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NOT SO LIGHTLY PLEASE!! Re: [pct-l] Giaradia Hype



I disagree very strongly.  Until you have seen/experienced the disease
it is not to be compared to instant oatmeal or poptarts!! (Besides I
did not carry poptarts as the W/E ratio is very high!)

Giardia makes you terribly sick for 2-3 months with diarehea(sp), vomiting,
serious fluid loss and can be deadly if you do not get care as your
immune system is weakened and you get caught in a storm in that condition
you are a **lot** more subject to hypoethermia and possible cold bugs, etc.

I recommend everyone do a google on Giardia and read several of the many
links themselves.  25 years ago there have been 1-2 cases a year in
BOTH the sierra and Rockies and AT! Now, even the Rangers have gotten
it all too regulary becasue they thought they were immune and had their
little "secret" watering ponds that were "safe"!!!

Humans go everywhere these days upstream it seems and don't always
practice good cat-hole policy and procedures so almost all streams
are contaiminated.

After seeign Ranger Susan sick I don't need a fitler company to
tell me to filter water!!! 6 ozs and $75.00 for a good .1-.02 micron
filter is worth it to me...or if I've got extra fuel a 5 min boil,\
both far "cheaper" to me than 2 months being laid up!

Only My Humble Opin and One Man's Thru Hike Experience.

Richard


At 10:45 AM 3/9/03 EST, Montedodge@aol.com wrote:
>--
>[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> We've been told for the last 15 years that Giaradia is a plague left over
>from the Egyptian times with Moses and that any hiker needs to treat their
>water from this or face a fate worse than death!!
>   I am happy that this month's Backpacker Mag. wrote what I always believed(
>Page 83 , April 03) Giardia is so common that it was once thought to be a
>normal resident of the human intestinal tract. Many people have a natural
>immunity. If you drink treated water from a big city your whole life, you
>probably are not immune. BUT if you you had well water as a kid  and drank
>pond water most your life, your might be immune!! Don't know of many
>thru-hikers on the PCT that finish their trip with a water filter in their
>pack.
>     Yes , you can still get sick from other "Gooddies" in your water , but
>giaradia  is as common as instant oatmeal and poptarts on the trail  and is a
>boggie man sponsored by the filter industry.
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