What do you do for water when your out ?

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

My parents have never been sick either, and I've never picked anything up when I used to not treat my water. My point in every single one of these conversations is that while I (and you and my parents and so on) have never been sick, I don't relish the opportunity to fight off giardiasis or any of the other fun bugs that are out there. 10-15 minutes of filtering a day and I don't have to worry about it. Why take that risk if you don't have to?

I agree completely.

I have two friends, married to each other, who own a camping outfitter. About 15 years ago, they were camping in Northern Algonquin Park. The wife had her filter on the front of her Canoe, but decided 3 minutes of pumping was too long. So she filled her bottle right from the lake. The logic, was that they were in the centre of a deep lake, that was crystal clear. Since most things in water, are heavier than water, they eventually sink to the bottom, meaning that the centre of a deep lake is often the cleanest.

She was in the hospital for 8 months, she lost 20% of her body weight and 10% of her bone marrow. The virus (whose name is lost to me at this time), was so destructive, that her internal organs are still damaged beyond repair. She can only eat certain things now, and is constantly seeing a nutritionist.

I have had Giardia, aka Beaver Fever. Not a fun thing.

I carry an MSR Sweetwater filter, with their Viral-stop droplets. I also carry the Pur-tabs from Katadyn. Besides that, I put my bandana across the mouth of my billycan, and strain the water through that, then boil it.

 

[Barn Owl]

I agree completely.

I have two friends, married to each other, who own a camping outfitter. About 15 years ago, they were camping in Northern Algonquin Park. The wife had her filter on the front of her Canoe, but decided 3 minutes of pumping was too long. So she filled her bottle right from the lake. The logic, was that they were in the centre of a deep lake, that was crystal clear. Since most things in water, are heavier than water, they eventually sink to the bottom, meaning that the centre of a deep lake is often the cleanest.

She was in the hospital for 8 months, she lost 20% of her body weight and 10% of her bone marrow. The virus (whose name is lost to me at this time), was so destructive, that her internal organs are still damaged beyond repair. She can only eat certain things now, and is constantly seeing a nutritionist.

I have had Giardia, aka Beaver Fever. Not a fun thing.

I carry an MSR Sweetwater filter, with their Viral-stop droplets. I also carry the Pur-tabs from Katadyn. Besides that, I put my bandana across the mouth of my billycan, and strain the water through that, then boil it.

I thought i read somewhere oh about 10 years ago now ,that almost every water source in the North Americas (USA anyway) was contaminated with Gardia ?

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

I thought i read somewhere oh about 10 years ago now ,that almost every water source in the North Americas (USA anyway) was contaminated with Gardia ?

I can't say that for sure, but alot of the Canadian waters are.

 

[Northern Giant UK]

This reminds me of the first few "Going hippie" trips, I'd decided to use a home made filter combined with (chlorine) puritabs, well after a few trips I noticed that when I went home I was getting sore throats and my indigestion (I've suffered from acid reflux since childhood), was worse than usual. Anyway cut a long story short I (finally) plucked up the courage to try boiling (i'd got a millbank bag by now), and I found the water cleared beautifully by the millbank (local river water is light brown usually due to peaty soils) and when boiled the water tasted better than tap water (I even managed to get the wife to drink it )also there was no sore throat and my indegestion was (If not gone) was at least back to normal.

PS.
I still love to see the look on peoples faces when I tell them I've drank river water

Kev

 

[Voivode]

I thought i read somewhere oh about 10 years ago now ,that almost every water source in the North Americas (USA anyway) was contaminated with Gardia ?

Well, I wouldn't say "every" water source; the ground water is by and large good. Surface water, on the other hand, is most certainly unclean once it flows far enough downstream to encounter humans. Drinking from springs welling up from the ground or the toe of a glacier is generally considered to be about as safe a bet as one can take.

Again, I've drank from mountain streams and rivers in the past. My parents and their friends drink from mountain streams and rivers in the past. I chalk our lack of illness to a developed resistance to bugs (we are country folk and live close to the dirt, so to speak) and sheer luck.

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

Well, I wouldn't say "every" water source; the ground water is by and large good. Surface water, on the other hand, is most certainly unclean once it flows far enough downstream to encounter humans. Drinking from springs welling up from the ground or the toe of a glacier is generally considered to be about as safe a bet as one can take.

Again, I've drank from mountain streams and rivers in the past. My parents and their friends drink from mountain streams and rivers in the past. I chalk our lack of illness to a developed resistance to bugs (we are country folk and live close to the dirt, so to speak) and sheer luck.

It depends more on the region, not whether it is ground or surface.

The Walkerton E. Coli crisis all happend from well water (ground water).

If it is ground water, from out in the northern bush, away from mines, farms, and industrial regions, chances are it will be safe. But going off of my luck (or lack there of), I carry Katadyn tablets, and a MSR Sweetwater filter.

 

[Voivode]

It depends more on the region, not whether it is ground or surface.

The Walkerton E. Coli crisis all happend from well water (ground water).

If it is ground water, from out in the northern bush, away from mines, farms, and industrial regions, chances are it will be safe. But going off of my luck (or lack there of), I carry Katadyn tablets, and a MSR Sweetwater filter.

Fair enough. I was thinking more about deep aquifers that don't tend to be dirty. There is absolutely nothing stopping humans from contaminating them though, as happened with Walkerton.

 

[Squidders]

If there is a chance water I find is unsafe to drink, I'll filter it through something (a sock before now) to remove bits and then i'll boil it... not had any problems so far.

it's important to keep the items used for "dirty water" seperate from those used for "clean water".

When in Finland we drank from the lake and had only fish poo to worry about ;o)

 

[RobertRogers]

You cannot easily get rid of toxins in water, usually manmade stuff like lead, pesticides, etc. is too difficult to remove in the bush with the methods and materials you are likely to have.

You can destroy pathogens and parasites though. I don't recommend relying upon commercial water filters or even chemical disinfection (chlorine, iodine etc) - too many variables and alot of marketing hype.

The best way, IMHO, is to boil the water. Only need to get it to the boiling point, even at high altitude - not for 10-minutes or whatever some people think, which is a massive waste of fuel.

Natural springs, removed a distance from standing bodies of water, are possibly the safest sources of natural water. But you still need to think about possible ways this could be polluted. For example, for all you know a logger in 1954 dumped his used crankcase oil just a few feet above the spring.