View Full Version : Iodine or Chlorine alone for an entire thru-hike?
longhiker
06-29-2010, 21:00
Has anyone used either Iodine tablets or Chlorine dioxide (Aquamira tablets etc) as water treatment for a thru-hike or a hike longer than a month?
I'm going on a 5 week hike (Colorado Trail) and was planning to use only chemical treatment -- no filters etc. I'm not sure about the health effects of iodine or chlorine used for that long.
Given how much I'll need to drink at that altitude, I think I'll consume:
1) 5 of those bottles of Iodine in a month (50 tablets in a bottle)
or
2) 120 individual ClO2 tablets
Is this wise? Would it be OK to be go 50-50 on them?
I've done an extended hike, longer than the AT using only Iodine. This was many years ago, and no ill effects.
I DID NOT treat all water. Be selective of your water sources, and limit them to two or three per day as opposed to drinking from every spring/stream you come to and you greatly decrease your risk of encountering a nasty. I usually trust true springs, especially if they are piped or boxed. Watch out for piped streams - they are out there, and are only for convenience. Also, in the San Juans, watch out for sheep herding at altitudes above you. Not all pristine-looking streams are.
Often times you can fill up at various potable sources as you pass through towns, campgrounds, picnic areas, parks, etc. Take advantage of these as often as they present themselves, and you can cut down further on the number of times you need to treat. Do not treat your cooking water, boiling takes care of that (at lower altitudes you only need to bring it to a boil, not boil for extended time add time as you add altitude).
By following these guidelines, you can cut the amount of treating down significantly. If you are still worried, alternate between Iodine and AquaMira (once you see how much better and refreshing AquaMira water is compared to Iodine, you may decide to stick with that).
My advice, go out and enjoy your hike and don't fret all that much about it.
Good Luck and HAVE FUN!!!!
longhiker
06-29-2010, 21:44
I used to only use iodine in the past and am not picky about the taste.. but I agree ClO2 is far better in taste.
Surprisingly, my hiking partners seem to dislike the familiar swimming-pool smell / taste of chlorine and say they prefer iodine.. i guess it feels cleaner to them because no one wants to drink swimming pool water!
I think you'll find a lot of hikers on WB that have used Aqua Mira drops for extended hikes longer than one month with no problem. I used Aqua Mira drops this spring for one month on the AT with no problems.
Has anyone used either Iodine tablets or Chlorine dioxide (Aquamira tablets etc) as water treatment for a thru-hike or a hike longer than a month?
.............. I'm not sure about the health effects of iodine or chlorine used for that long.
I used AquaMira drops on my thru last year and loved it. I'll NEVER go back to carrying a filter.
Chlorine dioxide has been used for years by many municipal water treatment plants and is the backcountry water treatment method of choice by Dr. Ryan N. Jordan (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/aquamira_mcnett.html).
Unless you plan on drinking shot glasses full of it you should be fine.
Want to know more? Read the ATSDR Public Health Statement on Chlorine Dioxide here (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs160.html).
fiddlehead
06-29-2010, 22:49
Why don't you just use chlorine (i use drops) only when you are not sure about the water quality. If you see it coming from a seep without houses above you, it doesn't need treating.
If it is from a stream, that's when you need to treat it.
Piped springs are usually always good too.
I think prolong use to any chemical cannot be good for you.
Go with what nature provides (using common sense)
GalHikingTheGap
06-29-2010, 22:52
Quoted from my ex-colleague Mr. Rick Curtis's Backpackers' Field Manual:
Treatment: Iodine
Contraindicators: thyroid problems, taking lithium, women over 50, pregnant women should all consult with their doc's. Shellfish allergy. Iodine is light-sensitive and should be stored in a dark bottle.
How it works: Best if water is over 68* F (21* C) to kill giardia. Iodine has been shown to be more effective than chlorine-based treatments in inactivating Giardia cysts. Note: iodine-based products are not effective against Cryptospirodium.
Treatment: Chlorine
Contraindicators: None
How it works: Note: Many chlorine-based products are not effective against Cryptosporidium.
AquaMira dosages should be doubled if crypto is suspected. Turbid water with high organic load needs to be pre-filtered.
Katadyn MP1 Purification Tabs kill bacteria and viruses in appro 15 minutes with water at 68* F. Crypto purification takes about four hours.
Household bleach should have no additives, just sodium hypochlorite. Water should have a slight chlorine odor to it. If it doesn't, repeat the dosage, mix, and allow the water to stand for another 15 minutes. The water should be at least 68* F before adding bleach.
Hope that helps!
..........
Treatment: Chlorine
Contraindicators: None
How it works: Note: Many chlorine-based products are not effective against Cryptosporidium.
AquaMira dosages should be doubled if crypto is suspected. Turbid water with high organic load needs to be pre-filtered.
Katadyn MP1 Purification Tabs kill bacteria and viruses in appro 15 minutes with water at 68* F. Crypto purification takes about four hours.
Household bleach should have no additives, just sodium hypochlorite. Water should have a slight chlorine odor to it. If it doesn't, repeat the dosage, mix, and allow the water to stand for another 15 minutes. The water should be at least 68* F before adding bleach.
Your post may be a little mis-leading to some. Chlorine and Chlorine Dioxide are different substances altogether. AquaMira uses chlorine dioxide not chlorine.
So, what's the difference between chlorine and chlorine dioxide?
"While chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has chlorine in its name, chlorine dioxide's chemistry is different from that of chlorine. Unlike the more common chlorine, chlorine dioxide, at appropriate concentrations, is non-mutagenic, non-carcinogenic, and relatively non-irritating. When ClO2 is added to water, it dissolves without ionizing. Or more specifically, when exposed to water, ClO2 does not release a chlorine atom to form hydrochloric acid as does chlorine, nor does it combine with organics to form chlorinated hydrocarbons, which are carcinogenic.
One atom can make all the difference --- just as hydrogen is an explosive gas, but when combined with oxygen becomes dihydrogen oxide - commonly known as water (H2O)".
Source: http://www.frontierpharm.com/faqs.php#difference
double j
06-29-2010, 23:50
use just normal household bleach 2 to 3 drops per litre
use just normal household bleach 2 to 3 drops per litre
Yes. Basically tap water then. Go gamecocks.
Actually, using chlorine bleach is NOT considered a reliable method. Too many variables, besides the carcinogens already discussed.
Alligator
06-30-2010, 08:42
If you decide you want to use iodine consider using Polar Pure.
garlic08
06-30-2010, 18:33
Good question--I have the same concerns and I don't use a filter. I carry Aqua Mira mainly because I heard bad things about long-term iodine use (thyroid failure after a long hike) somewhere.
The more I hike, the more comfortable I am with not treating many backcountry sources. On my Wonderland Trail hike, I didn't carry any treatment at all. I figured glacial melt coming off Mt Rainier just might be clean enough to drink as is. On the other hand, I just finished a hike of the Arizona Trail which shares much of its available drinking water with livestock. Bandanna prefilter and double dose some of that. A filter would have lasted a few pumps and clogged up.
On the CT, you'll be in between those extremes. There are definitely herds of domestic sheep above treeline in the San Juans, so don't trust free-flowing creeks if you don't see the source nearby. But there are lots of great springs. You shouldn't really need to treat everything, if you're comfortable doing that.
It really doesn't matter. Neither chlorine nor iodine is typicially more than 75 percent effective against most common and debilitating pollutants, especially as used by most hikers.
The guidelines being cited talk of 15 minutes of residual time at 68 degrees. 68 degrees is relatively rare along ridgetops, especially early and late in the season. Think eight hours of waiting for maximum chemical protection when the water temperature drops into the 30s and low 40s.
And maximum protection does not mean 100 percent protection with any chemical -- or any filter for that matter.
Your best bet is to choose only cold springs for water resupply and just drink the water untreated. I've been mostly doing it that way for 75 years or more and have yet to have an ailment attributable to contaminated water. Though I do boil drinking water in farm country. YMMV.
Weary
Kaptain Kangaroo
07-02-2010, 02:41
I ued Aqua Mira for 4.5 months on my AT thru. I treated my water every time. No obvious ill effects (twitch, twitch.... :-)
People talk a lot about water treatment & whether it is necessary or effective, but in my opinion an issue of equal importance is personal hygiene. Not washing or disinfecting your hands after using the privy or before eating or sharing food is a great way to get sick.
Having the 'runs' on the trail really sucks, so I do whatever I can to reduce the risk, treat all my water & observe good basic hygiene.
....Having the 'runs' on the trail really sucks, so I do whatever I can to reduce the risk, treat all my water & observe good basic hygiene.
Well, I only rarely treat my water, but I observe good basic hygiene. My hands get an especially good scrubbing every few days, as I wash out a pair of sweaty socks in my cooking pot.
Weary
fiddlehead
07-02-2010, 19:54
LOL
Good one Weary.
Have you been drinking tonight?
AM used only sparingly(less than 10 % of the time) and my common sense on 6 thruhikes and still no intestinal parasites I know of.
LOL
Good one Weary.
Have you been drinking tonight?
Yes. But only long after I wrote that post.
Blue Jay
07-04-2010, 07:38
People talk a lot about water treatment & whether it is necessary or effective, but in my opinion an issue of equal importance is personal hygiene. Not washing or disinfecting your hands after using the privy or before eating or sharing food is a great way to get sick.
Having the 'runs' on the trail really sucks, so I do whatever I can to reduce the risk, treat all my water & observe good basic hygiene.
This is correct although I think personal hygiene prior to treating water or handling food is even more important than the actual treating. Also eating garlic on the trail and some yogurt in towns really helps to feed the good bacteria in your stomach. Then if you do happen to ingest something "bad" the "good" bacteria will win the war.
mkmangold
07-04-2010, 12:49
Your post may be a little mis-leading to some. Chlorine and Chlorine Dioxide are different substances altogether. AquaMira uses chlorine dioxide not chlorine.
So, what's the difference between chlorine and chlorine dioxide?
What about chlorine for pools? It comes in a powder and in bulk. Anyone knowledgeable about using (or not using) this stuff for sterilizing water?