Treating water - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

What is the safest way to treat water while on the trail?

Hiker Gal

#2

What is the safest way to treat water? I don’t know, but there are several ways commonly used, mostly chemicals, and filters. Each has their own pros and cons. Some don’t treat at all.

Peaks

#3

The safest way to treat water on the trail is to boil it at a rolling boil for at least 1 minute. However, it’s also a very inefficient way to treat water, since you tend to go through a lot of fuel.

Lots of people these days use a treatment of Clorine-Dioxide which comes in the form of tablets (Katahdyn Micropur) or a two part liquid (Aqua Mira.) Both effectively kill the common microorganisms found in natural water sources.

Filters also work, but they can be heavy and tend to clog. I’ve used Aqua Mira for three years without incident, and its nice to only have to carry the 3 ounces.

Conductor

#4

let your friend do it while you sit down.

jp

#5

I’ve read, it might have been in Backpacker, that boiling water for that long to kill the buggies is actually overkill. I can’t quote the temperature exactly, but it was something like 170 degrees that was enough. But that said, don’t use that method if you’re on a long-distance trip.
Iodine, AquaMira or PolarPure are all great. Filters are nice, but why carry the weight and the bulk. And really a lot of the water on the AT comes straight through the ground and filtering really isn’t all that necessary.

0101

#6

For the past few years I have exclusively used Iodine tablets. I have never gotten sick from water treated that way, but a number of folks said I ruined my liver from the iodine usage. They may well be right.

In 2005, I saw folks using just a few drops of plain old household bleach to treat their water. If the bleach really works (and I don’t know if it does) then why would anyone bother with filters or more expensive chemicals?

JAWS

#7

Years ago I used iodine (Potable Aqua) and can not determine without a doubt whether or not my episodes of diarrhea were caused by water born parasites. Actually, I think it worked.

Clorine, however, is ineffective against crypto. It simply takes too long because of the thick outer case of the parasite. Some references say it takes days for clorine to kill crypto.

Clorine Dioxide (a totally different chemical structure) is touted to kill giardia and crypto and viruses like Hepatitis-A, but even then the fine print says up to 4 hours in some cases.

As always, its up to the individual to do the research and make their own educated decision. Do a google search using
giardia crypto chlorine dioxide

Lots of informative material out there. :cheers

Conductor