[pct-l] Water treatment practices

[Phil Baily]

When I started backpacking, I (like everyone else) hung my Sierra Cup 
from my belt and drank from almost every stream or lake I came to. 
Yes, Tortoise, I still have my cup. Then came the big giardia scare 
and I decided to be safe rather than sorry. I am risk-averse and so I 
still filter all the time, even though I have read a lot about the 
danger being exaggerated.
I read one article that cited evidence that water from the top of a 
lake is typically safer than stream water because of solar effects. 
Most hikers behave as if the  opposite is true. I plead ignorance on 
the facts and filter because I do not really know who is wrong!

Pieces



At 12:02 PM 7/5/07, Tom Bache wrote:
>I'm curious about community attitudes to water treatment.  I wonder about
>the fractions that always treat, sometimes treat, and seldom or never treat.
>I fall into the latter category.
>
>I do a lot of backpacking and day hiking around the calendar (live in San
>Diego), and only treat on those rare occasions when I have to use water from
>obviously sketchy sources.  In good places like the Sierras, I never treat.
>I mostly go solo, so I don't know what others do.  However, I did see a lot
>of people drinking water directly from the streams when I traveled up the
>JMT/PCT, so I know I'm far from the only one.  I've never had any problems.
>I'm one who believes the articles saying that the probability of problems
>from giardia and other water-born bugs is grossly exaggerated, so I think my
>good fortune is mostly due to being careful about my hands being clean
>before touching food.
>
>It is hard to beat falling on your belly for a l.o.o.n.g drink from a cold
>mountain stream.  I suspect that a lot of people are denying themselves that
>pleasure unnecessarily as they spoil the moment with tedious pumping and/or
>taste-spoiling chemicals.  But perhaps I've been lucky or happen to be on
>the right side of the human distribution of vulnerability to water-borne
>bugs.
>
>Since water-treatment practices have a significant effect on the hiking
>experience, I thought it useful to have a thread collecting some community
>experience and opinion.
>
>Tom Bache
>San Diego
>
>
>
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