Aqua mira or filter?

imported
#21

5+ thru-hikes and I never treated/filtered any water. It’s way overrated.

Lone Wolf

#22

AquaMira. I started my thru hike with a filter, but gave it up in Hot Springs for several reasons. Too heavy, too bulky and too much time spent filtering water. Plus, it seemed like I was always filtering perfectly good clear water. But, didn’t like the idea of doing nothing - know too many hikers who got sick doing that. So, went with a MSR Miox, which, time wise, is similar to AquaMira. Never regretted my decision for the rest of the hike.

If you go with AquaMira, know that it’s harder to find the further north you go. Not impossible, just more difficult.

Bear Bag Hanger

#23

One more accepted school of thought in the Sierra is that it ain’t the streams - most if not all (grazing meadows excepted)- are clean. The problem really is individual personal hygeine. Also, as might be expected, vulnerability to intestinal problems varies greatly among individuals. Some folks can be total slobs and not be affected; others seem to be parasite / bug magnets.

booger

#24

My wife and I mailed back our filter after the 100 mile wilderness (we SOBO’ed in '03). After that we switched to Chlorine 1-4 drops per liter (usually 2). Then we would just leave the lid of our containers open as we slept when we treated at night and if we had added two much chlorine the smell would dissipate. At 2 drops per liter the flavor was very minimal. We didn’t have any problems. No system is perfect (as far as ending up with a contaminated lip on your drinking jar or mixing hoses on your filter, etc.). What happends when you haven’t washed your hands well from hiking all day and you wipe something off your mouth, or if your containter drops onto the ground, etc. Anyway, once we got south of PA we very rarely treated anything. The sources were springs and we got the water right from the source. It is all about your body getting used to the same level of contamination. If you are always going to filter…ALWAYS filter. If not we used 1oz of bleach for the whole trip (between us). For a long term hike your body gets used to anything. The best this, even better than filtering and treating, is picking the best water sources…no cows, moose, deer, or raccoons, etc. able to defecate upstream? Then you are going to have a lower risk. The southern portion has much better water sources than the northern portion, so if you are going to NOBO your body will be able to adjust better you’ll have less problems.

Michael Sanwald (FatCat)

#25

Do what you want, but let one deer or bear **** upstream of your sucking mouth and you may get the deal. Take a chance sucker!!!

Virginian

#26

This forum is great and much work goes into making it available and is one way of returning the greatness of hiking exper. I would like to encourage other hikers or folks who would like to hike on some of the great trails here(US) and elsewhere to consider donating/volunteering at least 10% of the time you took to hike a NST or read the accounts of other’s adventures. Althought more hikers are hiking the AT in the last 15 years or so, the participation in trail maintenance/construction is not reflective-more 20 somethings are needed to keep the tradition alive,particularly in the West along the PCT. Peace,2 Spirits

mike