[pct-l] Water Treatment

[wandering_bob@xxxxxxx (wandering_bob@xxxxxxx)]

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The old story - Filter or Tablets?

To save the weight of a filter, consider the tablets or liquids currently a=
vailable. Remember, they do nothing for the clarity, floating "objects", or=
 inherent taste of the water; only render it microbiologically safer than i=
t was when raw. Not all treatments are effective against all microbes. In s=
ome cases, you may want to close your eyes as you drink the result. Add TAN=
G or KOOLAID to mask the taste.

Check out the newest, most expensive treatment from the makers of Katadyn w=
ater filters. http://www.katadyn.net/katadyn_mp1.html  At $ 13.95 for 30 ta=
blets, it'll treat 30 liters for 47 cents per liter. Supposedly kills every=
thing.

There is also AquaMira, a 2-part liquid system  http://store.yahoo.com/camp=
mor/25673.html At $ 10.99 for the 2 bottles, it treats 113 liters for 10 ce=
nts per liter. I tried it last summer and went back to iodine. One negative=
 is that you can never tell how much is left in each bottle since they are =
not transparent. You also have to mix the two reagents and wait 10 minutes =
before adding it to the water, then wait some more for the chlorine dioxide=
 to do its job.

The old standby - iodine tablets - can be even cheaper (depending on how ma=
ny you use per liter), but impart their own flavor and color to the water. =
This can be removed by adding a tiny amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) AF=
TER THE IODINE HAS HAD ITS 30 MINUTES TO WORK. Don't pay for the two bottle=
 set you see at REI and other outdoor stores. You're paying big bucks for a=
 small bottle of vitamin C. Go to any drug store and buy 100 over the count=
er vitamin C tablets for a dollar. Carry 2 or 3 and just scrape off what yo=
u need each time. CAVEAT: before refilling and treating any bottle into whi=
ch you previously put vitamin C, RINSE IT OUT SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE RAW WA=
TER. (You WILL get more vitamin C into the bottle than you have iodine to n=
eutralize, and any left-over vitamin C will immediately deactivate your new=
 iodine tablets.) Then add the new iodine tablets and wait the 30 minutes b=
efore adding more vitamin C.  Iodine is supposedly not effective against Cr=
yptosporidium.

Ignoring the higher weight and costs, filters have one major disadvantage: =
they do not have a defined life. It depends on the quality of the water bei=
ng filtered. That means you need to either (1) carry a tablet back-up syste=
m or (2) carry a spare filter cartridge or (3) keep a spare cartridge in yo=
ur bounce box and carry a tablet back-up system. Fine sediment like glacial=
 rock-flour can plug a filter in one pass. I saw it happen simultaneously t=
o 5 filters representing three different manufacturers at one stream along =
the Tahoe Rim Trail two summers ago.


Wandering Bob
----- Original Message -----
Wrom: ISHJEXXIMQZUIVO
Sent: Monday, January 20, 2003 12:19 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Stove

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Hi, Can anyone recommend the best stove to use for 2 people thru hiking?  I
built a Pepsi can stove and didn't find it very adequate for cooking for 2
people at a time.  I have been using my whisperlite international because o=
f
its unreal cooking ability.  The only problem is it weighs a bit.  Also any
views on water treatment?  I have a filter that I like but its heavy too.
Thanks Lama Whisperer
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