[pct-l] SIERRA WATER...Filters & Giardia

[Diane Soini]

Same here. I stopped filtering water in the Sierras (such a pain in the rear). I only treated lake water in Oregon, but not creek water. I filtered/treated nothing at all in Washington, nothing on the CDT in the Winds, nothing in Glacier, nothing in the backcountry behind Santa Barbara. Sometimes I filter the water through my bandana. The ONLY time I've ever been sick is after I used my pocket knife to cut some cantaloupe. Same pocket knife I'd used on my feet. I was extremely sick for exactly 48 hours. I've eaten pre-cut fruit handed to me by bare-handed Indian ladies in India and didn't get sick. My feet are grosser than hands, apparently.

On Mar 17, 2014, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: Brick Robbins <brick at brickrobbins.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SIERRA WATER...Filters & Giardia
> There is ample evidence that poor sanitary practices in the
> backcountry are the main vector for infection with Giardia.
> 
> While giardia does exist in some water, IMHO, the fear of un-treated
> water in the backcountry mostly comes from Lawyers and Filter
> Manufacturers.
> 
> I threw my pump away in 1995, and have never used one since.
> 
> I carry Aqua Mira for particularly skanky water, where I'm mostly
> worried about bacterial contamination, which many of the lighter
> doesn't deal with anyway. The Aqua Mira makes nasty water taste better
> too. For clean Sierra water, I drink straight from the source.
> 
> Of course, if you want to filter everything, then by all means do. But
> don't try and tell me that I am somehow being irresponsible for not
> doing as you do.
> 
> HYOH....