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[pct-l] Treating water



It's been interesting to follow this thread. I'm a nurse practitioner and Master Educator for Leave No Trace ( www.lnt.org ), so I'm sure that makes me more cautious than most, but I never drink untreated water. Having cared for people in the throes of various gastrointestinal illnesses makes me unwilling to take the chance to drink right from the source, even though I grew up doing that.  I've also observed  people using filters/purifiers but contaminating the outside of their bottle or the pump by improper storage or technique. It doesn't seem fair to blame the equipment for illness after doing that!  Drinking untreated water is like many of the other decisions we make on the trail, it's a calculated risk, and worth weighing the potential consequences. 

Cross that snowfield without an ice axe?  Without crampons? Without a pole? Drink that water without using a filter? Without using a purifier?  Use the bear bag? Use the bear cannister?   I think that it's important for each of us to weigh the facts, the unique situation, consider our values and do our best to minimize impact.  Having a bad gastrointestinal bug while in the backcountry leaves a pretty big impact on our personal experience and perhaps contaminates more water sources. The trade-off is the weight of the equipment and the time to use it. 

Walk softly,
Connie
LNT Lady