Greetings all;
As an ongoing study of the effects of Giardia on hikers, I am seeking people who usually do
not treat their backcountry water. If you rarely or never treat your water while recreating, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Some respondents have listed the water sources they have drank from unscathed, how much untreated water they have drank since when, and what changed their minds about treating their water. Whatever your experiences, the more specific the detail, the better.
Conversely, for those that feel all water requires treatment, I would love to hear from you as well. Some respondents have told horror stories of gastrointestinal illnesses, how Giardia was not a problem in the good old days, and how they will continue to treat their water no matter what they hear to the contrary.
A movement gaining momentum calls for not treating water and simply paying closer attention to personal hygiene. This is shown in the below article, which is now being greatly expanded and updated. I hope to include your responses (only with permission) in this work:
http://erikschlimmer.com/pdf/GiardiaMyth-Buster.pdf
If you have experiences to share, please send a note to the address below.
Thank you.
Erik Schlimmer
[email protected]