstreams that are being studied and no one really knows what harmful effects they might have. These chemicals are concocted in labs and have no natural origins and thus there's no long term knowledge of their health impacts. These are not the chemicals you're talking about, like calcium and iron and niacin and sodium.

[CrumbSnatcher]

[QUOTE=Lyle;975847]Actually, I do treat or not depending on my water source. Not that anyone can tell by looking.

Used to be I would treat if the water source looked NASTY. Cow manure, hoof prints, body parts, slime, stagnant, etc. Otherwise I just dipped my cup and drank. Kept a Sierra cup hanging off my pack just for these dip and drink locations.

Now I treat unless the water source looks pristine and is in an area unlikely to be polluted. True springs, as opposed to a temporarily underground stream resurfacing, are almost always trusted.

Decide for yourself, no right or wrong, if you are willing to take the risk. Lots more people and development around today, by the same token, more environmental regulation and awareness too.

Also, have you ever tasted boiled water, even after it's cooled? Nasty stuff.[/QUOTE
--------------------------------------------------------------

[take-a-knee]

What about going completely au naturel?

I'm not opposed to boiling water, only that it takes a lot of fuel and time.

Aside from the occasional runs, would it really be that terrible and unhealthy to drink untreated water? Many people do, and many people have for millenia before the creation of fancy filters and chemicals.

Just sayin' . . . . :)



If I were to make sound decisions regarding my water sources (running water higher up a mountain, etc.), how would I fare?

I don't think you've ever been to Haiti. People there don't know what a beefy turd looks like. This is a classic example of the "ignorance of the blessed".

[Roche]

I don't think you've ever been to Haiti. People there don't know what a beefy turd looks like. This is a classic example of the "ignorance of the blessed".The thread is about AT water sources. Your post is a classic example of......:)

[Sassafras Lass]

"This is a classic example of the "ignorance of the blessed"."

I'm not trying to shun the opportunities that I'm afforded here in America; rather, I like to approach living simply and naturally, and am just wondering if unpurified water is really as toxic as they claim, or if it's just a matter of everyone eating processed food their whole lives, which lowers their immune system and leaves them susceptible to bacteria and whatnot?

[wudhipy]

I've had a katadyn hiker for about 7 years now and never had a moments problem, just replaced the filter elements a few times...never had hiker butt either. I guess tying a bandana around the inlet part has added to the life of it by keeping out sand and little critters.:sun

[take-a-knee]

[QUOTE=tppreston;975966]The thread is about AT water sources. Your post is a classic example of......:)[/QUOTE
What part of my answer wasn't an applicable. appropriate answer to the need to filter water? I guess dihydrogen oxide from the Carib is somehow markedly different than that that falls on the slopes of Applachia. Faiti is about as far from Springer as Baxter St Park is.

[take-a-knee]

"This is a classic example of the "ignorance of the blessed"."

I'm not trying to shun the opportunities that I'm afforded here in America; rather, I like to approach living simply and naturally, and am just wondering if unpurified water is really as toxic as they claim, or if it's just a matter of everyone eating processed food their whole lives, which lowers their immune system and leaves them susceptible to bacteria and whatnot?

Well, take it from a retired Special Forces medic whose been to a few of those "garden spots" and seen how indigenous folks have to endure lack of potable water, you don't want to trade places with them. I was not exaggerating when I said that many don't know what a solid turd looks like, I've had the displeasure of stepping in a few of their piles left behind their shacks. I'm all about not eating processed food. I also filter every drop of water that I drink, cook, and shower with. Chlorinated water is good, as long as you remove the chlorine before you drink it.

[Appalachian Tater]

I'm not trying to shun the opportunities that I'm afforded here in America; rather, I like to approach living simply and naturally, and am just wondering if unpurified water is really as toxic as they claim, or if it's just a matter of everyone eating processed food their whole lives, which lowers their immune system and leaves them susceptible to bacteria and whatnot?

You know, there are plenty of people who don't treat their water and hike the whole trail and they are fine. But the fact is that you can get some nasty bugs from drinking water and get really sick. If you are out for a weekend and know your sources that is one thing but you are really taking your chances over a 5-6 month thru hike drinking out of hundreds of sources.

You never know what is uphill or upstream or where the water coming out of the side of the mountain has been. Sometimes you will pass a water source because it is downhill from a cow pasture or has an oil slick on it. I have read studies that say still water from the surface of a lake is sterilized by UV and so is safer than drinking from a moving stream. Others say moving water is safer. Some nice clean streams are dark and foamy from tannic acid and may be safe but taste bad. Some springs are full of frogs or dried up and muddy with animal tracks and piles of poop. You might get to a shelter and find some idiot taking a bubble bath and washing their clothes in the spring. You may see a rotten hog or deer carcass upstream from your source or a sign saying do NOT drink the water and a bunch of empty gallon jugs.

Water treatment methods are like condoms, you have use them properly for them to work no matter which one you choose. If you don't use enough chemicals or wait long enough or if the water is too turbid for the UV to work or if you scrub your paper filter to clean it like you were supposed to do with the old ceramic ones you might as well not bother to treat at all.

So my advice is to always filter and also have some inexpensive iodine tablets as a backup for really nasty water out of a stagnant roadside ditch or pump failure. Whatever you do, learn the right way to do it and do it consistently.

Others will take their chances or even try to pretend like there is no danger and each person has the right to do what they please. I like to at least improve my odds. I also get vaccinated and walk on the side of the road against the traffic, not with it.

Plus, filtered water tastes great!

[Roche]

[QUOTE=tppreston;975966]The thread is about AT water sources. Your post is a classic example of......:)[/QUOTE
What part of my answer wasn't an applicable. appropriate answer to the need to filter water? I guess dihydrogen oxide from the Carib is somehow markedly different than that that falls on the slopes of Applachia. Faiti is about as far from Springer as Baxter St Park is.
Are you referring to Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO)? Yes, that has been a problem for 20 years.;)

[Appalachian Tater]

[QUOTE=take-a-knee;976048]
Are you referring to Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO)? Yes, that has been a problem for 20 years.;)If you drink too much of that stuff it will kill you. On the other hand, if you don't drink enough you'll die anyway. Can't win for losing.

[mweinstone]

dear street in paris


the day any water on the at needs filtering or purifiing, is my last day on the at. how come i got 7000 mi and no filter and no pills and no illness? cause their aint none. the weight of your filter will be exchanged for my whisky witch you will now carry at 40 paces rear.

[Roche]

dear street in paris


the day any water on the at needs filtering or purifiing, is my last day on the at. how come i got 7000 mi and no filter and no pills and no illness? cause their aint none. the weight of your filter will be exchanged for my whisky witch you will now carry at 40 paces rear.Does untreated water affect grammer and spelling?:-?

[Appalachian Tater]

Does untreated water affect grammar and spelling?:-?

Yes, among other things. Probably you die not too long after that though from the meningitis. Lyme affects your nervous system, too.

Wikipedia has a good list, I was surprised.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterborne_diseases

[Tuckahoe]

I think anyone is well served with a primary and a back up. Personally I dont think that there is going to be an issue with much of the water on the AT. But on the other hand -- unless I know the source -- I wouldnt necessarily take that chance either. Its not at all unreasonable to be a little cautious.

Just remember that even our simple and natural water put more soldiers into our national cemeteries than the enemies bullets.

[garlic08]

Back to the original question: In my experience on the AT, filters are popular in the first 500 miles, then you see more chemicals (often Aqua Mira, sometimes chlorine bleach, less often iodine), after the filters have a few maintenance problems.

Those who do not treat water at all seem to be relatively few.

I combine methods: No treatment most of the time, mainly using high pristine springs. If there's any doubt, I drop some Aqua Mira. (On my AT thru hike, I used about 1/3 set of Aqua Mira, for about 10 gallons of treated water total.) I agree with reducing the chemical intake whenever possible.

While hiking in the Smokies, I would see hikers with plastic bottles of "Smoky Mountain Spring water", purchased in Gatlinburg for $3/liter. Yet when faced with the actual spring, they'd throw chemicals in it. Go figure.

[Colter]

There is no chlorine in Chlorine Dioxide.

[Treefingers]

Long term chlorine ingestion could be a problem HOWEVER, CHLORINE DIOXIDE, end product of Aqua Mira is NOT CHLORINE, i am not sure what the chemical compound actually is but i have been told they are far from the same thing...just pointing this out:-?





Long term ingestion of chlorine? Just wondering. Check out:

http://www.healthynewage.com/chlorine-cancer.htm

And anyway, the original poster said he's against using chemicals, so why recommend Aqua Mira?




There are chemicals and then there are chemicals. There are hundreds of man-made foreign chemicals in our bloodstreams that are being studied and no one really knows what harmful effects they might have. These chemicals are concocted in labs and have no natural origins and thus there's no long term knowledge of their health impacts. These are not the chemicals you're talking about, like calcium and iron and niacin and sodium.

[Praha4]

anyone not treating or filtering water along the AT are rolling the dice on getting sick... it's true that experienced backpackers are usually more knowledgable about where not to get their water along the trail... the problem is sometimes the only water source for miles is a mud puddle for a spring.... near campsites and near areas where folks have been squatting in the woods... especially in the middle of the summer when the springs are not flowing well. Everybody knows not to drink from such nasty areas, but.... more than one hiker has been faced with a choice between dehydration and drinking dirty water, it would be smart to have some type of treatment with you for those times.

One bad experience with the creeping crud from bad water will convince you never to drink untreated or unfiltered water.

Wish I had a dollar for every tough guy I've met along the trail who claims he can hike 20 miles a day barefoot in ice and snow, and can drink anything he finds in the woods without treating it, their stories are entertaining though i will admit, and do help entertain the crowd at the shelters at night.

[jeremyduncan]

Do the people using Aqua Mira prefilter it, first? I don't hike the AT. Most of the water I have come across in the woods around here is visibly dirty. Just wondering if you prefilter it, or drink the floaties.

[Sassafras Lass]

Thank you for all of your answers; it's so nice to have helpful people here, unlike some others I've encountered elsewhere.

There's no way my husband is going to drink untreated water, so we're going to be using something. I just definitely don't like chemicals and don't mind the weight of a filter, and was hoping for some honest-to-goodness feedback from real folks who really use this stuff.

Thanks again!

[take-a-knee]

Long term chlorine ingestion could be a problem HOWEVER, CHLORINE DIOXIDE, end product of Aqua Mira is NOT CHLORINE, i am not sure what the chemical compound actually is but i have been told they are far from the same thing...just pointing this out:-?

A little basic knowledge of chemistry can go a long way, when a chemical formula says CHLORINE, it means CHLORINE. Dioxide simply means two atoms of oxygen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide

[leaftye]

A little basic knowledge of chemistry can go a long way, when a chemical formula says CHLORINE, it means CHLORINE. Dioxide simply means two atoms of oxygen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide

And your point is?

[thelowend]

I don't think you've ever been to Haiti. People there don't know what a beefy turd looks like. This is a classic example of the "ignorance of the blessed".

This has nothing to do with what he is talking about at all.. I love how folks who have knowledge of people doing horribly in the world love to sit on the internet and scold other people for being ignorant of such unfortunate coniditons in the world.. not to mention, he is talking about water and risking running doo if he drinks it untreated.. I can see why a lot of folks on here choose to hike a lone..

[Sassafras Lass]

Thanks thelowend, and thank you everyone who answered. :)

[Linesman]

Treefingers is right in saying that chlorine dioxide is not the same thing as chlorine. Another example is salt, aka sodium chloride. Both sodium and chlorine are dangerous elements but bonded together they are harmless.

[leaftye]

Treefingers is right in saying that chlorine dioxide is not the same thing as chlorine. Another example is salt, aka sodium chloride. Both sodium and chlorine are dangerous elements but bonded together they are harmless.

<sarcasm>Oh no, don't you see, chlorine is chlorine, which is why everything with chlorine is as deadly mustard gas. Basic chemistry man, basic chemistry.</sarcasm>

[Tuckahoe]

<sarcasm>Oh no, don't you see, chlorine is chlorine, which is why everything with chlorine is as deadly mustard gas. Basic chemistry man, basic chemistry.</sarcasm>

{History prof voice} Now now in the scheme of things, chlorine gas is a rathe minor gas, that was only successful because it was the first employeed at a time in the Great War, when there was no gas defence. That is why it is replaced with phosgene and diphosgene. Asphyxiating agents.

Now mustard gas is a whole other issue. Not a gas, but a heavier than air particlate that will settle. And when it settles it will burn anything moist. Its a long lasting agent and does not dissipate like chlorine and phosgene... nice!! {History prof voice}

Wait whats this got to do with the AT?

[toothpick]

I have a Sawyer 4 liter bag type filter. You fill it up and hang it up and use as needed. You can use it much like a Camel Back. I am going to try it this year also as a small shower type thing to wash with. No pressure but anything is good if you can get some trail grime off. The filter is supposed to be good for a million gallons but we'll see. Costs about $100.

[take-a-knee]

<sarcasm>Oh no, don't you see, chlorine is chlorine, which is why everything with chlorine is as deadly mustard gas. Basic chemistry man, basic chemistry.</sarcasm>

I should attempt to enlighten you as to the difference between ionic (salt) and covalent bonds, and the fact that many pesticides are some sort of cyclic hydrocarbon ring bristling with covalently bonded chlorine atoms, each of which has three pairs of unbonded electrons, seeking to screw up whatever chemical equilibrium exists in the neighborhood. After all this is just basic chemistry, so I'm sure you know all that.

[Tinker]

I'm not a fan of chemicals, even trace chemicals, so right off the bat I'm opposed to that.

However, I'm not so mule-headed as to think that I can have everything perfect whilst hiking through 6 mths' worth of wilderness. :D

So - what kind of purification do you guys use? What brands, what methods, and what positive/negative feelings and experiences?

Thank you all SO much!

As of a few years ago there was only one registered "purifier" for hikers being made, the First Need www.generalecology.com (http://www.generalecology.com) (I believe that's the website). That's what I use - heavy and clumsy but easy to pump with a good flow. They use some sort of secret matrix type of filter that kills viruses, hence the term "purifier".
Other filters are just filters unless they say otherwise.

[scottdennis]

My favorite ad for a water filter is the one where there's a pic of a wolf peeing in the stream and the caption says something to the affect of "are you sure you want to drink that unfiltered water."

[leaftye]

I should attempt to enlighten you as to the difference between ionic (salt) and covalent bonds, and the fact that many pesticides are some sort of cyclic hydrocarbon ring bristling with covalently bonded chlorine atoms, each of which has three pairs of unbonded electrons, seeking to screw up whatever chemical equilibrium exists in the neighborhood. After all this is just basic chemistry, so I'm sure you know all that.

Wow, it's like you know enough about chemistry to say really dumb things about it. You've brought a knife to a gun fight. Not a good idea.

First of all, you challenged Tree Fingers when he said chlorine as part of chlorine dioxide is not the same as chlorine by itself. This is basic first week chemistry kind of stuff. If you can't get that simple thing, then stop reading because the rest of this post is going to be way above your head.

Secondly, if it was your intent to say that chlorine dioxide may be harmful you would have instantly recognized that it has an odd number of electrons. Which makes it a what? I'll give you a few clues. It starts with an 'r' and is 7 letters long.

Thirdly, unbonded electron pairs has nothing at all to do with instability in that ring complex. The instability in the Cl-O bond comes from the ring.

Lastly, if you really intended to keep it in basic chemistry, you might have pointed out the low electronegativity difference between chlorine and oxygen.

[Sassafras Lass]

Chemistry aside, :) thank you everyone for your comments, I truly appreciate them!