[pct-l] Treating water on the PCT is a personal choice "choose wisely"

[Brett Cosner]

This is one of those "hike your own hike" issues that people will tell you with authority which path to take.  Ultimately the decision is yours and if you choose to treat your water there will be critics just as if you choose to not treat it.  

The fact is that yes there are some bugs in the water, but not in all water sources.  I've both treated and not treated water and I have never gotten sick in the Sierras.  I've drank from lakes, rivers, streams, and springs.  I try to avoid stagnant water and water flowing slowly through meadows.  I have heard that the biggest source of bugs is poor hygiene not water sources.

I like to think of the line in the movie Indian Jones where the guardian of the Holy Grail told the seekers to "choose wisely" which cup to drink from.  One will give you eternal life the other will give you the shits!  So don't choose poorly. 










--- On Wed, 12/16/09, Steve Clark <hiker823 at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Steve Clark <hiker823 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Not treating water on the PCT
To: "Austin Williams" <austinwilliams123 at gmail.com>, "AsABat" <asabat at 4jeffrey.net>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 2:59 PM

I attended a trail fest in riverside, ca, back in 2005 and heard a lecture by a doctor that said that you did not have to treat your water on the PCT.

--- On Wed, 12/16/09, AsABat <asabat at 4jeffrey.net> wrote:


From: AsABat <asabat at 4jeffrey.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Not treating water on the PCT
To: "Austin Williams" <austinwilliams123 at gmail.com>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 8:23 PM


I had a friend who got giardia at Rae Lakes in 1981. No one else of the 6 on
the trip got sick, and she was the only one who drank the water unfiltered.
She lost a lot of weight and didn't have much to lose when she started.

AsABat

On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Austin Williams <
austinwilliams123 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I just want to know: has anyone
> here ever caught any 'bugs' by drinking untreated water *on the PCT*? (I'm
> not concerned about other trails).
>
> If so, what part of the trail did you catch it in?
>
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