hiveranno
Active member
Unfortunately, the days of simply cupping your hands cowboy style into a creek for a safe drink of water are over. Water purification is no longer just for water sources that look questionable; you should use some type of purification before drinking from any water source in the wilds.
You ask what nasty shit can be lurking in that crystal-clear looking water? The answer is SHIT
Giardiasis is the most common and its a nasty disease. Its caused by microscopic parasitic cysts called giardia. No surface water source is guaranteed to be free of these nasty little fucks. This intestinal disease is spread through shit and is carried by humans and animals. animals are not often concerned with where they piss/shit.
Unfortunately, some humans are just as careless. You should shit at least 200 feet away from any water source you plan on drinking from.
Giardiasis has an incubation period of seven to twenty-one days and must be diagnosed by a doctor by checking your shit through a microscope. Some of the symptoms for giardiasis include bloating, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, nasty gas, cramping, low-grade fever, and loss of appetite . . . need I go on? It is not pleasant by any means. I know, I got giardia in the boundary waters from water that I never purified in the past.
Beavers (along with humans and other animals—domestic and wild) are known carriers of these little bastards.. My filter clogged up and I needed water. My laziness kicked me in the ass as I didn’t want to wait to boil water then let it cool. One thing to remember if you are in the same situation… always drink the water. You can be treated for giardia later… DEATH from dehydration is harder to treat! Because of this situation, I now carry purification tablets as well as a filter. The additional ounce in weight is well worth the bullshit you go through after you get it. I was 20 miles from nowhere and couldn’t go to the local public restroom to get fresh water, which some public shitters are just as bad.
Cryptosporidium is the next villain to be on the watch for, and it's quickly becoming a serious problem in many areas, not just in the woods. Like giardia, it is another microscopic nasty from the same source and many of the same symptoms. This particular parasite is even becoming a threat in our public water supplies because of its high resistance to chlorine.
Milwaukee had an outbreak of cryptosporidium in its public water supply, which ended up affecting around 40,000 ppl! As a woods dweller, I can't stress enough how important water is and to respect it, take care of it, and never waste it. .
Now on to water purification. There are several methods for purifying your water.
Boil the water - This is the good old standby. The main disadvantage of boiling your water is finding a place to have a fire or use a hobo stove without being seen. It also makes the water taste flat. and it takes forever for the shit to cool to get a drink on a hot day
Chemicals - Iodine or chlorine. Some of the most popular and effective brands are Potable Aqua Tablets, Polar Pure Water Disinfectant, and Aqua Mira. As I mentioned above, cryptosporidium is very resistant to this type of purification, so it is questionable how much longer this will be effective as our water sources become more contaminated.
One of the main problems with using iodine or chlorine is the taste they give the water. If using iodine, one effective method for reducing the taste of the iodine is to add vitamin C , but only after the treatment itself has been completed. The KlearWater treatment is a liquid that is made from chlorine dioxide, which doesn't add a shitty chemical taste to the water. Or just 5 drops of chlorine bleach in your water bottle will whoop ass on most things
Filtration - This is the method I've used for years. The flavor isn’t fucked with, by the use of water filters. However, with the arrival of UV light for sterilization has changed a lot. I picked on of these up in new Zealand and its fucking awesome.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the perfect water filter. They can not filter out viruses, and not all of them treat bacteria. Here in the United States, filters usually provide plenty of protection. if you plan on traveling in nasty areas think seriously about treating water for viruses as well. Hepatitis, among many other diseases, is a very real threat..
There have been several situations where I didn't trust that the water filter was enough. So I filled my collapsible bucket with water and disinfected it with iodine tablets. After the time needed for treatment I filtered the water. It tasted great and I felt pretty well protected.
I know this shit costs more then what most kids wanna spend but flying a sign for a day to protect your ass for months is worth it
The filter I had, a First Need, clogged up and nothing I did could clear it enough to even get a trickle to come out. Learn from my mistake and make sure you get something that doesn't leave you fucked.
Another thing to consider is the availability of replacement filter cartridges. What good is it to get a great filter that you will never be able to find the parts for? My personal favorites are the MSR Miniworks EX Water Filter and the MSR SweetWater Microfilter Water Filter. They are designed so they are quite comfortable to pump, they pump at decent flow rates, and most importantly they are field-cleanable!
Katadyn has been making water filters for years, and in fact, river companies have been using them for their commercial trips. But their sick price tag has kept them out of my pack. Well, Katadyn now makes excellent filters that compete in the same range in the filters named above and are all highly rated. I have not personally tested them but have no doubt that they perform. These include the Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter (which appears to be the old Pur Hiker - an excellent filter) and the Katadyn Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter. Katadyn makes larger filters as well, but the two mentioned here are the truly small ones made for lightweight backpacking.
Ultraviolet (UV) Light - This is a new deal for treating water in the backcountry. They are small and light weight making them an excellent choice for the backcountry. The SteriPen Adventurer has some excellent features geared for those of us who need something durable and lightweight as well as effective. It weighs only 3.6 ounces with the included batteries and will purify .5 liter/16oz of water in 48 seconds, or 1 liter/32oz in 90 seconds. It will destroy viruses, bacteria and protozoa, but it is less effective in murky water.
If you will be treating water that isn't clear, it is imperative that you filter the water through the optional SteriPEN Prefilter or fabric, such as a bandana or cheesecloth, before using the SteriPen.
Here are several more tips for water in the backcountry:
When brushing your teeth, be sure to use purified water. It only takes several giardia cysts to start your very own colony! You will not get it by washing with the water unless you happen to swallow water while cleaning up! The cysts have to gain entry into your intestines to infect you.
Remember that you do not need to treat water used in cooking or hot drinks as long as it comes to a rolling boil before you drink it; boiling will kill the little fuckers that can wreak havoc in your intestines. When I say bring the water to a boil, I don't mean just bubbles at the bottom of the pan. You want big bubbles breaking on top of the water at a good strong rate.
Filtering your water directly from a stream or pothole can be very difficult.. I recommend using a container then purfing from that.
A bucket allows you to scoop water without disturbing the silty bottom of the stream or pothole, keeping the water cleaner for easier filtering. I can fill the bucket from the water source, even lowering it into areas I couldn't otherwise reach, and take it back to camp to filter in comfort. If the water is silty, the bucket allows the sediment to settle out so it can be filtered from the cleaner top layer. This will keep your filter running smoothly much longer. The bucket also comes in handy for washing yourself and your clothes away from water sources that could be contaminated by the wastewater.
hope this helps
You ask what nasty shit can be lurking in that crystal-clear looking water? The answer is SHIT
Giardiasis is the most common and its a nasty disease. Its caused by microscopic parasitic cysts called giardia. No surface water source is guaranteed to be free of these nasty little fucks. This intestinal disease is spread through shit and is carried by humans and animals. animals are not often concerned with where they piss/shit.
Unfortunately, some humans are just as careless. You should shit at least 200 feet away from any water source you plan on drinking from.
Giardiasis has an incubation period of seven to twenty-one days and must be diagnosed by a doctor by checking your shit through a microscope. Some of the symptoms for giardiasis include bloating, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, nasty gas, cramping, low-grade fever, and loss of appetite . . . need I go on? It is not pleasant by any means. I know, I got giardia in the boundary waters from water that I never purified in the past.
Beavers (along with humans and other animals—domestic and wild) are known carriers of these little bastards.. My filter clogged up and I needed water. My laziness kicked me in the ass as I didn’t want to wait to boil water then let it cool. One thing to remember if you are in the same situation… always drink the water. You can be treated for giardia later… DEATH from dehydration is harder to treat! Because of this situation, I now carry purification tablets as well as a filter. The additional ounce in weight is well worth the bullshit you go through after you get it. I was 20 miles from nowhere and couldn’t go to the local public restroom to get fresh water, which some public shitters are just as bad.
Cryptosporidium is the next villain to be on the watch for, and it's quickly becoming a serious problem in many areas, not just in the woods. Like giardia, it is another microscopic nasty from the same source and many of the same symptoms. This particular parasite is even becoming a threat in our public water supplies because of its high resistance to chlorine.
Milwaukee had an outbreak of cryptosporidium in its public water supply, which ended up affecting around 40,000 ppl! As a woods dweller, I can't stress enough how important water is and to respect it, take care of it, and never waste it. .
Now on to water purification. There are several methods for purifying your water.
Boil the water - This is the good old standby. The main disadvantage of boiling your water is finding a place to have a fire or use a hobo stove without being seen. It also makes the water taste flat. and it takes forever for the shit to cool to get a drink on a hot day
Chemicals - Iodine or chlorine. Some of the most popular and effective brands are Potable Aqua Tablets, Polar Pure Water Disinfectant, and Aqua Mira. As I mentioned above, cryptosporidium is very resistant to this type of purification, so it is questionable how much longer this will be effective as our water sources become more contaminated.
One of the main problems with using iodine or chlorine is the taste they give the water. If using iodine, one effective method for reducing the taste of the iodine is to add vitamin C , but only after the treatment itself has been completed. The KlearWater treatment is a liquid that is made from chlorine dioxide, which doesn't add a shitty chemical taste to the water. Or just 5 drops of chlorine bleach in your water bottle will whoop ass on most things
Filtration - This is the method I've used for years. The flavor isn’t fucked with, by the use of water filters. However, with the arrival of UV light for sterilization has changed a lot. I picked on of these up in new Zealand and its fucking awesome.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the perfect water filter. They can not filter out viruses, and not all of them treat bacteria. Here in the United States, filters usually provide plenty of protection. if you plan on traveling in nasty areas think seriously about treating water for viruses as well. Hepatitis, among many other diseases, is a very real threat..
There have been several situations where I didn't trust that the water filter was enough. So I filled my collapsible bucket with water and disinfected it with iodine tablets. After the time needed for treatment I filtered the water. It tasted great and I felt pretty well protected.
I know this shit costs more then what most kids wanna spend but flying a sign for a day to protect your ass for months is worth it
The filter I had, a First Need, clogged up and nothing I did could clear it enough to even get a trickle to come out. Learn from my mistake and make sure you get something that doesn't leave you fucked.
Another thing to consider is the availability of replacement filter cartridges. What good is it to get a great filter that you will never be able to find the parts for? My personal favorites are the MSR Miniworks EX Water Filter and the MSR SweetWater Microfilter Water Filter. They are designed so they are quite comfortable to pump, they pump at decent flow rates, and most importantly they are field-cleanable!
Katadyn has been making water filters for years, and in fact, river companies have been using them for their commercial trips. But their sick price tag has kept them out of my pack. Well, Katadyn now makes excellent filters that compete in the same range in the filters named above and are all highly rated. I have not personally tested them but have no doubt that they perform. These include the Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter (which appears to be the old Pur Hiker - an excellent filter) and the Katadyn Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter. Katadyn makes larger filters as well, but the two mentioned here are the truly small ones made for lightweight backpacking.
Ultraviolet (UV) Light - This is a new deal for treating water in the backcountry. They are small and light weight making them an excellent choice for the backcountry. The SteriPen Adventurer has some excellent features geared for those of us who need something durable and lightweight as well as effective. It weighs only 3.6 ounces with the included batteries and will purify .5 liter/16oz of water in 48 seconds, or 1 liter/32oz in 90 seconds. It will destroy viruses, bacteria and protozoa, but it is less effective in murky water.
If you will be treating water that isn't clear, it is imperative that you filter the water through the optional SteriPEN Prefilter or fabric, such as a bandana or cheesecloth, before using the SteriPen.
Here are several more tips for water in the backcountry:
When brushing your teeth, be sure to use purified water. It only takes several giardia cysts to start your very own colony! You will not get it by washing with the water unless you happen to swallow water while cleaning up! The cysts have to gain entry into your intestines to infect you.
Remember that you do not need to treat water used in cooking or hot drinks as long as it comes to a rolling boil before you drink it; boiling will kill the little fuckers that can wreak havoc in your intestines. When I say bring the water to a boil, I don't mean just bubbles at the bottom of the pan. You want big bubbles breaking on top of the water at a good strong rate.
Filtering your water directly from a stream or pothole can be very difficult.. I recommend using a container then purfing from that.
A bucket allows you to scoop water without disturbing the silty bottom of the stream or pothole, keeping the water cleaner for easier filtering. I can fill the bucket from the water source, even lowering it into areas I couldn't otherwise reach, and take it back to camp to filter in comfort. If the water is silty, the bucket allows the sediment to settle out so it can be filtered from the cleaner top layer. This will keep your filter running smoothly much longer. The bucket also comes in handy for washing yourself and your clothes away from water sources that could be contaminated by the wastewater.
hope this helps
