View Full Version : water filter or water tablets
do you take a water filter or water tablets. Why?
Mountain Wildman
04-21-2010, 17:18
do you take a water filter or water tablets. Why?
Big time controversial topic.
I purchased a First Need Water Purifier by General Ecology, It is one of the few that can call itself a purifier and not just a filter because it removes 99% of the bad bugs and also removes chemicals etc... from water.
It weighs one pound so not an ultralight option but I have no worries about the water I filter with it.
And the water is crystal clear free of any residue left in the water as a result of filtering through a cloth.
Many use Aqua Mira or the steri-pen or some derivative there of.
I was a die hard filter guy before I thru-hiked last year. I decided to start out with Aqua Mira and never looked back. Best decision ever.
The filter got thrown in the trashcan- so liberating!
Lone Wolf
04-21-2010, 17:55
do you take a water filter or water tablets. Why?
neither......
pattydivins
04-21-2010, 18:42
neither......
Do you feel that most springs are inherently safe to drink from without purification? I feel this way too. As long as you are intelligent about what type of water you are drinking, I think it is pretty easy to suppose when water is or is not safe to drink without purification. :-?
Both. I use the MicroPur tabs most of the time. But if I need to draw cloudy water or if it has floaties, then I use the filter.
water purifier... for health reasons.
Panchito
04-21-2010, 21:04
Neither, try to use water from springs above 4000. My theory is the higher the safer
garlic08
04-21-2010, 22:36
Many longer-distance hikers find that the maintenance on a mechanical filter becomes difficult after the first 1,000 miles or so. Many gravititate to chemicals. Much fewer discover that nothing at all is needed at least 90% of the time.
Many longer-distance hikers find that the maintenance on a mechanical filter becomes difficult after the first 1,000 miles or so. Many gravititate to chemicals. Much fewer discover that nothing at all is needed at least 90% of the time.
Yep... that's my experience.
fredmugs
04-22-2010, 07:30
I do not filter either if the water has a good flow to it and filter if not. I haven't tried tablets yet but have no good reason why not.
Why not try a Steripen ? They are smaller and lighter than most filters. The price is steep and I'm not sure you'd want to carry all the extra batteries if you're thru-hiking, but it might be good for some section hikes.
Why not try a Steripen ? They are smaller and lighter than most filters. The price is steep and I'm not sure you'd want to carry all the extra batteries if you're thru-hiking, but it might be good for some section hikes.
That's an option but why risk it? Heck even SteriPEN recommends carrying a back-up method- Wonder why? Failure is why!
See previous post (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1003462&postcount=4).
I've used Aqua Mira for the last 9 years without any problems. Once in awhile you need to filter any debris out with your bandana !! Of course, follow the directions !!
Two Speed
04-22-2010, 12:10
Okay !! We'll !! do !! that !!
Mountain Wildman
04-22-2010, 12:21
It's really very simple, If you like pure crystal clear safe water, Filter.
I live in the middle of the White Mountains, Mount Washington is out my kitchen window and the Presidentials out my bedroom window, Water up here is clean, I filled my water bottle from the faucet and it was cloudy looking, Got out my first need water purifier/filter and filled the water bottle through the filter, crystal clear like a clean window. If you dont mind a little sediment in your drinking water, use a steri-pen and bandana or Aqua mira and a bandana. Like every other piece of gear, It's a personal choice, What is right for one person, Is wrong for another person. As long as you use some method, you are okay. If you use nothing and drink straight from the source, you take your chances. No matter what piece of gear you are considering, weight is part of the package, whether it's 1 ounce or 1 pound. I look at it as good weight and bad weight, 2 pounds for a tent is good weight, 2 pounds for a folding camp chair is BAD weight.
ShoelessWanderer
04-22-2010, 12:34
Do you feel that most springs are inherently safe to drink from without purification? I feel this way too. As long as you are intelligent about what type of water you are drinking, I think it is pretty easy to suppose when water is or is not safe to drink without purification. :-?
I normally don't purify either. I do keep a small amount of bleach with me just in case I find water that I really think should be purified.
Saffirre8
04-22-2010, 13:14
It's really very simple, If you like pure crystal clear safe water, Filter.
No matter what piece of gear you are considering, weight is part of the package, whether it's 1 ounce or 1 pound. I look at it as good weight and bad weight, 2 pounds for a tent is good weight, 2 pounds for a folding camp chair is BAD weight.
I agree with Mountain Wildman 100%. It is a preference, i prefer to filter my water cause i like my water clear and dont have to worry about bateria. My filter is only a couple oz and to me it is GOOD weight.
Trivia:
Giardia was initially named Cercomonas intestinalis by Lambl in 1859 and renamed Giardia lamblia by Stiles in 1915, in honor of Professor A. Giard of Paris and Dr. F. Lambl of Prague.
white_russian
04-22-2010, 18:38
Trivia:
Giardia was initially named Cercomonas intestinalis by Lambl in 1859 and renamed Giardia lamblia by Stiles in 1915, in honor of Professor A. Giard of Paris and Dr. F. Lambl of Prague.
Talk about a ****ty legacy:D
safn1949
04-22-2010, 18:48
Filter...I'm too old to be taking chances. :D
Appalachian Tater
04-22-2010, 19:34
You can filter, use chemicals, use UV, or heat. All of the methods have advantages and disadvantages and no matter which method you choose, you need a backup. My backup is iodine tablets because they are inexpensive and lightweight.
If you don't treat water, you will break out in boils, froth at the mouth and bring civilization to and end.
Or so the marketing folks say...
:sun
ChinMusic
04-24-2010, 13:01
If you don't treat water, you will break out in boils, froth at the mouth and bring civilization to an end.
:sun
why did that remind me of lone wolf?
ChinMusic
04-24-2010, 13:03
If the choice is filter or chemical for the AT, that is an easy call.......chemical.
The water is most often quite clear with a bandana working fine when it's not.
why did that remind me of lone wolf?
I try to be witty (and usually fail). LW is more pithy.
Otherwise, the spirit of the post is probably the same. :)
tortoise1
04-24-2010, 13:21
Mountain Wildman. Tortiose here, I'm new to the site, just pokin around gettin the hang of this site and happened upon this. I to am a prospective class of 2011 through hiker. I like the way ya seem to think. We're gonna get along just fine. Later bro.
It's really very simple, If you like pure crystal clear safe water, Filter.
I live in the middle of the White Mountains, Mount Washington is out my kitchen window and the Presidentials out my bedroom window, Water up here is clean, I filled my water bottle from the faucet and it was cloudy looking, Got out my first need water purifier/filter and filled the water bottle through the filter, crystal clear like a clean window. If you dont mind a little sediment in your drinking water, use a steri-pen and bandana or Aqua mira and a bandana. Like every other piece of gear, It's a personal choice, What is right for one person, Is wrong for another person. As long as you use some method, you are okay. If you use nothing and drink straight from the source, you take your chances. No matter what piece of gear you are considering, weight is part of the package, whether it's 1 ounce or 1 pound. I look at it as good weight and bad weight, 2 pounds for a tent is good weight, 2 pounds for a folding camp chair is BAD weight.
Mountain Wildman
04-24-2010, 13:53
Mountain Wildman. Tortiose here, I'm new to the site, just pokin around gettin the hang of this site and happened upon this. I to am a prospective class of 2011 through hiker. I like the way ya seem to think. We're gonna get along just fine. Later bro.
Thanks for the kind words Tortoise, Like anyone else, I usually have an opinion, If so and I think I can be of help, I will post a response.
I make an effort to be diplomatic and not try to impose my methods or beliefs on anyone.
I'm just happy to be of help if I can.
Oh, Welcome to Whiteblaze, I have learned more from the members of this site than any other source. Hope to see you on the A.T. next year!!
:welcome
It's really very simple, If you like pure crystal clear safe water, Filter.
I live in the middle of the White Mountains, Mount Washington is out my kitchen window and the Presidentials out my bedroom window, Water up here is clean, I filled my water bottle from the faucet and it was cloudy looking, Got out my first need water purifier/filter and filled the water bottle through the filter, crystal clear like a clean window. If you dont mind a little sediment in your drinking water, use a steri-pen and bandana or Aqua mira and a bandana. Like every other piece of gear, It's a personal choice, What is right for one person, Is wrong for another person. As long as you use some method, you are okay. If you use nothing and drink straight from the source, you take your chances. No matter what piece of gear you are considering, weight is part of the package, whether it's 1 ounce or 1 pound. I look at it as good weight and bad weight, 2 pounds for a tent is good weight, 2 pounds for a folding camp chair is BAD weight.
OK, so tell me exactly why you filter water on the trail? My guess is we fear what might be in it. Consider Roland Mueser's book Long Distance Hiking, which is filled with statistics on various aspects of thru-hiking. 136 hikers were asked whether they contracted any form of gastrointestinal illness, and whether they purified there water during the hike. I find the results illuminating (page 98).
How Often Purified........No. of Hikers,,,,,,,, No. ILL........ Percent ILL
.....Always.....................19................ .......4..................21%
.....Usually.....................36............... .......10.................28%
.....Sometimes................56.................. .....22................39%
.....Never.......................25............... ........5.................20%
From this sample, it is clear that those who didn't purify at all did better than those who always, usually, or sometimes purified there water. Probably because they were most selective of their sources.
Furthermore, he found that hikers that tend to congregate in groups were more suseptible to Giardia. If one hiker carries the bug, this can easily be spread to others by sharing utensils.
Seems like we tend to treat the water along the trail as though it came straight from the sewers of Calcutta, yet hikers tend to freely share eating utensils with each other, or fail to clean cooking pots, a much greater source of illness.
In the medical Journal of Family Practice Byron Crouse and David Josephs conducted a survey of 180 AT hikers in 1988-89, it was noted that there was no significant differences in the frequency of diarrhea betweet those who drank untreated water and those who treated their water.
Therefore I submit to you that water treatment is not a key factor in gastrointestinal illness.
Mountain Wildman
04-24-2010, 14:47
OK, so tell me exactly why you filter water on the trail? My guess is we fear what might be in it. Consider Roland Mueser's book Long Distance Hiking, which is filled with statistics on various aspects of thru-hiking. 136 hikers were asked whether they contracted any form of gastrointestinal illness, and whether they purified there water during the hike. I find the results illuminating (page 98).
How Often Purified........No. of Hikers,,,,,,,, No. ILL........ Percent ILL
.....Always.....................19................ .......4..................21%
.....Usually.....................36............... .......10.................28%
.....Sometimes................56.................. .....22................39%
.....Never.......................25............... ........5.................20%
From this sample, it is clear that those who didn't purify at all did better than those who always, usually, or sometimes purified there water. Probably because they were most selective of their sources.
Furthermore, he found that hikers that tend to congregate in groups were more suseptible to Giardia. If one hiker carries the bug, this can easily be spread to others by sharing utensils.
Seems like we tend to treat the water along the trail as though it came straight from the sewers of Calcutta, yet hikers tend to freely share eating utensils with each other, or fail to clean cooking pots, a much greater source of illness.
In the medical Journal of Family Practice Byron Crouse and David Josephs conducted a survey of 180 AT hikers in 1988-89, it was noted that there was no significant differences in the frequency of diarrhea betweet those who drank untreated water and those who treated their water.
Therefore I submit to you that water treatment is not a key factor in gastrointestinal illness.
I suppose it is a matter of percentages, Risk measured in percentages that is. Their survey cannot be considered conclusive or scientifically accurate since it was not conducted in a controlled environment.
Filtering or not as I've stated is just another personal choice as is pack weight, cookware, clothing etc...
Most if not all hikers carry some sort of first aid kit or first aid supplies, You may or may not use the kit on each and every hike you go on.
And you could just be very careful and carry no first aid supplies at all.
Even so, a percentage of risk exists regarding the potential need for first aid supplies. I almost consider a first aid kit as dead weight since I have never really needed much more than aspirin, band aids and antacid.
I do however, carry a first aid kit every time I camp or hike.
Can you guarantee that a mile or two up stream from your source of water there is not a decaying carcass tainting the water you are drinking?
In just about any aspect of life there is risk involved whether a small or large risk and a small or large percentage of said risk.
In some instances there is not a yes or no answer.
Use a water filter or don't, It's each individuals choice.
There is a risk involved whether 1 percent or 100 percent.
The survey you referenced is over 20 years old, A lot has happened to this country and it's environment in 20 years.
I do all thr good choices mentioned here in this thread, okay, except iodine.
I also keep myself and my cookware clean as possible while outdoors.
I got giardia. I got it at one night school class at City College, in San Francisco, CA. In general, it is safe to get food from a truck. Not there.
I was sick 1 and 1/2 years. I finally got treated at a clinic for "foreigners".
I understand Canada has better and safer medicine, banned here. And so, I had to have the "approved" medicine, that alters DNA and is known to cause cancer.
Giardia is not "no big deal" except for asymptomatic "carriers" of the disease.
If the water is suspect, treat it. If standing water, forget it, or do not take the water from the surface and treat it.
That said, I did not get giardia in "the great outdoors".
I got giardia from a "carrier" that did not wash hands after using the toilet.
I do not share utensils, at any time, on the chance I became a "carrier".
garlic08
04-24-2010, 19:29
Since this thread has drifted into the treat/no treat realm, I'll add this.
I found a great passage in the very last page of the legal thriller “The First Law” by John Lescroart. The two characters, Gina and Michelle, have just survived a long episode of danger and intrigue, and have both lost loved ones to violent crimes in San Francisco. They’re hiking a section of the JMT/PCT out of Tuolumne Meadows, in June.
“Now, well in to early evening, the two women had been hiking in long shadows for an hour or more when they came around a bend in the path and found themselves suddenly squinting into the sunlight that reflected off a field of ice that covered the entire trail.
“’At least now we know why we haven’t seen anybody coming the other way,’ Gina said. She unshouldered her pack and took a long drink of water. Grimaced. ‘This iodine pill thing. I don’t think I’m getting very used to the taste.’
“’I stopped using it,’ Michelle said.
“Gina stopped in mid-drink. ‘Then why am I still gagging on this stuff? I thought there was giardia’—a particularly unpleasant parasite—‘everywhere up here.’
“’There is, I suppose. But my dad used to hike up here all the time and he never used it, either. And never got sick.’ She shrugged. ‘If I’ve learned anything the past year, Gina, it’s that the world’s a dangerous place. It’s never really been safe, although it’s comforting to pretend it is. But really there’s risk everywhere. Might as well embrace it and enjoy the days. So I’m going to drink the goddammed good-tasting, non-iodized water.’
“Gina took another pull at her canteen, made another face. ‘Will you think I’m a wimp if I don’t?’
“’Absolutely.’ A big grin. ‘But who cares what I think? You do it your way; I’ll still like you.’ (emphasis provided)
“Michelle stood up, brushed off her bottom, stared at the ice shelf looming up ahead of them. ‘Talk about risk,’ she said. ‘Do you want to go for this? Maybe we should give it up?’
“Gina, too, was on her feet. ‘And miss the best view in the Sierra? I’d rather die trying.’
“’So we go on?’
“’Lead on, girlfriend, lead on.’” (The End)
On my PCT hike, I was in the same place at the same time, and I can verify that Lescroart got the hiking part right on. And I didn’t treat the water there, either.
The water is just one risk (and I happen to believe it's an extremely minor one if managed correctly) of many faced on the trail. I agree, personal hygiene is way more critical, and it's routinely ignored by hikers. A filthy hiker comes out of the privy and puts his hand in a fellow hiker's food bag and someone gets sick. And for some reason the spring water always gets blamed.
do you take a water filter or water tablets. Why?
Here we go again! :D.
I filter, figuring that the water may have some junk in it that I don't want to drink (certain chemicals which are removed with carbon based filters), or, for that matter. drink dead crypto or giardia, so, rather than add chemicals that kill relatively durable creatures (giardia, crypto, etc) and may, in the long run, not do ME much good either, I use a filter and remove them and some aforementioned organic chemicals.
I use a First Need purifier (more than a filter), and am willing to carry the extra weight and bulk for instant gratification upon reaching the water source (besides the reason above).
TIDE-HSV
04-25-2010, 11:32
Giardia is not "no big deal" except for asymptomatic "carriers" of the disease.
I've had it also, but I got it the "honest" way - from a lake in Wyoming which had a large cranky resident beaver. (It's frequently called "beaver fever" in the West.) I was boiling my water but stupidly rinsing in the lake.
I've found that the people who've had to endure it tend to have had their attitudes about purification altered. For me, even a fraction of one per cent of risk of getting it again is too high...
...agreed.
I haven't heard it called "beaver-fever" in a long time.
On another thread, I was going to say, don't take untreated water where there are beaver. I didn't. I thought no one would understand.
Turtles may also have the disease.
ChinMusic
04-26-2010, 21:16
Turtles may also have the disease.
Turtle Trots?
TIDE-HSV
04-26-2010, 21:19
...agreed.
I haven't heard it called "beaver-fever" in a long time.
On another thread, I was going to say, don't take untreated water where there are beaver. I didn't. I thought no one would understand.
Turtles may also have the disease.
Well, I understand and well, although you're right, any warmblooded creature can carry it and some cold-bloods. He had a real attitude. We had to hike right by his little wig-wam to get to our site and he'd always swim right up to the shore and hiss and show his big orange teeth. I'm sure he delighted in pooping in the water...
Bottom line ---- hiker's choice
David@whiteblaze
05-07-2010, 16:40
hmm, Is each glass half-empty, or full? A water filter will do amazing things: filter out tons of little buggies and sticks... and mud... Downside: occasional clogging, working on cleaning occasionaly, and $$$ for new filters. Also isn't easy to pump...
Aqua Mira, etc. will do amazing things: kills buggies, some have secondary anti-taste tablets, or whatever. Downsides: $$$ for tablets, they go bad with age, won't filter mud, doesn't improve quality of water... take your pick: semi-heavy, efficient, and clean, or very light, semi-efficient and unguarunteed water quality... it's all a matter of personal opinion...
David@whiteblaze
05-07-2010, 16:40
er, opinion and preference... :rolleyes:
Bear Cables
05-07-2010, 17:11
I carry a steripen because I like the untreated taste of the water. I also carry the Aqua Mir tablets as a back up. My steri pen worked on one set of batteries for 5 1/2 days last summer but we were using it to purify the water of 3 hikers all the time. I think that is pretty good performance. Now we all have our own.
left turn
05-08-2010, 08:37
i just got back from section hike on the AT around Roan Mountain and took my Aqua Mira filter for the first time and i really enjoyed it. we really splurged on water since we could refill pretty easily. it's light, isn't expensive, i have read where some people say it breaks easy but we roughed it up pretty good going over some big rocks and it made it through, so i'm not worried about it. glad i got one:cool:
I have a bottle of "Potable Aqua" tablets I purchased at my local outdoor store several years ago. I have not used them yet, because I have only been doing day hikes since then.
Back when I was doing longer hikes, I used a very heavy Pur Explorer filter. It worked very well, but after a while, I just couldn't get any water through it.
I bought a replacement filter on Ebay, but never got to install it. The filter housing will not come apart to allow the filter to be changed.
Now that I am starting my planning for a thru-hike, I have no intentions of using anything so heavy, so I will probably use the tablets.
I tend to agree with others who have said that drinking unpurified water taken at 4,000 ft or higher shouldn't need filtering. I look for fast running streams that are completely clear, and knowing my environment (whether there are any upstream polluters).
But they always talk about giardia. Supposedly, any water source can become contaminated.
I think if and when I do my thru-hike, or any long hike, I'll be talking to other hikers and see what they're doing. If I know that other hikers have been using a particular water source without filtering/purifying, and not showing any ill effects after a few days, I would do same.
I would think that with so many hikers on the trail, the word would get out on which sources are safe, and which require some sort of purification.
BTW: do these tabs have an expiration date?
If so, then I probably shouldn't be holding onto them any longer.
FW
OTOH; I just read the instructions on the bottle, and the warnings.
This junk is poison!
I'll be looking for a lightweight filter for my thru-hike. I'm going to avoid as much chemical in my body as possible. It's bad enough I'll have to use DEET to protect myself against insects that might make me sick:(
FW