Many people on the AT use bleach to filter their water. Is it safe? Reliable? Have any of you gotten sick? I currently have Polar Pure, some say
long-term iodine use is bad for you. The MSR Miniworks also seems like a good option. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Mike
Generally speaking, bleach is better than nothing, but it doesn’t kill all the nasties. If you want use chemicals for treating water, then I’d suggest Aqua-Mira.
If you want to filter, then I’d recommend the Katadyn Hiker because it pumps much faster than others.
Some hikers use chemicals, others use filters. Like all gear, there is no one method or product that works for everyone.
Peaks
I have used and really like Aqua-Mira. Not only is it effective and relatively taste-free, it is extremely compact and a huge weight savings over a pump. If weight is not a big factor for you, then a pump has definite advantages. From a cost standpoint, A-M is also worth looking into. YMMV.
D’Artagnan
In Big Bear in 03 there were a couple hikers (the Chaos Twins) who had to take a week of the trail to recover form iodine poisoning.
Aqua-Mira is pretty popular, and if I remember correctly it’s essentially the same thing that’s used to treat city water.
Paul
toes
There are also quite a few hikers that do not treat water at all. I do not recommend any method of water purification to anyone. Whatever method you choose you have to be comfortable. I have gone from Damascus to Katahdin one time then another 2,800 miles on the AT without any water purification. I have never had any problem with the big G or other ailments. I am also far more careful about my water sources than most people and do not blindly believe what manufacturers tell me. There was a study on thru hikers after 2,000 (the year) that found more people got the big G from filtering than not filtering. I attribute that to cross contimination and the blind belief that a filter can filter out everything from any source. I personally prefer the taste of unadultered water. My tips are to get water from as close to the spring as possible. In 2004, I was amazed to see people filtering water from a low lying stream running near farm country when they could have walked thirty feet over to where a natural spring was spewing water straight out of the ground. The natural spring fed into the river.
I was equally amazed to see people drink water around the Grayson Highlands. The small fenced area near the first shelter is surrounded by pony terds. I do not care if you filter the water ten times, I still would not drink it. About 1/2 a mile before the shelter there is a fantastic water source with no ponies. Much better water.
My basic philosophy on staying hydrated was to usually carry two quarts of water in the morning. I restocked whenever I came across a good source. If it was getting near the end of my hiking day I would stock up within the last mile or so, if I came across a good spring or source. I never relied on what the books say as far as sources. There are numerous times that Wingfoots book or the data book is simply wrong, or droughts and dry years changed the availability. I also never got water near road or farm fields where chemical run offs occur. On sections where I knew water to be an issue, even my first year hiking, I stocked on water and carried the weight. That would be sections like the first 16 miles out of Pearisburg or going abouve treeline in the whites… I also would suggest carrying a four liter dromedary bag that allows for getting enough water to last you both for yoiur dinner, breakfast and a starting water supply.
Above all, trust your instincts.
Aswah
aswah
I used the Pur Guide filter on my AT thru-hike in 2002, and I had no problems with the water. The Pur Guide is a great filter in that it pumps out a large quantity of water with each pump. I always filtered the water from every source. I think one of the keys with filtering is to make sure that you do not cross-contaminate your hoses. Make sure that your intake hose and outtake hose are kept in separate ziploc bags, and you will probably be fine. I echo Aswah’s comments, though, try to find the best water to pump.
Superfeet
GA->ME '02
Phil
Never have and never will filter…and Bleach…tastes like crap, plus, when you get to town you can taste all the bleach you want in the local water…its odd after drinking the crisp cool clean water from a rock on the side of a mountian how crappy town water smells and tastes…but then you have to realize that water has been filtered through god knows what god knows how many times.
I still think filter systems are a $$$$ scheme as I know people who have gotten giardia that filtred everyday…sometimes its a cleanliness issue, sometimes its bad choice of where you get your water.
Of course if I ever get sick, I may change my mind about all this…but afer 1000’s of miles on the AT and the John Muir without filtering…maybe Im just immune.
Lion King
I used katadyn micropur tablets for some of the JMT, at higher elevations we didn’t use anything. They are expensive and I just don’t like the idea of drinking treated water, even if it isn’t iodine. They didn’t really have a bad taste though. We just trusted our instincts about the sources of the water in question - except one night on Tyndall creek coming down from Forester pass when this kinda nutty solo hiker tried to convince my partner and I that giardia were little animals that looked like Horsehoe Crabs.
He said, “They’re like little animals man…with little claws. I know - I had to build a replica of one once.” Me, being the scientist that I am, and sometimes unable to communicate with the general public on some issues, said “I know that they are eukaryotic, but do you mean to tell me that they are metazoans?”
Him: “No - they are just litte animals man! (insert impression of hands as little crab like critters snapping their claws) Deer take 'em up to the top and poop in the water - so basically, it’s all contaminated”
hmmm…
In short - a long and confusing converstation with him about what giardia actually is and the source of giardia contamination left us a little paranoid- so we treated otherwise perfectly clean mountain water.
Jackalope
Many years ago I boiled my water,talk about an hassle. But the same type of talk is still going on, Its just changed. To boil or not has become to filter or not. You will find people who start the trail filter to later on not , people who filter the whole way and those who only filter when they question the water source. As with all things hiking it is how YOU want to do it.Last year when I hike I used an filter 99% of the time. Sometimes you may find that your water source it not the best because it has a lot of mud / dirt in it,for it may not have rain for awhile. I have this thing about stuff that floats in my drink so that is why I filtered.
I do go along with aswah on the big dromebay bag but I took two 2 quart bags ( total 4 quarts) so that I would have enough water for dinner , breakfest and lunch. And resupply if I thought I would run low. Why two … if one broke I would still have some way to carry water… Just BLD
Just BLD