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Water purification?


bunglehead

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Well when I hiked 250 miles of the PCT, I used this crazy chemical kit from OMC. You'd stick one tablet in and let it sit in the water for like 20minutes or longer, then you'd spoon in this other stuff that supposedly neutralized the first chemical. Haven't seen it since, but it worked great for me, and I don't remember there baing any aftertaste. Just got jealous sometimes when I'd get to camp, and my filter totin' buddies were drinking cold, fresh water while I had to wait.

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Iodine tablets.

 

Then neutralizer tablets they sell are simply vitamin C tablets. I bite a VC pill in half, crush it, and dump it in my iodinized water and it's clear and fresh witin 10 seconds (not counting the 20 minute wait AFTER the iodine tab is completely dissolved.)

 

Sometimes you get a little grit in the water if you're drinkin glacier melt. 'Filter' it thru a handkerchief or a shirt before treatement if you don't like the floaters and sinkers.

 

Clorox bleach is an appropriate substitue, too. Emergency preparedness websites have the dose rates. I prefer the iodine because it won't destroy my gear if it gets loose in my pack, unlike clorox.

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i used potable aqua tablets a lot. they suck when they get old or the water is cold. they just dont break up and dissolve very well. aqua mira makes a 'stablized' chlorine dioxide liquid so dissolution aint a problem.

clorox bleach will work too. its 2 drops per quart. 8 per gallon. i cant tell if the spring fresh formula tastes any better than the old school bleach shit.

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Filter.

 

Coupla Katadyn Micropur tabs as a backup.

 

Iodine doesn't get crypto, and I think bleach hasn't been proven to get either cyst. I did the research on bleach at one point, but I can't remeber exactly what was wrong with bleach, but it didn't do enough to be really effective.

 

Doesn't mean you'll get sick though, just increases the odds of it.

 

 

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marylou said:

I did the research on bleach at one point, but I can't remeber exactly what was wrong with bleach, but it didn't do enough to be really effective.

and to think the goverment recommends bleach for emergency water purification! those lying bastard public officials. good thing we got your faulty memory so we know what to do. rolleyes.gif

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I tried to use a filter about 10 years ago. It leaked it was bulky it wasnt necessary.

 

I am smart about where I drink. I have never run into a situation where I needed to have a filter immediately or not immediately either.

 

I have used Chlorine and water tabs. If you want to make REI rich and your pack heavy get a filter.

 

Some wont dook outdoors. There are obviously different folks here on the board.

 

If my partner wants to carry a filter I dont care.

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I use purification tablets. Funny story though to be aware of. In 78 a buddy and I spent a few weeks in Mexico just walkin and climbin. When we came back the border patrol found our halazone tablets that had got wet. The funny little white pills in the unmarked brown bottle tested positive for LSD,Amphetimines, and Barbituates. We told the man we used them to purify our water, he said" Ya right" hellno3d.gif We got out later after a day in the pound tryin to explain.

If your gowin somewhere else keep the label on the bottle

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ketch said:

I use purification tablets. Funny story though to be aware of. In 78 a buddy and I spent a few weeks in Mexico just walkin and climbin. When we came back the border patrol found our halazone tablets that had got wet. The funny little white pills in the unmarked brown bottle tested positive for LSD,Amphetimines, and Barbituates. We told the man we used them to purify our water, he said" Ya right" hellno3d.gif We got out later after a day in the pound tryin to explain.

If your gowin somewhere else keep the label on the bottle

 

r u for real? damn that's funny! yellaf.gif its was U.S. slammer right? cause that would suck to be hooped in a mexican jail! hellno3d.gifpitty.gif

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Filters rock. If you consider the weight, it's under a pound of group gear, so really, under half a pound.

 

The weight is quite worth the convenience and the taste.

 

On many approaches, you won't need to carry any water because water sources are so frequent (remember half a pound is a quarter of a liter of water). And you iodine folks -- you're carrying around two pounds of water waiting for the chemicals to do their thing?

 

 

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On many approaches, you won't need to carry any water because water sources are so frequent (remember half a pound is a quarter of a liter of water). And you iodine folks -- you're carrying around two pounds of water waiting for the chemicals to do their thing?

 

I can anticipate when I need to carry water. 9 times out of ten on a trail you only need one water bottle.

 

Yes water is frequent on most trails. That means I can fill up at the trailhead and calculate when I need it simply. Ive been doing it for a long time and never had to carry more than one liter unless on a grade IV climb. Otherwise it's usually been pointless.

 

As far as taste goes I dont have a problem with iodine water. If I am truly thirsty it's going to taste good. wink.gif

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Fence_Sitter said:

ketch said:

I use purification tablets. Funny story though to be aware of. In 78 a buddy and I spent a few weeks in Mexico just walkin and climbin. When we came back the border patrol found our halazone tablets that had got wet. The funny little white pills in the unmarked brown bottle tested positive for LSD,Amphetimines, and Barbituates. We told the man we used them to purify our water, he said" Ya right" hellno3d.gif We got out later after a day in the pound tryin to explain.

If your gowin somewhere else keep the label on the bottle

 

r u for real? damn that's funny! yellaf.gif its was U.S. slammer right? cause that would suck to be hooped in a mexican jail! hellno3d.gifpitty.gif

Ya I'm real. It was US slammer. We got out by finding a local gear shop that had them in stock. We were taken in under border patrol escort and pointed at them on the shelf. They ran tests straight off the shelf and they matched so we walked. Nearly a full day of fun and games later

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Cpt.Caveman said:I can anticipate when I need to carry water. 9 times out of ten on a trail you only need one water bottle.

 

Yes water is frequent on most trails. That means I can fill up at the trailhead and calculate when I need it simply. Ive been doing it for a long time and never had to carry more than one liter unless on a grade IV climb. Otherwise it's usually been pointless.

 

Right, so that one liter of water you are carrying weighs two pounds.

 

Suppose you are doing Triumph.

Chug water at the TH. Don't carry any.

Filter a liter at First Thorton Lake and chug. Don't carry any.

Filter at top of col...

 

With iodine, you'd be hiking up to the col while waiting for your water to purify.

 

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Gary_Yngve said:

Cpt.Caveman said:I can anticipate when I need to carry water. 9 times out of ten on a trail you only need one water bottle.

 

Yes water is frequent on most trails. That means I can fill up at the trailhead and calculate when I need it simply. Ive been doing it for a long time and never had to carry more than one liter unless on a grade IV climb. Otherwise it's usually been pointless.

 

Right, so that one liter of water you are carrying weighs two pounds.

 

Suppose you are doing Triumph.

Chug water at the TH. Don't carry any.

Filter a liter at First Thorton Lake and chug. Don't carry any.

Filter at top of col...

 

With iodine, you'd be hiking up to the col while waiting for your water to purify.

Just shut the fuck up and purify your fucking water however the fuck you want. Nobody gives a shit. Jesus, this is one of the worst threads ever! yellowsleep.gifthumbs_down.gif Where's a barfing graemlin when you need one?

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Incredible. Arguing over how you purify water. Who gives a damn as long as you keep hydrated. I've used tablets, sometimes a filter, and if I'm up where few people (or frikin' cows) go I usually just drink straight from the stream, no problems. Now everyone take a deep breath, let it out slowly and go climb a rock.

grin.gifbigdrink.gif

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Read the written material that comes with most filters. Almost universally you will find some statment about having a back up in case the filter: breaks, clogs, or is lost. I have seen Pur (some years back) recommend that you carry iodine tablets as a back up.....Hmmmm. blush.gif

 

Lighter, less bulk, cheaper, less maintainence, hmmm. confused.gif

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please tell me a source of crypto in washington

 

my friend is a water quality manager for many manicupalities and we went over this. he does not ever use any type of treatment for his water. crypto(rarely found in the us) and giradia are easily avoidable just by the movement of the water.

 

bulk is always an issue to me.

 

gary

 

please explain your logic on the 2lbs 1 liter bottle theory? and also the pills i have take 10 minutes to work. oyu cant wait 10 minutes? and ray is right plan ahead! you know forethought!! it works amazingly! even for beyond the water drama!

 

filters are not for us based CLIMBERS(i dont know about backpackers)

 

 

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lummox said:

erik said:

please tell me a source of crypto in washington

almost all the water bad stuff comes from shit. so you can figure that someones ass is the source. moon.gif

 

thats what i thought more manufacture scare tactics to buy their junk.

 

 

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erik said:

lummox said:

erik said:

please tell me a source of crypto in washington

almost all the water bad stuff comes from shit. so you can figure that someones ass is the source. moon.gif

 

thats what i thought more manufacture scare tactics to buy their junk.

 

wtf asshole? you asked a dumbass question and i give you a straight answer then you get all nonsensical and shit. turd in mouth is how people get sick whether its cholera or simple e coli toxicity or the exotic giardia.

was the city of detroit last week recommending that people boil their water as a 'manufacture scare tactic'? fuck no dumbfuck. truckloads of sewage had got into the water supply.

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