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Today my Aquamira arrived in the mail and the bottles do not have dropper tops. I understand the instructions perfectly well about mixing solution A and B for five minutes then putting them into the water and waiting 15 minutes before drinking.
How do I mix only a drop or two when I have standard twist off tops?
double d
07-24-2010, 02:22
Well, what I do is put 7 drops of A and B directly into my water bottle (qtr. of old gatoraid bottle) and wait for about a 1/2 hour and I"m all good to drink the water. No problems.
you'll have to try and find some generic empty dropper bottles to use, this topic came up before on WB, the main point was you have to match the volume per drop for the Aqua Mira dropper bottles, not every generic dropper will dispense the same size drop.
Does it have to be in a solid white container or will a clear dropper bottle do? I didn't know if because of the chemicals that it couldn't be in a see thru container.
The liquid might be light or UV sensitive. If you have a clear bottle you want to use, try duct tape to 'unclear' it.
bigcranky
07-24-2010, 07:18
Today my Aquamira arrived in the mail and the bottles do not have dropper tops.
That's odd. I've bought many sets of Aqua Mira, and all have had the dropper tops. Do yours look like this (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/aquamira_mcnett.html)?
One issue with using different bottles is figuring out how large the drops are -- you'll need to make sure you get the proper amount of A.M. per liter of water, You can buy a set of tiny dropper bottles (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/microdrop_dropper_bottle.html) from backpackinglight.com which have been measured.
Mine are two 2oz bottles with a regular twist off cap. I wish they looked like that. The 1oz bottles would be perfect. I need enough to carry me through ten days in Vermont coming up in six weeks or so.
garlic08
07-24-2010, 09:19
I'm curious where you found this larger packaging. I just looked at the McNett website and couldn't find any drops other than BigCranky's link. I would suggest contacting your supplier and asking this question. If there's no way to measure the product in the field, I wouldn't use it.
I knew someone who was so weight conscious he repackaged the drops into the smaller dropper bottles from BPL. He tried that once and never again. It just wasn't worth the hassle.
PS: Also, for what it's worth, one set of one-ounce bottles has lasted my entire AT thru hike, plus 800 miles on the Arizona Trail, plus 800 more miles on the Pacific Northwest Trail, and I still have about half left. It will expire before I use it up. I don't enjoy using the chemicals all the time and I've been able to find very good water sources almost everywhere. You shouldn't need so much for 10 days in VT.
I bought it directly from Aquamira's website and the 2oz bottles was the only way it came in liquid form.
http://aquamira.com/preparedness/aquamira-water-treatment-2oz/
So for me and another guy one set should be fine?
OOPS! You bought the bottles used to treat 55 gallon drums not the hiker dropper bottles. Save yourself the hassle and return it for the one BigCranky mentioned. That's the one you need.
mountainman
07-24-2010, 12:33
how long must you wait to drink the water?
I bought two identical 1oz dropper bottles from rei. I want to try it out sooner than later so now I just need to find a top to mix the solutions in. I'm going to cover the bottles in electrical or duct tape and label them.
Has anyone ever used just bleach?
bigcranky
07-24-2010, 14:46
I knew someone who was so weight conscious he repackaged the drops into the smaller dropper bottles from BPL.
Ha ha ha. That describes me. I tried this one time on a 9-day hike. Ran out a few days before the end and had to buy more (luckily I was walking through Mountain Crossings that day...)
It's probably fine for serious UL-ers on a weekend hike.
garlic08
07-24-2010, 16:39
Lots of thru hikers have used plain old bleach, both liquid and crystal (pool chemical). I'm no chemist, but others on this forum have said the two-part chlorine dioxide system is superior to plain old chlorine. It's more expensive, too, and that's why some hikers still use bleach. I believe that the chlorine decays with time in the Aqua Mira mixture, so you're ingesting less harmful chemical, but I'm not positive about that. You get bleach odor when you first drop it in, but little or none when you drink it 15 minutes later. It sure tastes better than plain bleach, if that's any indication. Good luck with your dropper system.
By the way, store the bottles somewhere where a leak won't hurt anything. I had a leak once in an outside pocket and it decayed my pack. Leaks are very rare with the dropper bottles, but it has happened, I think mainly from mechanical damage.
The one-ounce bottles are rated to treat 30 gallons of water, so you should be good for two people for 10 days especially if you don't treat the good mountain springs.
Migrating Bird
07-24-2010, 18:15
Ditto all that Garlic08 stated. Get the little bottles, I put the 7 drops each in the little mixing cap that comes with them or my water bottle or bladder cap, when it turns bright yellow, pour it into the water bottle or bladder, shake it up and wait at least 15 min. for it to work. I hate the taste, so powdered lemon-aid (pink to be precise) does wonders. I have at least 3/4 of a bottle(s) left after 400 miles.
I bought two identical 1oz dropper bottles from rei. I want to try it out sooner than later so now I just need to find a top to mix the solutions in. I'm going to cover the bottles in electrical or duct tape and label them.
Has anyone ever used just bleach?
A small mixing cup should be on one of the bottles.
Its generally 2-3 drops of each in the mixing top? What is it with bleach?
Fishbamboo
07-24-2010, 19:36
I looked at their website they also have tablets, no droper needed. Would than not be better?
ShakeyLeggs
07-24-2010, 22:13
Here is the link for the dropper bottle AM.
http://aquamira.com/consumer/aquamira-water-treatment-drops/
I don't think I can return it now that I've opened the package. If the instructions were included online along with the product description it would help. I don't mind waiting 15-20 minutes for drinkable water. What I like most about AM is the weight and efficient long-term usage capabilities for longer section hikes.
chiefduffy
07-25-2010, 10:09
I looked at their website they also have tablets, no droper needed. Would than not be better?
My understanding is the tablets take a lot longer. The drops are great once you get in the rhythim of the 15-minute wait. I am more paranoid of running out of water than carrying extra weight, so I keep a small emergency bottle of water to drink while the AM is working, if I really need it. Seems to work pretty good 99% of the time. The longer the wait, the less bleachy taste. Your tap water is treated with this chemical. Incidently, the instructions are clearly printed on the small hiker bottles of AM.
- Duffy
chiefduffy
07-25-2010, 10:19
Its generally 2-3 drops of each in the mixing top? What is it with bleach?
Mix 7 drops of each, (for 1 liter of water), let it sit for 5 minutes, then dump it in your water bottle, shake it up, and wait at least 15 minutes before drinking. I don't know about bleach.
I tried using more than 7 drops once, for some really nasty water - ended up running our of toilet paper. Just sayin...
- Duffy
Trailbender
07-28-2010, 08:30
I have been using bleach on my entire thru hike so far with no issues. I am 26 miles into Maine, currently.
Household bleach and Aquar Mira are different products. They are not the same!
When one consumes water treated with two part AM they are not consuming household bleach and its potential harmful by-products and side effects.
AM works by mixing equal amounts of Part A(2% chlorine dixide) and Part B (phosphoric Acid) to release nascent oxygen that desinfects the untreated water.
From the AM website:
3. Is there chlorine in chlorine dioxide?
No, there is no chlorine in chlorine dioxide. Although chlorine dioxide has the word chlorine in its
name, the two chemicals have completely different chemical structures. The additional oxygen
atom radically changes the molecule and creates completely different chemical behaviors and byproducts.
Their differences are as profound as those between hydrogen, the explosive gas, and
hydrogen combined with oxygen, which creates dihydrogen oxide—commonly called water.
Double D, you have been fortunate so far. AM directions state you mix equal parts of Part A and Part B FIRST! Wait for the two parts to react fully - usually a few minutes. Color of mixture turns yellow. THEN, mix with untreated water and wait a few more mins.
For those who add a powdered drink mix to their treated water like I do WAIT to add the drink mix until AFTER the water has been allowed to be disinfected for several mins with the mixed AM.
BTW, I have treated trail water with reg unscented household bleach. The AM does not have the strong bleach aftertaste as the houshold bleach. Remember, household bleach and AM are not the same chemically. AM is not free chlorine or hypo-chlorine.
Trailbender
07-28-2010, 20:05
BTW, I have treated trail water with reg unscented household bleach. The AM does not have the strong bleach aftertaste as the houshold bleach. Remember, household bleach and AM are not the same chemically. AM is not free chlorine or hypo-chlorine.
My water almost never tastes like bleach. The only time it does is if I add it to spring water or already clean water. The bleach kills the germs, and is neutralized in doing so. Anyways, I do taste the bleach on occasion, but it is damn near free and just as effective as AM. Bleach is the best solution I have found for water purification, and every hostel I have stayed at has bleach and doesn't mind topping off my bottle. The money I don't spend on AM is an extra town meal or something a month. The bleach is also much easier to use, 2 drops per quart, shake and wait 20 mins.
I'm not a salesman for AM Trailbender. I pay about $5 - $7 for AM in the two part hiker size with dropper tops. I still have some of the original left over from thru-hiking the PCT with just one set of AM.
If you are going to use household bleach, which sounds convenient and readily available to you, DO use unscented household bleach.
Sounds like the wait time you use with the household bleach is approximate to the wait time I use with AM.
Bare Bear
07-29-2010, 12:29
Go buy a botle of VISINE EYE DROPS, throw out the contents and refill with bleach or the AM products (you'll need two if going AM). Quicker and faster than trying to find the dropper bottles and they do not leak although I still carry my bleach bottle in a zip lock.
At the risk of sounding retarded, if you are doing multiple quarts (i.e. a water bladder) is it 14 drops of each and wait the same amount of time?
Doc Mike
08-07-2010, 07:59
Personally I would rather carry a pound or less (steripen or filter) and not have the bad taste that needs covered up. I can't even stand the taste of city water since my water here at the house comes from a spring.
couscous
08-07-2010, 08:55
At the risk of sounding retarded, if you are doing multiple quarts (i.e. a water bladder) is it 14 drops of each and wait the same amount of time?
Yes, I mix 21 drops of each .. let it react 5 minutes .. and add it to my 3 liter Platypus bag .. shake and wait 15 minutes. If the water is very cold or cloudy, I wait 30 minutes. If it's below freezing I carry the Aquamira (http://aquamira.com/consumer/aquamira-water-treatment-2oz) in a pocket close to me as it will freeze. ~ Water purifier tablets (Aquamira's (http://aquamira.com/consumer/aquamira-water-purifier-tablets-24-pack/)) are simple, but you need to allow them to react for 4 hours so I only use them for treating water overnight. ~ Lately, I prefer Klear Water (http://klearwater.com/) which also uses Chlorine Dioxide but it comes pre-mixed (only 1 bottle) and has a small 1ml measuring spoon. Mix 1ml for each liter of water and wait 15 minutes. If the water is cloudy or suspect, you double the dosage and wait time. The bottle contains 32ml so it treats 32 liters of water. ~ Neither of these methods leave a strong taste that I need to cover up.
Harrison Bergeron
08-08-2010, 10:41
Walmart sells saline eye drops for about $1 that come in the same kind of bottle as Visine. They're perfect for carrying either bleach or AM and lot cheaper than Visine. Since they only contain water, you don't have to worry about cleaning out all the medicine real good before using them. They seem to be absolutely leak-proof, too.
Just be sure to carefully mark it so that someone doesn't accidentally put bleach in their eyes. The way I mark them is to peel off the label and then write "BLEACH" on the bottle with a Sharpie. Then I cover the writing with a piece of clear packing tape so it doesn't wear off.
Bare Bear
08-13-2010, 14:23
JonGalt is correct, sorry I forgot to add that part about marking the bottles.
Two drops of standard non scented chlorine bleach which is about free in the amount hikers need per 32 oz of water. I used a coffee filter where the water was reallly nasty and pre-filtered the water before putting it into my water bottles (used Gator Ade bottles come with this really good drink and you get the bottle free.) When I could I got all my water and treated it at night then it was ready for the next day and tasted fine to me but I am not that picky.
I have had bad luck with Steri-pens and pump filters. They also weigh much more and break at inopportune times.
Does anyone know the long-term effects of using Aqua Mira. I'm paranoid about stuff like that.
It worked great on a section in VA the past few days except when I could only get 18oz from the worst spring I've ever seen at Tom Floyd Wayside @ Ginger Spring. I mixed four drops of each, waited the five minutes, then dumped and waited. So far so good.