How do You Treat your Water?

[skiguy]

The thread on Mt. Carrigan's Well has brought out some great points on water treatment but I would be interested in folk's thoughts on how they "CLEAN" their water.Because of using many different areas I personally use different methods depending upon the situation. The most challenging thing I find is reading what the water could be and then dealing with it once I am committed to a specific hike/climb. How do you get ready before hand and once you are out there?

 

[DougPaul]

Most of my hikes are dayhikes, so I generally just bring enough water.

For many years, I have carried a small dropper bottle of USP Tincture of Iodine. ~4ppm for ~15min (~4 drops/liter of water) treatment time at reasonable temps. More (~8ppm) or longer for colder or poorer water.

Light, cheap, long shelf life. See Wilkerson, "Medicine for Mountaineering" for details.

I have a filter (MSR Miniworks), but I don't carry it very often.

If melting snow, I just boil the water.

Doug

 

[eddogg12]

I use a Katadyn Hiker Pro. But as stated If it's a day hike, I usually just pack enough for the trip. Winter Hikey i'm melting. Winter Pack is heavy enough.

 

[Paradox]

Lawn Sale had a very nice, encyclopedic thread on this subject last year: http://www.vftt.org/index-vftt.html

 

[Gris]

i usually just use the (charcoal?) filter that's in my bottle cap, but i always bring drops too. in late July my daughter and i did an experiment. we spent three days/two night in the upper Great Gulf. she filtered and/or treated. i drank sraight from the streams the whole time (from the river at Wamsutta junction or above and/or fomo Jefferson brook, etc.) - end result? my water was faster and better tasting! oh yeah, i didnt get sick either. if i was further from civilization i'd probably be MORE likely to treat (yes, that does sound backwards doesn't it?)...

 

[sapblatt]

I carry a MSR Mini Works if I think I am going to need to filter.
Iodine is always in my pack just in case...
I have only filtered from moving streams/rivers/brooks - not ponds or bogs (so far)...
Winter - melt and boil...
Most of the time I just carry the weight...

 

[Barbarossa]

I know I have been taking my water for granted. Maybe I'll pour it on some flowers to show that I care.

 

[--M.]

If dayhiking, I bring three liters and hope it's enough. If it's not, I risk a few mouthfuls from a source that meets certain criteria (high up, running swiftly, no dead moose) -- really, it's the gross-out factor.

Somebody on these pages said he drinks from up high, never treats, and hasn't had a problem. I got giardia at Katahdin and therefore don't entirely trust this theory, but if you run out of water, the risk of a few cupfuls is better than falling from poor coordination caused by dehydration.

If backpacking, I include the MSR miniworks. We used it to produce (what apparently turned out to be) potable water from one of the little streamlets crossing the Garfield Ridge (at which point we were VERY dry). The water was slow & muddy, but we got what we needed and didn't get sick. If pushed by conditions like these, I'll obviously risk it a little. But standing water like Carrigain's begs the question of what's falling in it, and filtering wouldn't address the gross-out factor for me, so I wouldn't go there.

It's this distrust of sources that makes me -- in a very suburban, yuppie way -- bring gallons of Poland Spring. It tastes good, it's safe, and it gets lighter by the hour. The only downside is that I go through a lot of it, and three liters is heavy in the morning.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

three liters is heavy in the morning.

Four is even heavier--and I take 4-5L on a 10-12 mile summer day hike. I sweat. A lot. Ask Roxi

I don't own a filter or any treatment method what soever. I should probably get an emergency chemical treatment method.

The winter comments are interesting -- if you can keep the water from freezing, isn't it lighter to bring enough water, rather than a stove, pot, and fuel to melt snow? Assuming of course a day hike and not backpacking.

Tim

 

[dug]

Depends. Sometimes, I'll filter it through my teeth and let me intestines, bladder, etc. filter it and I pass the waste through urine.

Day hikes I just lug it with me. Overnights would be either a filter or snow metl

 

[sapblatt]

Four is even heavier--and I take 4-5L on a 10-12 mile summer day hike. I sweat. A lot. Ask Roxi

Tim

I had been doing that too - and I still do up to about 3 liters - after that, I think it is easier to bring the filter and save the weight, as long as I am going to be in areas that have water I am willing to filter (READ: not the well on the Carrigain hike!)
5 liters weighs around 10 pounds plus containers - empty Nalgenes weigh about 6 oz...my insulated camelback adds weight as well...

 

[skiguy]

MSR Miox

So far seems to be that most folks if they are treating their water are using filters. I have used both filters and iodine and in some cases both in the same treatment. I really find a filter to be bulky and heavy to carry. I also don't find the taste of iodine to be very nice either. Recently if I know I am going to have access to running water I have been using the MSR MIOX . The more natural salty taste that this treatment leaves is quite mild and sure beats the taste of Iodine IMO. I also find it is small and light enough to carry for day hikes as a just in case kind of thing. Has anyone else used the MIOX and what has been your experience?

 

[DougPaul]

Four is even heavier--and I take 4-5L on a 10-12 mile summer day hike. I sweat. A lot. Ask Roxi

Be glad you are not hiking in the desert. You may need to carry several gallons per person per day.

The winter comments are interesting -- if you can keep the water from freezing, isn't it lighter to bring enough water, rather than a stove, pot, and fuel to melt snow? Assuming of course a day hike and not backpacking.

Most just carry water for winter dayhikes. Streams do flow in winter, if you can get to them. However, if you don't carry a stove and run out of water, you may have difficulty getting more. (And no, eating snow is not a good idea--requires too many calories.)

A stove, pot, and fuel is lighter than carrying water for multiday trips.

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

So far seems to be that most folks if they are treating their water are using filters. I have used both filters and iodine and in some cases both in the same treatment. I really find a filter to be bulky and heavy to carry. I also don't find the taste of iodine to be very nice either.

If you filter first, then you only need 1 or 2 ppm of iodine. Most people cannot taste this concentration. (Without filtering, you need 4-8ppm of iodine, which you can taste.) Ref: Wilkerson.

Doug

 

[skiguy]

If you filter first, then you only need 1 or 2 ppm of iodine. Most people cannot taste this concentration. (Without filtering, you need 4-8ppm of iodine, which you can taste.) Ref: Wilkerson.

Doug

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.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

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.

After the appropriate contact time you may add ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to remove the iodine taste. Just make sure you don't add the Vitamin C until after the appropriate amount of contact time. It will stop the iodines continuing effects.

Keith

 

[marty]

I just use Aqua Mira drops which is always in my pack. It is used for emergency purposes on dayhikes and whenever I backpack. I always carry the water I believe I will need on dayhikes. It is not a hassle mixing the drops once you get used to it and the half hour wait before drinking the water has never been an inconvenience.

Gave up using the filter about 4 years ago. No problems and no regrets.

Marty

 

[SherpaKroto]

The winter comments are interesting -- if you can keep the water from freezing, isn't it lighter to bring enough water, rather than a stove, pot, and fuel to melt snow? Assuming of course a day hike and not backpacking.

Tim

I'll have stove, etc anyway. I usually "supplement" my water with clean snow as I go. I find it adds about a liter to the water during the day. Seems to work well. In summer, I use a filter.

 

[DougPaul]

I just use Aqua Mira drops which is always in my pack. It is used for emergency purposes on dayhikes and whenever I backpack. I always carry the water I believe I will need on dayhikes. It is not a hassle mixing the drops once you get used to it and the half hour wait before drinking the water has never been an inconvenience.

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

 

[DougPaul]

After the appropriate contact time you may add ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to remove the iodine taste. Just make sure you don't add the Vitamin C until after the appropriate amount of contact time. It will stop the iodines continuing effects.

Many drink flavoring powders also contain vitamin C and will have the same effect.

And, FWIW, not everyone is bothered by the taste of iodine. (And it sure beats an intestinal parasite...)

Doug