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What kind of water pruification for a 4 night backcountry camping trip? (filerting?, boiling?, tablets?)? |
Travel Info - Looking to go on some backcountry camping trips for approx 4 nights in the mountainous Banff/Jasper/Zion/Glacier area. Gonna pack it, so weight is always an issue. - Any suggestions for water treatment, as most of the water would probably be streams, river, or lake water. - Is it better to boil the water? Use chlorine tablits? A filtering system? - Any websites or examples would be appreciated. - How safe are they to use? thanks. Travel Tips Filter- I would buy a filter. I use a MSR WaterWorks filter. They cost around $80 bucks or so but they really work great. The filter is clay and carbon so it never gets clogged permanently. If it does slow down all you have to do it lightly scrub the outside of the filter with a green pad and you are back to new. I have had mine for about seven years and have only replaced the filter twice. This is after thousands of miles of back-country trips. Boiling- It is completely fine to boil water, at least 3 minutes, but boiling water changes the make-up of water and makes it taste flat. OK for cooking, but kinda weird for drinking for four days. You also waste fuel trying to boil water. (TIP- If you get some cold nights though, boil some water and fill up your Nalgene with it. put it in your sleeping bag and it will keep you warm all night. It's a really good trick I learned during an outing in the Antarctic.) Tablets- Yes they work. Yes they taste funny. This is the thing though, if you need to absolutely sure that the water you are drinking is safe than use the tablets. They really only need to be used in places with "third-world" type water quality or if it is your only means of purification. I have to say though, only once have I had to use iodine tablets in Yellowstone NP and by the time I used them I was so thirsty that the water tasted like heaven. They also sell battery operated pens that use a ultra-violet light to sterilize water. They are light but expensive. I don't have any experience using them but I hear that they work. You will have to do your own research on that. As for safety- All these methods are safe considering you are following the instructions for their use. Some things to consider: -Always try to find the cleanest water you can -try wrapping a coffe filter around the pre-filter with a rubber band, this will help prolong the life of your filter. -If you are using snow to melt and boil water, add it a little at a time. It is much more efficient. Source(s): Lots of camping, lots of research, lots of drinking water. Other Travel Tips Boil it -- that will kill the bacteria and keep your 4 days from being a race with the devil. Tablets also kill the bateria, but also add more garbage to the water. Bottled water is easier, and 100% trouble free; but I understand the weight issue. I've carried a small dropper bottle with tincture of iodine (like you get in a drugstore) for many years. Never got sick. One drop per quart, and let it sit for an hour. jspphotos has some good suggestions and overview. A couple of things that I would add is that it is important to understand the difference between filters and purifiers. Filters remove larger contaminates such as protozoa (like giardia and cryptosporidium) and bacteria (like cholera). It is important that you get a filter with a filter size no greater than 0.2 microns or else the bacteria will get through. However, filters by themselves will not remove viruses (like hepatitis). Viruses are not as common in the backcountry water of North American as other places, but I say better safe than sorry... deep in the woods is no place to get sick. To get rid of viruses, you must use iodine, chlorine, UV light or boiling. For long trips, I usually take both a filter and purification. A lot of people rave about the Katadyn Hiker filter, but I have a MSR SweetWater that I have been very happy with - it is light, reliable and the lever-based handle is easier on the arms than the more common up and down plunger types. For purification, iodine and chlorine taste a little funny, but are the easiest and most common ways to purify. I prefer chlorine drops because the iodine tablets tend to stain bladders and bottles. UV gear is expensive, requires batteries, and most have a slow through-put. Boiling also takes a long time (when doing large amounts) and in most National Parks (including Zion and Glacier), you are not allowed to have campfires and must use cookstoves (so boiling would mean taking a lot of extra fuel). In most US National Parks, you can probably get away with just the filter or just the purifier. If you use both, you are probably safer than drinking most tap water. Have fun! Frequent hiker and backpacker. Good websites: http://hikingbackpacking.suite101.com/ar... http://www.ahappycamper.com/products/wat... |
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