Why Filter Water ?

[JoshStover]

What? Im not quite sure what you are asking?

[JoshStover]

I can't imagine. When are you starting? Be sure to let us know when (if?) you quit.

Are you saying that I wont finish my thru? I hope thats not what you are saying. I would think everyone on here would be supportive and encourage people to finish if thats what they REALLY want... Ya know what I mean?

[weary]

Are you saying that I wont finish my thru? I hope thats not what you are saying. I would think everyone on here would be supportive and encourage people to finish if thats what they REALLY want... Ya know what I mean?

No. I was just being mean. Sorry.

[Two Speed]

http://animal.discovery.com/inverteb...us-westermani/

Recently folks on the Mississippi are getting this.

So don't eat "undercooked crabs or crayfish" and it shouldn't be a problem . . . which brings us back to food prep.

[Wise Old Owl]

Well Two Speed,

its the same threads over and over again, filter or no filter, boil water, drink from a stream.... Drinking fecal matter doesn't bother some folk, and others just die and cannot complain anymore.

[Tinker]

This one says it filters out some chemicals as well as the cooties that other filters remove. http://www.generalecologycanada.com/firstneed.html
I've noted before that adding chemicals to kill the cooties doesn't do anything to remove chemicals which are nearly always present to some degree near civilization, and that chemicals which kill cooties (tough little buggers) may not be good for humans in the long run.
We all take risks, it's just a question of WHICH risks we're willing to take and why.

[Two Speed]

Well Two Speed,

its the same threads over and over again, filter or no filter, boil water, drink from a stream.... Drinking fecal matter doesn't bother some folk, and others just die and cannot complain anymore.

Ya lost me there. The link you provided is concerned with a parasite that cannot be addressed with filtration or water treatment, then we're off talking about drinking fecal matter. Technically speaking fecal matter is a solid. Do you mean water contaminated with fecal matter?

[Dogwood]

This thread, all the data, even the lack of consensus among scientists or those who study water quality, the conflicting reports involving where, when, how, etc one takes drinking water, the geographical region where one drinks water, the spreading of pathogens more by human contact rather than by pathogens in the water, etc. aptly demonstrtes to me just how subjective this issue is in the U.S. Coupled with all that I know about treating or not treating water in the backcountry leads me to believe that my case by case determination of whether or not to treat backcountry water is RIGHT FOR ME. What others feel is right for them or they feel comfortable w/ is obviously up to them. As far as I know, I've never had a(one) problematic symptom from a water borne pathogen from backcountry water sources and, overall, I treat my backcountry water less than 10 % of the time. Either I'm the luckiest hiker ever or the seriousness of the matter is not as widespread as we have been led to believe by some.

[Graywolf]

Please watch this video I made, I did a SOBO last year and came across several people not treating there water. I recently got some info of a professor in waterborne contaminants and made a video on why you should allways fiter or treat water. Enjoy

Why Filter Water ?

I can understand why people want to treat water, but concerning the video, she never said she was a professor..Which video did she say that?? Not the water treatment one..And her statistics are off the chart.. "25 million people die in the U.S.." Hmmm, that sure is a lot of hikers dieing if she was refering to hikers, but she never did...Anyway, if that was true, the CDC and the U.S. Government would be jumping on this like ants...

Even though I understand why hikers would want to treat..I don't, at least not all the time. ( depends on the source), but it is safe if you are unsure.. However, I cannot subscribe to her veiw points. Some of her data are way off the charts and in my book, used as a scare tactic...Which is also dangerous...

Just my view..

[Graywolf]

I must add,

Please people, please, do your research before using any chemicals in your water..Yes, P. permanganate, is used as a water treatment but normally in very large quanities of water where only a fraticon of amount of P.p. is applied..

The chemical in it's self is a very dangerous and poisonous.. It is an irritant, will burn the eyes and skin so must be handled with care..It is also an irritant in the uterus, and is used in illegal abortions...

ARE you sure you want this in your system??Becareful people, please be careful..

I can understand treating water, but don't take it serioiusly.. This woman, who ever she is, has not done all her research, and her information can kill..

I am certified in food hazardous materials, and this is a diffenite hazard..

here is a couple of websites, I can post more if anyone would like..

www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/mdbp/pdf/alter/chapt_5.pdf

www.members.tripod.com/~Prof_Anil_Aggrawal/poiso024.html

www.waterdrs.com/water-information/water-contamination-facts/

I would like to see every one having a joyful time hiking, BE CAREFUL OUTTHERE!!!

Graywolf

[kanga]

what is so hard about this subject?
if you want muddy water with no bugs, use a steripen.
if you want shizzitny chemical tasting water that make yours shizznits smell hospital clean, use drops.
if you want clear, mostly clean water, use a filter.
if you are a badass, drink it out of the the stream.
if you are a pussy, filter it through 4 filters, shock it with bleach, and then make somebody else drink it first, wait 8 days and see if they show symptoms.
if you want to die from the painful, bloody shizznits, drink from a storm drain on the side of a deserted country highway lined with anitfreeze bottles and the beast beer cans.
what did i miss?

[kanga]

it absolutely astounds me the number of people that don't have some common ****ing sense.

[Graywolf]

Some people just blow things up way more than they should...

[Graywolf]

Here is a good site for water purification..

Lots of good stuff that some here may find boring, but all in all, good info to know for those who wants it..


http://zenbackpacking.net/WaterFilte...rTreatment.htm

Hope this helps

Graywolf

[Jester2000]

it absolutely astounds me the number of people that don't have some common ****ing sense.

I'm going to start referring to the asterisks used to blank out obscenities as "kangarisks."

[Not So Fast!]

The following is taken from WebMD:

"Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. Scientists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., took samples of saliva, which contain IgA, from 112 college students who reported the frequency of sex they had.
Those in the "frequent" group -- once or twice a week -- had higher levels of IgA than those in the other three groups -- who reported being abstinent, having sex less than once a week, or having it very often, three or more times weekly."

If you are getting giardia, you are clearly NOT getting enough of something else! More trail nookie, people!!

[Jester2000]

There are scientists in Wilkes-Barre?!? I didn't even know there was a university there . . .

[futurethruhiker]

I know that often your water must be collected from a nearby water source but was wondering if any shelters closer to roads have water piped in and if so does it need to be filtered?

[jrwiesz]

The following is taken from WebMD:

...More trail nookie, people!!

One good reason for staying at shelters, the orgy begins at 9p!!!

Please be sure to wash your hands prior to participation.