[pct-l] Water plus Aqua Mira

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Lisa,
You can order Aqua Mira online and they will ship to California. I  
used the drops. I've heard good things about both. I liked the drops  
because if I didn't fill up my bottle all the way, it was easy to  
adjust the drops accordingly (by guesstimation.)

If you are very sensitive to heat and need to drink a lot of water,  
you may want to carry 28lbs of water. That is something for you to  
decide. If you have more capacity than you truly need, you will learn  
whether or not you want to fill it all up.

If you are that sensitive, be sure you bring plenty of salt. You  
should eat salty foods and you may also want to add some kind of  
electrolyte supplement, preferably something less sugary than  
gatorade. Many hikers without a lot of desert experience overdo it on  
sugar and water and get very sick. You will need a lot of salt and  
electrolytes without a lot of sugar. Look up hyponatremia online so  
that you can familiarize yourself with possible symptoms.

Good luck and you will love the desert. Many people end up being  
pleasantly surprised.