[pct-l] Aqua Mira

[rellinwood at worldnet.att.net (Robert Ellinwood)]

Brett,

Is the water you are treating already chlorinated?  If so, perhaps there is
a reaction going on there between chlorine and Aquamira. I ask because in
the 4 years I've used Aquamira I've never once gotten the odor you describe.
I would be interested if you got the same smell using non-chlorinated spring
water.  If your water is well water and not chlorinated, then I have no
earthly idea what's going on.  Never had it happen...

Bob

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-
> bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Brett
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 10:48 PM
> To: pct-l@backcountry.net; BackpackingLight@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [pct-l] Aqua Mira
> 
> Can anyone who's used the water treatment Aqua Mira during
> an extended hike comment on whether or not it is normal to
> detect an odor and taste when treating water at the standard
> 7 drop dosage?
> 
> I just did a try-out here in the kitchen, using filtered tap
> water, and following the A.M. directions to the letter.
> Normally my filtered tap has no discernable flavor or odor.
> However the Aqua Mira-treated filtered tap, even given
> several hours from the time of treatment, still has a very
> noticeable smell of chlorine. It's rather like the pungency
> of walking into the pool area at the local YMCA. And the
> taste, although not of chlorine per se, has a certain edge
> to it. And of course, taste and smell are closely linked, so
> perhaps the odor is having an influence on my overall
> enjoyment of the treated beverage.
> 
> I recognize that the product claims to contain no "free
> chlorine." Might it be possible, however, that the chlorine
> dioxide is not breaking down properly in this particular
> test, perhaps as a result of the water already being largely
> free of "stuff" to oxidize (or whatever the heck actually
> happens)? Or is the odor I'm detecting an unheralded reality
> of using the product?
> 
> Granted, as a long-distance hiker, for better or worse my
> sense of smell "goes to 11." But then, who needs the
> so-stated health benefits of Aqua Mira (over iodine) more
> than someone who has to treat a lot of water over a long
> period of time?
> 
> - blisterfree
> 
> 
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