[pct-l] It's the water

[CMountainDave at aol.com (CMountainDave@xxxxxxx)]

I notice that Ray Jardine does not treat his water, believing that he is 
immune to concentrations of giardia present in mountain lakes and streams. So we, 
who are always keen on ways to reduce pack weight, have some attitudes to iron 
out if we want to advance our goal of achieving minimum necessary weight
 Is a filter just dead weight? That depends if you believe giardia "studies," 
real scientific tests or a multitude of stories and statistics that show 
carrying a filter doesn't achieve the intended purpose (not counting 
malfunctions). If indeed the people you are with are a far greater threat to your 
intestinal fortitude than the water you drink, then a filter is dead weight. Seems a 
simple medical experiment would answer some basic questions.
  The problem is with misinformation given out by lawsuitphobic 
administrators who prominently announce that all water should be treated or boiled. The 
inevitable impression is given that water is to be considered a threat to our 
health, and if we do pick up some bug, it is inevitable that water will be blamed 
instead of poor hygiene or food past its prime. 
 Since this danger was impressed upon the public by people in authority, the 
fear of untreated water isn't going to go away any time soon
  So the question of taking a filter is the same as the question of whether 
to take crampons on a climb. Do they really help, or is this a good place to 
dump unnecessary weight? And in Ray's metaphysical mode, is it a good thing to 
poison -- mentally or physically -- one of the four sources of life? Guess if 
you're metaphysical, you get to dump 8 to 14 ounces, but watch out for that 
Gorp! All others keep pumping and gorping