[pct-l] Filtering water...

[Jeffrey Olson]

Of course we hike our own hike, and use relativist or absolutist ethics, 
or combinations of both.  I don't touch other hikers - which I think is 
a greater preventive measure than filtering sierra water.

Here's what one study reports about Giardia in the Sierra...  Go to page 
8 for a discussion of giardia in the Sierra compared to San Francisco's 
water...

Jeff

http://www.ridgenet.net/~rockwell/Giardia.pdf

On 3/12/2014 1:48 PM, Daniel Zellman wrote:
> While I agree with much of what Jeffrey says about the pitfalls of 
> rampant consumerism, I do have to take issue with his statement about 
> Giardia: "Why do we use water filters in the Sierra - it's not because 
> there is a giardia problem - it's because manufacturers saw a niche 
> and then created a consumer for that niche - us...".
>
> Giardia is found worldwide, including along the entire length of the 
> PCT. People who choose not to treat their water are not only 
> endangering themselves, but are, in fact, putting other hikers at risk 
> as well. Also, it doesn't matter how "clean" and clear the water 
> source looks -- if there are or have been cattle, beavers, sheep, 
> deer, or any number of other animals in the area (i.e., anywhere along 
> the entire length of the PCT). Keep in mind, too, that it's possible 
> to be a carrier without actually becoming sick oneself, so even if you 
> think you dodged the bullet, so to speak, you may be spreading this 
> nasty little bug to others every time you poop or share food or shake 
> hands, etc. So ... protect yourself -- and do your fellow hikers a 
> solid -- by treating your water. It is, in my view, the only ethical 
> choice.
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 12, 2014 at 3:28 PM, Jeffrey Olson 
> <jjolson60 at centurylink.net <mailto:jjolson60 at centurylink.net>> wrote:
>
>     Get a copy of Colin Fletcher's first edition (1968) of "The Complete
>     Walker".  He goes into depth about how to put together a system for
>     backpacking.  Then read Ray Jardine's 1996 "Pacific Crest Trail Hikers
>     Handbook" where the "system" is refined.
>
>     Neither Fletcher or Jardine focused on brands of gear.  Jardine rails
>     against marketing hype.  Just because goretex boots and shoes exist
>     doesn't mean they're appropriate to hike in.  Why do we use water
>     filters in the Sierra - it's not because there is a giardia problem -
>     it's because manufacturers saw a niche and then created a consumer for
>     that niche - us...
>
>     Just because cuben fiber is the rage doesn't mean you should go
>     out and
>     get a rain jacket made out of it.  Whether you wear a rain jacket, a
>     poncho or cagoule doesn't matter as long as it fits into your system.
>
>     There's lots of wisdom here on the list - Eric's statement below is an
>     example.
>
>     Every hiker that stays out longer than five or six weeks learns about
>     her "system" - what it is, and what works in it.  The reason
>     people have
>     sub-10-12 pound base weight packs is because they don't carry anything
>     that isn't used.  Experience replaces fear as the major determinant of
>     what we carry.  What's "used" is different for everyone.
>
>     We all have learned to be consumers and look for "deals."  We want to
>     make informed choices in our "consumer identities."  It's really
>     hard to
>     unlearn that part of our identity and make decisions based in
>     experience
>     and the wisdom derived from it.
>
>     I think one of the reasons adjusting to the life in the world
>     after life
>     on the trail is often difficult is because the values of modernity are
>     no longer ours...  We'll never be that unconscious again - ever...
>
>     Jeffrey Olson
>     Rapid City, SD
>
>     On 3/12/2014 12:57 PM, Eric Lee wrote:
>     > Yup.  If you're hiking in all-day rain, especially in
>     Oregon/Washington, you
>     > had better get used to the idea that you're going to be wet.
>      The goal is
>     > not to stay dry, the goal is to stay warm.  "Dry" is an
>     impossibility - the
>     > best you can hope for is "moderately damp".  It's much easier to
>     stay warm
>     > if you're not totally drenched by cold rain directly to your
>     skin, which is
>     > why rain gear is essential.  But you're going to be wet-ish,
>     either from the
>     > outside or the inside via sweat.  "Waterproof/breathable" only
>     works when
>     > you're not exercising strenuously.
>     >
>     >
>     >
>
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> -- 
> Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
>     --Buddhist proverb