[pct-l] Aqua Mira v chlorine

[Steel-Eye]

Good morning, Stone Dancer,

 

Thinking about water purification I'm reminded of the PCT hiker who carried a charm to ward off elephants.  It must have worked because he didn't see a single elephant on the entire trip.  The closest thing to an absolute in water purification is bringing the water to a rolling boil, and keeping it there for five minutes.  That will kill the bugs, however it won't deal with particulate or inorganic constitutions.  Few -- if any -- hikers boil their drinking water, for good reason:  It is onerous in terms of the time required, and the weight of the associated fuel and equipment; even more so for those of us who do not cook our food.  The first -- and last -- time I boiled drinking water was in 1954 when trying to advance as a Boy Scout from Tenderfoot to the lofty Second-Class rank.

  

During the intervening years I've drunk considerable untreated wild-water and I didn't get sick. I've also used about all of the common filtration/purification methods with the exception of the latest UV technology:  I've strained water through a bandana, and I didn't get sick.  I've used Halazone and iodine tablets, and I didn't get sick.  I've used various modern pump-filters, and I didn't get sick.  I've used tincture-of-iodine and I didn't get sick   I've used Clorox Bleach and I didn't get sick.  I've used Aqua Mira and I didn't get sick.

 

I very much agree with Steady's recent comments and rationale about Clorox vs. Aqua Mira.  Anything short of boiling is a compromise, and we all get to decide the extent to which we will compromise during a hike.  My current operational compromise is to drink wild-water when I think it is reasonably safe, and treat potentially contaminated water with Clorox.  

 

Steel-Eye

 

^^^^^^^^^^  Serious hikers gather at:  http://www.aldhawest.org/  ^^^^^^^^^^

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: StoneDancer1 at aol.com 
  To: pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net 
  Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:43 PM
  Subject: [pct-l] Aqua Mira v chlorine


  Survey:  Could we have some pros and cons comparing the use of Aqua Mira to 2drops/liter of household chlorine?  

  Any one have experience on effectiveness, cost, corrosive incidents, anything like that??

  This came to mind as my Aqua Mira vanished inside my pack and I was scrounging ideas for how to proceed until VVR.  I dubbed my AM "the Precious" right after that.  

  Stone Dancer







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