Water Filter Thread

[Wish I lived in CO]

Would never recommend it now, but in the 80's would drink / get water right out of the lake in the MN Boundary Waters. Did stay away from shore at least 100 ft.

Our first trip we were not sure on that whole protocol, but our outfitter said it'd be no problem. After that we kept doing it - 5 weeks over 5 different summers did it that way.

[TomPierce]

Geez...you guys and your fancy filters! Use a cloth to filter out floaties (a bandana will work, but a fine weave microfiber washcloth is better, I think I read it'll screen out visible stuff down to 50-ish microns; it'll make brown Yampa water sort of opaque...). Then use chlorine dioxide tablets (no, NOT iodine), I think Katahdyn's are the best. Kills everything although I recall reading a really good article years ago written by a sharp M.D. and his conclusion was that crypto was actually pretty rare, to the point he was sorta kinda hinting that worrying about it was not worth it. But hey, tabs will kill crypto too if you wait long enough; I don't, I only wait 45 mins tops, unless I'm treating water overnight.

Works for me, my microscopically small water flter "kit" weighs maybe 15 grams? I've also read good things about Aqua Mira drops but have never tried them.

Oh, and personally I can't taste the chlorine diox tabs, but I also use electrolyte tabs in all my water anyway, they REALLY help with heat exhaustion and flavor the water in your choice of flavor. Nuun makes good ones, at the check out shelves at REI.

-Tom

[Trotter]

Oh today's youth is so spoiled

Do it the Chuck Norris' way, quit drinking bottled and filtered water for a few months, and you will be ready to drink whatever piss water you find in the backcountry

I’m not saying I’m not spoiled growing up since 95’ but I did drink straight out of the runoff last week. Would like to limit the amount of times I do that, along with not having to lug 4-6L of water on trips. I used the sawyer mini on my Crestones trip in late November, and had some freezing issues. Will try the full size sawyer unless y’all think it’s worth the money for the Platypus? Or MSR filter. I think rei is doing curbside pickup now, thanks!

Keep in mind that if any of those filters get frozen, even once, you have to consider them trashed. As in they possibly won't filter out bacteria after that.

[ECF55]

Does anyone have an opinion of those press filters (e.g., GRAYL ULTRALIGHT Compact Purifier). Had a friend that brought one on a backpack along the AT. It was really rapid and easy. None of us got sick, but that's just a single data point.

[timisimaginary]

Do it the Chuck Norris' way, quit drinking bottled and filtered water for a few months, and you will be ready to drink whatever piss water you find in the backcountry

With friends like this...

Right on bro, that s**t probably contains the cure to covid19

i'm just glad to see the guy in the foreground covered his mouth and nose before sneezing into the water.