Water- do I really need a water filter?

[T.S.Kobzol]

If I was any kind of official organization or even if I was to speak in front of a High School audience I would without question recommend treating water. Doing otherwise would expose me to a potential lawsuit. Same goes for 'every outdoor organization'.


[

QUOTE=Don H;1365093]......Every outdoor organization that I know of (ATC, NOLS, AMC etc.) recommends treating water.[/QUOTE]

[Colter]

[QUOTE=T.S.Kobzol;1365153]If I was any kind of official organization or even if I was to speak in front of a High School audience I would without question recommend treating water. Doing otherwise would expose me to a potential lawsuit. Same goes for 'every outdoor organization'.

They recommend staying off of ridges during lightning storms and taking good care of your feet and wearing life jackets when out on boats, too. Maybe for lawsuits. Or perhaps because it's good advice.

[T.S.Kobzol]

It is not a bad advice. :-)


[QUOTE=Colter;1365155]

If I was any kind of official organization or even if I was to speak in front of a High School audience I would without question recommend treating water. Doing otherwise would expose me to a potential lawsuit. Same goes for 'every outdoor organization'.

They recommend staying off of ridges during lightning storms and taking good care of your feet and wearing life jackets when out on boats, too. Maybe for lawsuits. Or perhaps because it's good advice.

[MuddyWaters]

filters work on clean water
filter clog , quickly, on poor water
Sometimes backflushing works to clean, sometimes it doesnt
In any case, it is always a time consuming PITA to do so
You will likely carry a chemical treatment backup because filters fail and clog
Ask yourself if you really want to carry both.
Ask yourslef again after a few hundred miles

[Josh Calhoun]

i was pretty much raised in Western NC about 6 miles from the trail. when rabbit and squirrel huntn we drink straight from the creek all the time. and now that i am a avid backpacker nothing has changed. i use my own judgememnt if the water source is clean enough or not. if no i use a few chemical drops and then im on my way.

[Beast Mode]

There are definitely risks to not treating. I will tell you that by the end of the AT about 50% do not treat anything, Another 20% treated with Aquamira chemical drops when drinking from streams but not springs, another 25% treat with Aquamira 100% of the time. Probably only 5% were still carrying filters because they break and are heavier.

[Blissful]

Several hikers had giardia this past year; they didn't even know they had it either - the "runs" for weeks - until I pointed it out. Bring some kind of treatment and maps (to hep locate good sources). I relied on Aqua Mira myself

[bwendel07]

I finished my thru this year without treating my water, I was smart where I chose my water and sometimes I carried a little extra. Not that I am saying that I was lucky I just was smart where I chose to get water from and it worked for ME. I wont tell anyone that do not have to treat their water but If you are common sense minded and think about your sources it is easy to do without treatment. If I were to do again I would do exactly the same way.

[Lone Wolf]

Hey Guys, I hope i do not have failed to notice a thread about water.
My question is,>> Is it really necessary to take a water filter onto the trail?<<
I want to trhuhike and i´m not shure wether to take a filter, because the health office in germany meant to me,
that there is no huge danger of getting ill by drinking water. (out of streams and lakes etc.)

Whats your opinion?
Do you take a filter with you?
If so, what kind of?
Do I underrate the Situation ;For example the danger of an giardiasis infection.



Sorry for my unprofessoinal english.
Thank you for reply

i never treat or filter. works for me. never been sick

[Malto]

I love all of the responses... "I have hiked xxx and never got sick.". Ok, data point of one. Colter has probably looked into this more than anyone I know. Maybe he could link to his mini PHD dissertation that he wrote.

I spent years hiking the high Sierra without getting sick then I got giardiasis twice on trips near Sonora Pass and Big Sur. Both cases had something in common, cattle. While this is a data point of one as well it also fit perfectly with a study of high Sierra water that you can find here.
http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/08/115...s-streams.html

I believe the biggest watch out for bad waters in cattle grazing areas. You will find large concentration of PCT hikers getting sick near or directly after Kennedy Meadows which follows high grazing areas shortly after Mojave. What does this mean in the AT.... Watch for cattle areas and treat or don't treat, it is you who will have to deal with the consequences. A cheap and effective water treatment is two drops of bleach per liter. Like Aqua Mira, wait 30 minutes.

Finally, I took a full course of Metronidazole on my PCT hike to treat giardiasis in the event that my luck ran out. Many hiker buy it on the Internet, search for Fishzole and the dosage is 250mg three times a day for five days. I used this the second time I had giardiasis, it is the identical medicine that I was prescribed the first time. (please spare me the safety lectures.)

[Beast Mode]

I love all of the responses... "I have hiked xxx and never got sick.". Ok, data point of one. Colter has probably looked into this more than anyone I know. Maybe he could link to his mini PHD dissertation that he wrote.

I spent years hiking the high Sierra without getting sick then I got giardiasis twice on trips near Sonora Pass and Big Sur. Both cases had something in common, cattle. While this is a data point of one as well it also fit perfectly with a study of high Sierra water that you can find here.
http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/08/115...s-streams.html

I believe the biggest watch out for bad waters in cattle grazing areas. You will find large concentration of PCT hikers getting sick near or directly after Kennedy Meadows which follows high grazing areas shortly after Mojave. What does this mean in the AT.... Watch for cattle areas and treat or don't treat, it is you who will have to deal with the consequences. A cheap and effective water treatment is two drops of bleach per liter. Like Aqua Mira, wait 30 minutes.

Finally, I took a full course of Metronidazole on my PCT hike to treat giardiasis in the event that my luck ran out. Many hiker buy it on the Internet, search for Fishzole and the dosage is 250mg three times a day for five days. I used this the second time I had giardiasis, it is the identical medicine that I was prescribed the first time. (please spare me the safety lectures.)

It's more than a SS of 1 if close to 50% of the people finishing the AT last year had stopped treating at all (except perhaps near cattle or other obvious sources of disease). Personally, I just didn't think it was worth the risk so I treated about 75% of my water (the other 25% being from springs). Although I was never positive that AquaMira has zero side effects.. that would be something to look into.

[Colter]

It's more than a SS of 1 if close to 50% of the people finishing the AT last year had stopped treating at all (except perhaps near cattle or other obvious sources of disease). Personally, I just didn't think it was worth the risk so I treated about 75% of my water (the other 25% being from springs). Although I was never positive that AquaMira has zero side effects.. that would be something to look into.

The trouble is, there are many people who don't treat water and get away with it, and there are people who get sick, but it's not possible to accurately predict which category we'll be in before hand.

As far as "drinking smart" the EPA has found [Giardia] Cysts have been found all months of the year in surface waters from the Arctic to the tropics in even the most pristine of surface waters.

One large study found giardia in 19% of springs.

Here is my look at the science that gg-man referred to.

[Left Hand]

I will always chalk this up to a personal decision. Personal decisions = personal consequences.

I have backpacked areas of the AT from Grayson Highlands south, frequently, for 12 + years now and have not filtered my water. I also reside in Northern GA and work in an industry where I spend roughly 50% of my life in the woods, and do not filter. I do carry a bleach solution in an eye dropper, in case I do find spots deemed "sketchy."

Professional Organizations will always recommend treating water. At the end of the day, it's your choice.

[Don H]

i never treat or filter. works for me. never been sick

The problem with statements like this is that new people come here and read where someone with thousands of posts and several thru-hikes of experience say they don't treat and conclude that it's not necessary for anyone to treat. For someone who does not have experience in choosing water sources and is not use to drinking raw water this is bad advice.

I know one of the ridge runners in Shenandoah, I asked him if he treated his water. His response was "I don't but you should". Good advice. He's use to it, his body has built up resistance to the bugs (Giardia is not the only bad bug in water although that's what most are concerned about) but mine hasn't.

So my advice is treat all water including water from pumps and springs. I use Aqua Mira and pre-filter through a piece of nylon stocking since I don't like chunks in my water. Consider it insurance, I've never had Giardia but I bet it sucks having the runs for a few weeks.

I do believe that many get sick from hand to mouth contact by sharing food and drink and also by not washing hands after going to the privy. Studies bear this out. So wash you hands or use sanitizer after going to the privy, handling log books, and before eating. Also avoid sharing food with others.

You really need to do everything you can to take care of yourself when you're thru-hiking. Water treatment is just one of them.

[Phikes]

AQUAMIRA! Nuf said.

[ATMountainTime]

Treat water every time (for me), Aqua or Platapus. trying to hike with diareah just isn't much fun. ive never gotten sick from water, and dont intend to.

[Lone Wolf]

The problem with statements like this is that new people come here and read where someone with thousands of posts and several thru-hikes of experience say they don't treat and conclude that it's not necessary for anyone to treat. For someone who does not have experience in choosing water sources and is not use to drinking raw water this is bad advice.

I know one of the ridge runners in Shenandoah, I asked him if he treated his water. His response was "I don't but you should". Good advice. He's use to it, his body has built up resistance to the bugs (Giardia is not the only bad bug in water although that's what most are concerned about) but mine hasn't.

So my advice is treat all water including water from pumps and springs. I use Aqua Mira and pre-filter through a piece of nylon stocking since I don't like chunks in my water. Consider it insurance, I've never had Giardia but I bet it sucks having the runs for a few weeks.

I do believe that many get sick from hand to mouth contact by sharing food and drink and also by not washing hands after going to the privy. Studies bear this out. So wash you hands or use sanitizer after going to the privy, handling log books, and before eating. Also avoid sharing food with others.

You really need to do everything you can to take care of yourself when you're thru-hiking. Water treatment is just one of them.

my post wasn't advice. it was a statement. not treating or filtering works for me. real simple

[Lemni Skate]

When I have my kids with me I treat the water. When I'm by myself I don't. I usually trace my intestinal distress to Mexican food I have in trail towns.

[Lemni Skate]

I do believe that you can become immune to many of the little thingys in the water.

[Don H]

my post wasn't advice. it was a statement. not treating or filtering works for me. real simple

Wolf, like it or not you are well known in the AT community, you have stated here that you have completed 7 thrus and have thousands of miles on the AT. Therefor your words, along with others who have thrued or have many miles of AT hiking, and make it known here, carry a certain amount of clout. People come here looking for answers from those with a certain amount of expertise. When we're talking about something with health ramifications I believe it is incumbent upon those of us that have experience to give sound advise.

Yes you and I and others here know how when we can probably get away without treating water. We also know what gear works and what clothes to take. A new person comes here looking for some knowledgable advice, I wouldn't advise someone that they only need a 32* rated sleeping bag for a early March start even if I thought I could get by with it. Like my friend who is a ridge runner says "I don't treat but you should". Sound advise in my opinion.