bleach or filter pump

[Iron Will]

i have a MSR hyper flow
was thinkning of going light and leaving it behind and take some bleach and dropper in its place

but i havent hiked the trail before and thus dont know certain things like the availabilty of bleach along the way or the like.. and whether it would end up being more hassle than its worth than lugging the extra pound for the filter..

also if you have any recommendations outside of these let me know!!

thanks so much guys!!!

[Sarcasm the elf]

Filters work (well enough) in murky/muddy water, bleach really doesn't.

There is lots of discussion on this site about whether or not bleach can actually kill Giardia or Cryptosporidium in water, you should search the site and check them out before you decide.

[SweetAss03]

Bleach is excellent until N.J. then the water was so bad that a filter didn't even work. After N.J. bleach was fine again until the end. however this was just my experience yours or other might be different.

[Torch09]

This issue has been argued to death, unfortunately with no clear winner. Let me be the first crazy person to post on this thead with the idea of NO water treatment. Its cheap and ultralight. Worked for me. Your mileage may vary.

[garlic08]

Consider Aqua Mira instead of bleach. One set of dropper bottles weighs 3 ounces, costs about $12 and treats 30 gallons. If you treat sparingly and drink mainly out of the clean springs, one set will last a long time. I used less than one half of one set on my AT thru. But I hiked early in a wet year and there was great water everywhere. I had another set ready to be mailed to me with a new pair of shoes, but I didn't need it.

I saw one person using bleach and he didn't seem to have any problem filling up along the way. Once he got ultra-strength and had to reduce dosage, so you need to watch what you're getting.

[fiddlehead]

Get a visine bottle.
Put duct tape around it and write "Bleach" with a skull and crossbones.
Use one to two drops per liter and wait 20 minutes.
You won't need to buy more until your next thru-hike.

Have fun.

[fiddlehead]

Oh yeah, squeeze out the Visine, rinse with water a few times, then fill it with bleach.
(I forgot that line somewhere in the middle of that last post)

[Trailbender]

i have a MSR hyper flow
was thinkning of going light and leaving it behind and take some bleach and dropper in its place

but i havent hiked the trail before and thus dont know certain things like the availabilty of bleach along the way or the like.. and whether it would end up being more hassle than its worth than lugging the extra pound for the filter..

also if you have any recommendations outside of these let me know!!

thanks so much guys!!!

I used bleach on my entire thru, I had no issues topping it off at hostels. Even if I hadn't, the one ounce would have been enough, or close to it. You don't need any treatment for springs coming directly out of the rock. If I couldn't see the source, I treated.

[pjkirk]

Bleach here, though I haven't been on the AT yet. I use a stronger concentration than suggested above, and then I use some Sodium Thiosulfate chunks to get rid of the chlorine. This is sold in some pet stores and swimming pool suppliers as dechlorinator. My father has 5 gallon buckets where he works so just grabbed me a half-pound or so...I'll be good for quite a while, and won't be tasting bleach.

[StorminMormon]

Consider Aqua Mira instead of bleach.

I second that. Aqua Mira is better on the liver and kidneys, and it tastes better. However, Clorox is coming out with some neatly scented bleach, so maybe those taste better (I'm being sarcastic). Not sure.

And yes, this has been argued to death. And yet, the argument continues...

[Moose2001]

Filters work (well enough) in murky/muddy water, bleach really doesn't.

There is lots of discussion on this site about whether or not bleach can actually kill Giardia or Cryptosporidium in water, you should search the site and check them out before you decide.

Lots of discussion on the board on this topic. Here's website from the CDC that has a lot of information on Backcountry water treatment. Check it out and then make an informed decision.

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/backcountry_water_treatment.html

[cravj1988]

I use bleach, a 6% concentration of sodium hypochlorite. Avoid the flavors. When purifying water by adding iodine or bleach: pour the water between two containers to allow the oxygen to circulate through it. This helps provide a better taste.

After hurricane Katrina, there were tons of scientific journal articles written about purifying water. Tiny amounts of bleach will do the trick. In a two oz flip top bottle at REI, you will need 2 drops of bleach per liter, wait 20 min to drink.

On the trail, gear that is multi-functional gets my vote. There are several uses of bleach on the trail. 1. Water purification, 2. Kills chiggers on contact with the skin. Do not over due the application of bleach on your skin, as it also dissolves skin. If you have chiggers on your ankles or in your crotch, it is worth the risk, 3. Sterilize mats on hostel bunks, as these are similar to high school wrestling mats where mrsa staph bacteria lives.

Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification
2 drops of Regular Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Bleach per five gallons of water
If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Bleach.
(Only use Regular Bleach (not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). To insure that Bleach is at its full strength, replace your storage bottle every three months.)

**(Bleach Sanitizing Solution)
Mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.

[Moose2001]

I use bleach, a 6% concentration of sodium hypochlorite. Avoid the flavors. When purifying water by adding iodine or bleach: pour the water between two containers to allow the oxygen to circulate through it. This helps provide a better taste.

After hurricane Katrina, there were tons of scientific journal articles written about purifying water. Tiny amounts of bleach will do the trick. In a two oz flip top bottle at REI, you will need 2 drops of bleach per liter, wait 20 min to drink.

On the trail, gear that is multi-functional gets my vote. There are several uses of bleach on the trail. 1. Water purification, 2. Kills chiggers on contact with the skin. Do not over due the application of bleach on your skin, as it also dissolves skin. If you have chiggers on your ankles or in your crotch, it is worth the risk, 3. Sterilize mats on hostel bunks, as these are similar to high school wrestling mats where mrsa staph bacteria lives.

Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification
2 drops of Regular Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Bleach per five gallons of water
If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Bleach.
(Only use Regular Bleach (not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). To insure that Bleach is at its full strength, replace your storage bottle every three months.)

**(Bleach Sanitizing Solution)
Mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.

You're right about bleach killing bacteria. It does a great job at that. So if you're trying to purify your water from contamination from feces or other bacteria, bleach works. However, bleach is not effective in killing Giardia or Cryptosporidium. Check the link above and you'll see what the CDC says about it.

[beakerman]

I second moose's comment about checking the CDC site. Make certain you read it correctly and understand that chlorine bleach and chorine are not..repeat NOT the same thing. bleach is sodium hypochloriite where as chlorine can refer to chlorine gas or even other oxides of chlorine.

Cravvj makes a very good point about the multifunctionality of bleach the only thing there I would recommend against is the chiggers thing. Chiggers are easy to kill/get off you...just wash the area well with soap and water or even a babywipe will do the trick. It's the hole they leave behind that is the problem and no amount of bleach inteh world is gonna help that...you can put fingernail polish on it or jsut wait until it heals.

[danger zone]

Used it on my 06 thru with no problems. 3-4 drops per quart. Clorox is the best of all the bleaches as others have all kinds of impurities in them. Never use scented stuff as it contains oil, surfactants, and has a very high caustic content. BTW, worked in the lab making Clorox bleach for 10 yrs.

[ShoelessWanderer]

Get a visine bottle.
Put duct tape around it and write "Bleach" with a skull and crossbones.
Use one to two drops per liter and wait 20 minutes.
You won't need to buy more until your next thru-hike.

Have fun.

That's what I do (when I do treat water)! Works great!