How do You Treat your Water?

[DougPaul]

Thanks Doug I have done exactly this but I still get a tainted taste. I would be interested in your comments regarding the Technology used in the MSR Miox.

Sorry--while I read a bit about it a while ago, I'm not up on all the details.

I do remember that a number of people had problems with it. Something about creating the liquid to be poured into one's water.

And, of course, it requires batteries.

Doug

 

[erugs]

I have an MSR Miniworks for backpacking and for day trips just try to bring enough water with me. On a recent b/p trip I lost the little "pee" that goes into the filter and didn't have a spare. I tried creating one, but was unsuccessful. Upon returning home, I called MSR. They were great and sent me a replacement and told me that I could have crimped the line to make it work. I haven't tried that yet, but will soon. I would have been carrying chemicals on that trip, too, but they were still with United. Fortunately, I met a trail angel and also boiled water later that day.

 

[skiguy]

Sorry--while I read a bit about it a while ago, I'm not up on all the details.

I do remember that a number of people had problems with it. Something about creating the liquid to be poured into one's water.

And, of course, it requires batteries.

Doug

HERE and HERE ALSO are a couple of reviews. Pretty interesting technology IMO

 

[marty]

One note about Aqua Mira: one of the claimed advantages over iodine is that it kills cryptosporidium and giardia*. However, the required contact time is 4hrs, so in practice it may be no better than iodine if you are unable to wait that long.

* ref: http://www.rei.com/product/695229

Doug - I believe the four hour purification is for the tablets, but only 1/2 hour for the drops.Aqua Mira drops

Regards,
Marty

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/projects/whitney/whitneytoiletEAdec03.pdf

The Carrigain water well thread was closed before I had a chance to respond, but many years ago I encountered a ranger on Mount Whitney who told me that a study done of the water at Mirror, Consultation, and other shallow lakes at popular camp sites came up negative for giardia and some other pathogens. However, over 90% of GORP bags shared by campers at those sites came up positive for coliform bacteria. To this day I have not sampled anyone's GORP bag, the bowls of pretzels and the like at bars, etc. Probably shaking hands is not such a great idea either, but difficult to avoid some times.

The link above summarizes a fairly extensive effort to clean up back-country sites on Mount Whitney.

Next time that I am on Carrigain, I will bring back a water sample from said well and run for coliform and some other contaminants in our chemistry lab at work, and report back to you. Although I have never seen anyone poop into the well on Carrigain, I have seen someone pooping into a snowmelt stream at the top of Osceola (and camping and doing other things right on the summit!); search for my thread 2 or 3 years ago.

 

[GlennS]

I usually carry all the water I will need on a day hike. Typically that's 3 liters. I will also finish a liter before I leave the trail head. I'd hate to start out dehydrated.

On longer hikes, I carry a Katadyn Exstream filter bottle. It doesn't weigh much more than a Nalgene bottle and is quick and easy to use. It does leave a slight iodine taste to the water but it isn't over powering.

Some reviewers have said that it is difficult to use but I haven't found that to be the case at all.

Glenn

 

[HAMTERO]

The 4 hour wait time for the Katadyn tablets is because the have the EPA certification and that is what it takes if the water is cold or turbid.

 

[skiguy]

The 4 hour wait time for the Katadyn tablets is because the have the EPA certification and that is what it takes if the water is cold or turbid.

I appreciate everyone's input on this discussion so far. My hiking/climbing situation usually is not always the same so it dictates different WATER treatment based upon the situation at hand. One of the things I like about the MIOX is that it uses a test strip to sample the water after treatment to see if it is safe. So how do you really know before hand and afterwards when one scoops the water before and after treatment if it is actually safe? Are we all not rolling the dice on some level? My opinion is some what opinionated here because of being a post Giardia Victim who took all the right steps not to be a victim. Some folks here seem to think it's OK if they feel OK a couple of days after drinking untreated water. I was of that school of thought for a long time until I realized that some of the potential problems of drinking unsafe water in the woods can take time to show their face. So is it that difficult with the technology that we have to not be on the side of caution?

 

[wardsgirl]

About 75% of the time, my boyfriend and I use no water purification method whatsoever, other than common sense. On dayhikes, we always carry enough water with us. On backpacking trips, we consider what we find along the way and apply our 55+ years of backpacking experience to decide whether we want to drink, treat, or move on. If one of us is tempted, for whatever reason, to drink from a questionable source or even one that is clearly labeled "unpotable," it is because the water source has met solely with the drinker's individual drinkability test, and falls within their comfort level. The other members of our party need not feel obligated to drink as well.

To drink or not to drink, to treat or not to treat, is an individual decision based on factors too numerous and too varied to put into a definite formula. It all depends on the person and the situation. For example, I did not drink from the Carrigain well, but a couple years ago I did drink from "Metallica Spring" on the AT in Pennsylvania at an EPA Superfund site. In the same situation, I would do it again.

For the 25% of the time that purification is deemed neccessary, we use an iodine-based purification tablet called "Potable Aqua." It does not make the water taste unusual in any way, but perhaps others may have more sensitive taste buds than us.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

iodine plus and minus

My understanding is that iodine kills not only the bad but also the good flora in your gut. So, I prefer filtering or boiling, and some times both, which we did on Aconcagua, where the trailside streams and snowbanks were quite filthy.

 

[Grumpy]

I treat my water with great tenderness, love and respect. Don't you treat yours that way?

On longer dayhikes in well watered areas I carry filled 32 oz and 16 oz Nalgene bottles (one each), plus a Katadyn Hiker pump filter. The smaller bottle acts as a backup. I drink from the quart-size bottle and refill using the filter as need and opportunity arise.

G.

 

[Jay H]

With respect and dignity!

I'm on a roll.. ba dump bump che...

I will carry an MSR water filter but lately, with my short trips and camel-like constitution, if it's a weekend trip that isn't in the 90s or super humid, I'll just carry the 100oz of water I will use over 2 days... Wont recommend this to anybody but I do it myself cause I've done it many times.

Jay

 

[skiguy]

With respect and dignity!

I'm on a roll.. ba dump bump che...

I will carry an MSR water filter but lately, with my short trips and camel-like constitution, if it's a weekend trip that isn't in the 90s or super humid, I'll just carry the 100oz of water I will use over 2 days... Wont recommend this to anybody but I do it myself cause I've done it many times.

Jay

100 oz for two days is'nt that far off the mark for under the right circumstances. I find that sipping like you have to do with an H2O bladder I can really make H2O last. Although sometimes I'd rather have a bottle to gulp from. I'm getting off topic here...not what your supposed to do if your the OP.

 

[Viewseeker]

treating water??

I gotta say i grew up drinking out of steams all the time thru-out my life and never had problems as long as u dont drink water that is not running or slow flowing..seems like a common sence thing but what works for one doesnt work for another..i believe ill never get sick so i never get sick...all in the mind i think..If need be i use msr micro filter that is trail cleanable in case it clogs.....happy drinking!!!