[pct-l] Re: PCT advice

[msaenz at mve-architects.com (Mike Saenz)]

To some, the goal is to finish the hike, survive the ordeal or endure
the deprivations.
Personally, I take for granted the comforts I enjoy on the trail and at
camp (oilcan!).
I'll pass on the nasty taste of chemically treated water. I carry a
Sweetwater Guardian filter. Had it for over a year now and it only
requires minimal maintenance.
To gulp down clean, clear and cold water is well worth the 13.9 ounces
of the filter.

It's ALL about comfort out there!

M i c h a e l   S a e n z
McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e    P l a n n i n g    I n t e r i o r s
w  w  w  .  m  v  e  -  a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s  .  c  o  m

-----Original Message-----
From: Sharon & Chuck Chelin [mailto:chelin@teleport.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 8:16 PM
To: scourtway@bpa-arch.com; dude
Cc: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Re: PCT advice

Good evening,

The use of iodine for water treatment is attractive, and I have used it
myself for short periods, however I am concerned about using it for
longer-term trips.  Following is a piece warning about potential
toxicity,
but the good news is we all get to decide for ourselves.

Steel-Eye

========================================================================
==

A Warning About Iodine Toxicity

According to Understanding Nutrition by Whitney, Hamiltion and Rolfes (a
nutrition text book), iodine is
a component of the thyroid hormone thyroxin which helps to regulate
growth,
development, and metabolic rate.
Excessive intakes of iodine can also cause an enlargement of the thyroid
gland... [and] depressed thyroid activity. this goiter like condition
can be
so severe as to block the airways in infants and cause suffocation...
Average consumption in [the U.S.] rose from 150 micrograms per day in
1960
.. to an all-time high of over 800 micrograms per day in 1974. It has
since
decline to about 200 to 500..." "The toxic level at which detectable
harm
results is thought to be over 2,000 micrograms per day for an adult..."
Now
to the tablets.. . My bottle of Potable Aqua (which I carry as a back-up
for
the broken filter) has a net contents of 0.21 ounces for 50 tablets.
Here are the calculations:
0.21 oz/50 tablets ==> 0.0042 oz/tablet = 0.1191 gram/tablet; each
tablet is
6.68% Iodine, thus 0.0668 * 0.1191 * 1,000,000 = 7,956 micrograms of
iodine
per tablet. Note that this is PER TABLET.

One tablet treats a quart of water. For Giardia control, or if the water
is
cold or of poor quality, the directions say to use 2 tablets per qu art.
(Who doesn't want to control giardia ?!!) The average backpacker should
be
drinking a gallon a day (varies widely). One gallon treated with iodine
at
the rate of 1 tablet per quart would contain about 31,800 micrograms of
iodine. At the rate of 2 tablets per quart, it would be 63,600
micrograms.
These levels exceed the believed toxicity level by a mile. This is the
reason that prolonged use of iodine isn't recommended, and the reason
(in
addition to taste/smell) that I switched to a filter. As for short term
use
I guess the relevant question is, "How's your thyroid feeling?"

Medicine for Mountaineering, 3rd edition:
"Ingested iodine is absorbed as iodide, and an average adult requires
150 to
200 micrograms per day. Daily consumption of one to two liters of water
disinfected with 8 mg/L of iodine would provide 30 to 80 times that
amount,
but such quantities would not affect most individuals with normal
thyroid
function. Almost all patients who have developed iodide goiter after
consuming excess iodide have consumed far larger amounts for six months
to
more than 5 years."



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "dude" <dude@fastmail.ca>
To: <scourtway@bpa-arch.com>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Re: PCT advice


> I'd say that anyone who is truly concerned with "ultra-light" wouldn't
> cary a filter when you can carry about 100 iodine tablets in a tiny
> ziplock for about 1/100th of the weight :-)
>
> peace,
> dude
>
>
>
> > In review from what we saw this season, anyone (and their dog) who
> > uses the so called "ultralight water cache dependant route" is
> > possibly depriving someone who actually NEEDS the water of its
> > intended use.
> >
> > water for thought,
> > s.c.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "matt maxon" <matt@mattmaxon.com>
> > To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>; <ninskyaroo@hotmail.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 10:32 AM
> > Subject: [pct-l] Re: PCT advice
> >
> >
> >
> >> RE: water filters,  how are you planning to hike the trail?
> >>
> >> Are you going the Ultra lite-Water Cache dependant route or are you
> >> going
> > to
> >> obtain from natural/man made sources & carry most of your water?
> >>
> >> I'd say if you are going to use water caches the Katadyn mini
filter
> >
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