[pct-l] Re: PCT advice, home made light filter

[goforth at cnw.com (Joanne Lennox)]

I made a very light weight filter by getting two Exocyst replacement filters
from REI (about 12 dollars as I remember.)These are probably paper like 2
inches long and about 1 inch wide with a rubber gansket ring at the top.
These weight about an ounce.

I then took a Clearly Canadian  1 pint + soda bottle with a 1 and one half
inch top.  OTher bottles with large caps would probably work well.  I very
CAREFULLY and slowly carved a hole in the top of the cap so that I could
push in the filter and  the rubber ring on the filter would seat below the
cap top.  I filled the bottle , put on the cap and  squeezed the bottle to
filter the water. NOTE: the hole must be perfectly round and exactly sized
so that water does not dribble out of the cap around the filter and
unfiltered into your recepticle.  I carried an extra cap and switched the
filter out to use the bottle as a water bottle while I walked.

Disclamer:  I do not know what this arrangement filters and does not filter,
nor  am I responsible for the use or construction or maintenence of such a
device.

I have become less concerned about water filtration.  I used to be religious
about it.  I note that no matter what I do I still seem to get sick.  I used
this arrangement on the PCT through Oregon, WA, and part of CA with less
sickness than in the preceding years. I carry Iodine as well and use it when
there is no alternative but try to limit its use, or water seems to be
fairly contaminated( this Iodine serves in a lot of ways, toughens skin,
disinfects and is part of my first aid kit).  I try to carry as much water
from reliable sources; I avoid warm cloudy water near habitations or crowded
areas.  I drink water from sources that I consider "safe".


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sharon & Chuck Chelin" <chelin@teleport.com>
To: <mlissner@phoenixdistributing.com>; <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 7:05 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Re: PCT advice


> Good evening, Chemist,
>
> My understanding is that AquaMira has none of the potential problems of
> iodine. Since I am used to the little filter it has gotten most of the use
> up to now, however, I plan to try AquaMira as a possible lower-weight
> option.  I will have to see if I can adapt to waiting for a while to use
the
> water.  Normally I enjoy drinking my fill of filtered water right at the
> source, but I never enjoy the time in mosquito heaven associated with
> pumping.  I may find that I prefer to scoop and be on my way walking while
> the stuff acts because I find that fewer mosquitoes trouble me when I am
> walking vs. when I am perched on the shore pumping.
>
> We'll see...
>
> Steel-Eye
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mike Lissner" <mlissner@pitzer.edu>
> To: "'Sharon & Chuck Chelin'" <chelin@teleport.com>
> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 10:03 AM
> Subject: RE: [pct-l] Re: PCT advice
>
>
> > That's all well and good, but doesn't Aquamira sanitize the water while
> > simultaneously leaving no taste and having no negative side effects?
> >
> > -Chemist
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
> > [mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Sharon &
Chuck
> > Chelin
> > 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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