Carry in water or purify??

B

B.B.M

Joined
Dec 3, 2009
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hi guys, it's super hot down here. I've been doing some longer hikes. I usually carry in my drinking water but the weight sucks, boiling is time consuming and the water takes forever to cool down. I've thought about using a water filter (like a sawyer) but have some concerns. there is a ton of creeks and rivers down here but also a lot of farm land. what about chemical pollution? what do you guys do? carry in water? or some how purify along the way? I know in an emergency you could boil and drink but what about hiking trips?
 
How long a hike, how strenuous? These factors will change things somewhat. But for an average day hike in moderate conditions and moderate terrain you should hydrate well BEFORE you start and carry a qt/ltr of water. You should be OK. If you drink up your supply a small filter and/or Chlorine Dioxide tablets like Katadyn, MSR and Aqua Mira which also make drops. Always make note of water sources as you go. Check a topo map for markings of springs and creeks.
If it is hotter or more strenuous you're going to need to find water as you go. Unless you're in a desert that has no water sources. Then you got to carry as much as physically possible. You are correct water is heavy but you got to have it. If the sources you are familiar are suspect try to carry as much as possible.
 
I have debated the same thing in this heat for the last month. Miserable. I think if you are hiking in the mountains or hills and you choose a clear running creek, you're probably okay with the Sawyer. I usually carry my water, but it is heavy. Gearing up a little for some bike riding in Cades Cove (loop) in the Smoky's this week. Yeah, I know there is a water fountain half way around the loop. But in this heat, I still will carry water beyond the usual one mounted to the bike frame. I came very close to heat exhaustion doing a job about 3 weeks ago in AL. I was "this close" to heading to the hospital to get an IV and hydrate as I couldn't drink enough water to maintain my hydration equilibrium. I was way overheated.... and it felt like I had a fever. I am not a big fan of Gater Aid or similar drinks, but started drinking it after the near hospital thing and it seemed help. But I really don't care for it if it is warm. It took me a good week to get back to normal after that job was completed.
 
B.B.M said:
I've thought about using a water filter (like a sawyer) but have some concerns. there is a ton of creeks and rivers down here but also a lot of farm land. what about chemical pollution? what do you guys do? carry in water? or some how purify along the way?
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Chemical pollution around farmland is a very real concern and a filter will not normally fix that. You would have to carry a purifier but they are heavy and bulky. Berkey makes a smaller one but it is still heavy and bulky for packing,the larger models good for the kitchen though. We go into some places that have no water sources in the desert and have to pack in water and yeah, it sucks. At times it is most of the weight of my pack as I carry up to 12 liters, 24 lbs of water but it gets us into places that nobody else ever goes and there are things in there that are amazing...I'd rather not have to carry it though.
 
Depends on the trail.

If I'm on a mostly desert trail, I'll bring my own water.
If I do mountain trails, i can usually find a spring and I'll drink it straight or even use those purify pills.

If I'm hiking into the unknown, I'll bring both water and the pills.

I will almost never drink from a creek or river here in California.
 
Almost Always carried a PUR filter along on my backpacking trips. Use to not do it, figured I'll just fill up my water bottle from a fast moving stream and be OK. Then I caught giardia and spent some time going at both ends and changed my mind.
 
I carry an MSR mini-works as my filter. Decently quick, reasonably priced, good tasting water, and it matches to my dromy bladders or widemouth nalgenes. There are better filters, but it hits a pretty good middle of the road for me.

. hydration is a tough balance, carry too much weight, and you are burning water to move, too little and run out, and you're in trouble. The tabs are good too, but you need clear water, tannin filled water, or murky water needs longer to treat, or more chemical, sometimes both. I don't worry as much about chemical contamination, apart from algae blooms, which I suppose are an indirect result of chemical contamination sometimes. But most farm chemicals are not going to be hard on you, or going to be in high concentrations in stream water, the farmers don't want that since its wasted chemical. E-coli from farms, that could be bad, along with all the other little bugs, not fun, but a good filter will take care of that, no problem.

For just a day-hike, I'll typically plan on carrying enough water plus a little extra, here that would about 3L of water if I start the day hydrated. If I'm already short, then it might be more, or I would change the plan if possible. For anything over-night, I carry enough to get me through the day, and cooking a meal, with the plan to filter where I can. That way I can at least start the next day off on a water-hunt if needed. Some locations require more than that, but I won't go somewhere I need to carry more than two days (6L) of water, since that's adding too much to my risk plan. And if the plan involves others (or at work where it involves kids) then that drastically changes, since they need pretty much the same amount of water, but have less capacity to spare to carry it.
 
When I hike near water sources, I always bring my Pur Hiker filter and fill up my bottles as I go. But generally I am no where near any water, and have to carry quite a bit of it. For a summer hike when I know I am going to be out for several hours, I carry at least 4 quarts. When I'm just about down to my last quart, I know it's time to head back. My day hikes are limited to how much water I need to carry which is a bummer, because when I start to run out is usually when I find something new or interesting that I want to explore.
 
Helps to know the terrain and perhaps have a map that gives you information on where the water comes from versus just what you see in front of you.
 
I carry in 2-3liters in a Platypus or Camelback bladder and an empty Berkey Sport bottle so I have both options. I have used the Berkey Sport bottle to avoid water borne pathogens in foreign countries for about 8 years. Never an issue. My son used his exclusively on a hiking trip out west. No issues.
 
Just a thought with the electro-absorbtive media filters. I have yet to find any good data on using them in very tannin filled water, the way I understand it, that should reduce the filter's ability to remove pathogens, but so far none of the filters I've seen mention this, or how they get around that. the Grayl also has a silver element which might be enough to deal with some of that, and in clear water, it isn't likely to pose a problem. Its all about knowing what your filter system is best at, and what conditions you are likely to face. ANSI/NSF standards are not really applicable to wilderness water filtration since they pretty well start with nearly clear water, as I understand it. Couldn't find much else without paying (which is another red flag in my book)
 
Biological pathogens are dealt with rather easily with chemical treatment, boiling, or filtration.

It's the toxic water that is a major concern of which Google Earth and topo maps can be your friend. I examine watersheds via these tools to see if there could be an issue such as urban interface, chicken farms, etc. If there are, I carry the water or go someplace else. I am lucky though being in the Chattahoochee NF.

There are a few filters that address toxic water, but in my mind those are more for emergencies. More thoughts on this exact subject if you are interested...

[video=youtube;0GUTZS7QBPs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GUTZS7QBPs[/video]
 
I have been thinking about this one. I am a big dude, 5 miles is long for me, and if I'm doing five miles, I'm on a paved or gravel trail with a parking lot at every trail head, usually with a water faucet. If I'm doing five miles, it's probably going to be 70 degrees or less weather with a breeze, no humidity. So, a single 48oz Nalgene bottle is enough to keep me hydrated. 3 mile hikes in any weather usually get a 48oz or even just one 32oz Nalgene bottle. I've got a Maxpedition Nalgene water bottle holder that I've paired with my Camelbak steel temp bottle, and have had good luck. I have a Maxpedition Falcon 2 pack, or Pygmy falcon, not sure what model, it has two mesh pockets on the sides for 48oz Nalgene bottles. I haven't used it for much more than carrying knives and gear to a campout across the street from a convenience store.

I still keep some water purification tabs from REI in my Maxpedition Jumbo pack behind my truck seat, and some in my junk box. I have no idea about whether they are still good or not, they were not expensive, and they explicitly say that you should boil your water first.

My body has a hard time adjusting to well water other than my own, especially municipal tap water. I have several Guyot (same as Nalgene Guyot, but the Nalgene name is not stamped on the side) steel water bottles, and have used them to boil water before. The filtering method, using pebbles and sand, is another precaution before you boil your water.

I haven't practiced these methods other than playing around in the back yard. I'm a big dude, 6'3" and 365, diabetic on a fluid pill. I drink anywhere from three to five 48oz Nalgene bottles of water or water/tea mix daily, and I work in an office riding a desk. So, exertion on anything more than a day hike, I defer to the members here and look forward to reading more about your experiences.
 
Well, I use the Sawyer water filter in areas riddled with beavers, and it hasn't failed me yet; don't get the Mini - the water flow is too slow and you'll be in the field thinking Why the hell did I get this? I can't remember if it's the Sawyer water filter or the Lifestraw, but there's a video on yewtoob of a girl filling a container with an alarming amount of animal feces and a little bit of H2O, and then she--amidst her own laughter--drinks it up in front of a classroom of people. Go check it out, if you're in to that sort of thing...

But yeah, Sawyer is legit and versatile. Ideally I'd avoid the farm runoff, but then again I eat their poisoned products everyday and I'm no scientist, so I dunno what the best call is there. I use Aqua Mira(chemical reaction) liquid drops parts A & B should I need to process gallons at a time while hiking.
 
I guess it depends on when where how long. The great part about packing it in is drinking as you go. Empties weigh nothing so packing out is at least half the weight packing in. At the altitude I'm at its always cold dark so I boil then store and by mid nite I refill the bottles. Collapsible make for a more streamline kit, roll up to haul out. I'm kinda finicky with Chem treat, IMO aqua Mira is the best of the odd tastes. If you have a mule, the Waterwise 1600 purifier rig. If you are the mule, a Sawyer.
 
Popping back in with a related question. My PUR/Katadyn Backpacker filter finally died after many many years of use. In looking at a replacement I was also checking out the MSR Sweetwater filter. Of those two which would you recommend?
 
Two things I will ALWAYS have when starting out a hike are a knife and more water than I should reasonably need. For a 7 or 8 mile hike I will have a 2 liter bladder in my pack and then I'll carry two 32oz Nalgene bottles. I usually dont need more than the 2 liters, but water is one thing that is worth its weight. Too much farmland and road runoff around my area to bother with filtering water anyway.
 
I usually carry a 2l bladder and Micropur Forte tablets. Arround here there are fountains and creeks scattered along the trails, just need to know where. Having a GPS with a nice topo map on the background helps a lot. In the Pirinees there is water running everywhere, even in summer. As long as you avoid the big rivers at the bottom of the valleys, you will be fine. Small creeks and streams are usually drink-able without any treatment. But if you carry two bottles, just fill it up, drop a tablet inside, a couple spoons of some sports beberage powder and you will be good to go.
 
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