[pct-l] Giardia

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I was once a paranoid water purifier but the trail cured me of that.  
I walked the entire trail, by the way. I purified most water in So  
Cal, most in Central Cal, fewer in Nor Cal, most lake water in Oregon  
and almost none in Washington. Say what you will about my anecdotal  
experience, that it lacks any scientific research. Whatever. I've  
been there, seen the water, drank it. It was delicious.

First you drink San Diego's water. Then you drink LA's water. Then  
Sacramento/San Francisco's water, then Portland's water and finally  
Seattle's water. Only you get to drink it before it has run out of  
the mountains into the lowlands where it picks up agricultural  
runoff, pollution from roads, heavy metals, industrial pollutants and  
whatever other stuff it comes in contact with in aqueducts and pipes.  
Then they toss a few chemicals in it and sell it to you as your  
municipal water and tell you it's clean. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

Meeting people on the trail who rejected the clean water of the  
mountains over stuff gotten from motel bathroom faucets boggled my  
mind. All it takes is a few drops of aquamira and it's safe to drink.  
No need to fear it so much that you won't even drink it. I'm just  
trying to say don't be so paranoid. Use a product and then stop  
worrying about it. It's not worth fretting over. It's the same darn  
water that came out of that faucet only it's closer to the source.  
Treat it, drink it and move on.

Hiking a long trail really clears up a lot of silly fears and the  
fear of water is one of them.