Water treatment?

once again forgive me if this has been discussed and please point me that way.

We have never done a trail overnight. UL's Eagle rock report, which I enjoyed, got me wondering. I carry some of the drops for emergency backup but most times carry water. The pic of filling at the spring??

How do you folks treat the water? or do you?

I treat mine using a gravity filter. There are many different kinds of filters, and they all come down to personal preference. There are pumps, tablets, UV, all different kinds.

I use to carry a Steripen. I liked it and it worked great, but it had to have batteries.

I always carry Iodine tablets no matter what just in case, but I use a Gravity filter that is basically a bag, that uses gravity to push the water through a filter (Aquamira Frontier Pro). Mine comes from anti-gravity gear . com, but ULA makes one too that is called the Amigo Pro. Sorry that I do not have time to post links, and everyone has their personal favorites.

Just like poles, I would say that we need to have a group hike. That way you can see and use different peoples gear, and then see what would work best for you.

Clif:
We filtered all of our water, with the exception of the water coming out of the spring. That water was coming out of the bottom of a 200 ft. cliff face and had perculated down through all that rock. We felt safe in its origin.
I always carry a Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter. It's not the lightest pump at 11.0 oz. but it will pump 1 liter per minute. I will filter probably 95 % of my water, unless I'm sure of its source.
UL

I also use the Katadyn Hiker Pro... great pump water filter.

I use a MSR Sweetwater Microfilter and I have added a Siltstopper to it. I have been using this arraingment for many years. In fact I bought it before MSR bought out Sweetwater. I have replaced the filter one time. One feature I like is that after the hike I can clean the filter and put it in the freezer. Freezing won't hurt it and keeps down on any possible contaminates.

I would like to add that any filter, pump type, should look into adding the siltstopper. That little fiter has realy kept my main filter clean. And you can clean it. i have used a mild bleach/water solution to keep it clean for years.

OH

I'll second the idea of having a siltstopper or prefilter attached to the end of the intake hose. It definitely keeps trash out of the filter.
UL

Yep the siltstopper realy helps. I have had replacment filters for years for that thing and just recently replaced the first one. If you are real careful they will last a long time. Cleaning with some bleach and water helps and kills the nasty's.

OH

I always put a few bottles of Mountain Valley water in the pack of whoever I am on the trail with. HA Now for the truth. I use a Hiker pro if it is just me and a friend or if I am with a bunch of scouts I use a gravity filter that can do lots of water with little effort. If your in a large group there is not a need for everyone to have their own when you can string up a gravity filter. One back up is good though in the group. Figg

I am thinking about straining water through the bandana (get the big pieces of crud out), and then just using AquaMira drops. I only want to do this because of weight. Right now I carry a Hiker Filter. Or the AquaMira Frontier Filter is an option too.

Colt and I ended up doing this method for day two and three for the BRT Kyle. Water filters kept freezing up. That and we were in a bit of a hurry.

Sorry to hijack your thread clif.
I wanted to know if the drops and tabs give the water a funny taste?

Ed... what little I have used them No they do not. I cant taste them at all. Just be sure to follow the directions to a tee.

Are you saying that failure to properly folow the directions could impede your ability to make forward progress?

The iodine tabs can leave an after taste, but this can be eliminated by adding an ascorbic acid tab from the second bottle that usually comes with the iodine tabs. If you don't have this, then add vitamin C to the water. It will neutralize the iodine taste.
Some people say that they can taste the chlorine in the Aqua Mira chlorine dioxide drops. If you're one of those people, there is really nothing out there to neutralize the taste, unless you add some kind of drink mix to the water.
UL

A chlorine taste would prolly be alot like city water. Vitamin C seems like a good idea any time.

Ed if you don't follow the directions you may have to ask directions to the nearest porta john as I am shure you don't want to hover over a cat hole with what "could" follow lol. And like UL pointed out most drink mixes can cure about any taste that may be left but I never mix it in my bladder or Platy or camelbak or what ever I am using. I use a seperate water bottle or cup for that. I don't want the taste of that stuf to linger either. And some of it can be a bit of a pain to clean these things out.

ED wrote:Sorry to hijack your thread clif.
I wanted to know if the drops and tabs give the water a funny taste?

No sir, not at all an issue. All part of the question and answer.
Gotta find my drops. Do they expire? Haven't used mine in a while.

AquaMira does have a definite shelf life, especially once opened. I'm just not sure what it is, but it should be on the box or bottle. The iodine tabs also have a short life once the bottle is opened.
UL

My neighbor boy actually likes the taste of Iodine treated water, after you add the ascorbic Acid (Vit C). Sometimes he prefers it, over the filtered. I have never tried Chlorine treated water, but I'm with Ed, it would more than likely taste like city water.

Some people call me paranoid, but I just don't trust water out on the trail anymore. I want to, but I find people's trash in places you would never imagine a person to ever have been, and then I think, well if they left their trash here, what "else" did they leave by this water?!?!?!?! Better safe than, well, sorry when you get home.

Even when it comes out of the ground?? The sign at Blanchard Springs sez the water prolly has bat poop in it.. I can't spell guano. Ya never know.

I don't even drink the city water here. My brother in-law calls me a water snob. I will never drink unfiltered/treated water unless it is a life or death situation. I saw Bear Grills drink his own urine out of a snake skin just for television. That is over the top!

Ya know, I had thought about filtering and treating.

Clif,

I do not even trust springs anymore. Porous rock formations such as the limestone in the Buffalo area can easily transport water from a surface source a distance away. The cryptosporidium and Giardia parasites are tough to kill. One or both (I cannot recall off hand) form a cyst around themselves when suspended in water. This makes them very hardy so they can travel long distances. Both cause diarrhea and stomach cramps. This is in addition to viruses and bacteria that could be in the water. I like the better safe than sorry approach. Note: I don't think the iodine tablets kill cryptosporidium or viruses whereas the chlorine dioxide tablets do after a wait of 4 hours.

HBH

I think my set up is going to be a AquaMira Frontier filter and some kind of chemical (maybe katadyn's). This will give me the least wait time (30 min) for the weight, and it will still kill everything.

Let me know if there's a lighter option.

Ok guys for those of you that remember these sorts of things. Back in the 70's I used Halazone. It is no longer approved for water treatment. I never got sick back then from using these (tablets). What was the main ingredent in those things?

OH

OH,

It looks like the Halazone gives off chlorine and chlorine gas when disolved in water.

http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=6F5F68F7-F1F6-975E-7E240E6BBD17635C

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