[pct-l] There is water, and there is slimey sludge from tanks and from seeps we drink.

[AsABat]

Thanks, Brick. Glad I already had my dinner tonight!

Seriously, water appearance and odor can be issues when you are thirsty but
the look and smell make you want to hurl. At many water holes the only thing
water has in common with the water from your home faucet is that it is wet
and contains hydrogen and oxygen. Besides clear, water on the trail is
available in designer colors - green, yellow, brown, rust, and black. You've
seen Vitamin Water in the stores, some of the water holes have Protein Water
- heat it up and call it soup. A good filter with remove at least some of
this, making it more appealing to drink.

I sometimes get water reports saying there was no water at a source, then a
report saying there was. Nothing changed, except the first hiker didn't
consider the liquid in the tank to be water. I will sometimes include
"gross", "rat-infested", etc., on the website (especially if they are
amusing - but keep them short) but if those descriptions are missing it may
just mean the previous hiker was just happy it had h2o in the desert.

AsABat
PCT Water Reports So Cal http://pct.4jeffrey.net
Updates to water AT 4jeffrey DOT net
On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 5:16 PM, Brick Robbins <brick at brickrobbins.com>wrote:

> The subject of treating water is really quite complicated.
>
> The focus of the discussion so far has been on Giardia, but the most
> graphic examples have to do with cows upstream and dead things in
> water tanks, and the skanky water likely to be found in So-Cal.
>
> First off, a typical light weight Giardia Filter will NOT remove the
> bacteria from decaying dead rodents that can make you sick. You need a
> finer filter that is heavier and more likely to clog. However,
> chemical treatments will kill the bacteria.
>
> Second, cows contaminate the water with all sorts of things, but
> though Giardia does infect cows, only 1 of the 6 known species of
> Giardia infects both cows and humans. If you have cows upstream, and
> you are paranoid, best to use a filter rated for bacteria, not just
> for Giardia.
>
> Third, yes, though I don't generally treat backcountry water, a whole
> bunch of the PCT in So-Cal is FAR from pristine, so Yes, I do treat
> water there, usually with chemicals because I'm still not worried
> about Giardia, I'm worried about the other nasties.
>
> And remember that you need to let your water sit with the chemicals in
> it for at LEAST half an hour. Even for Aqua Mira.
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