Yesterday I get up and make it out to one of my favorite climbing stands. I get up in the tree figuring to make it a pretty long day. Say 6-2. About 11:00am I am really getting thirsty but reallize I forgot to grab a botte of water. So sitting there in the tree I start digging through my backpack looking for a candy or just something and I find a half full bottle of water from who knows when. Well I just drank it down. About 12:00 I see a doe walking my way so I get my bow ready and at twenty five yards she lays down behind a bush to bed. About 1:00 she still hasn't gotten up and my stomach is starting to churn. Fifteen more minutes and I am cramping and can't get down the tree fast enough to release. I get back to camp and for the next four hours I am curled in a ball with 102 fever. Today I am better but still sore all over.
The point is don't EVER drink an opened bottle of water if you don't know how old it was. Doctor said it had to have a level of bacteriaa thousandtimes normal. I will never make that mistake again. Empty those backpacks out.
Eric Stacy

Wow. Glad you are feeling better. Good advice to all.

to quote elton brown on foodnetwork water is the base of life and is the best thing for life to grow in and that includes bactria

i have a 1/2 gallon water bottle that is has a turning mouth port like ones you use for work

if i have water in it over night and go to take a drink it wil smell and taste funky i would not ever think of drinking old water once i took a drink out of a bottle of a week old cup and i had a nasty taste for days .
you might get some water tablets that purifie water so if you forget you can get field water or atlease make the old water safe again

good luck and i hope you feel better

Thanks for the advice and glad youre feeling better

That brung back memories But with a worse outcome Im not sayin!! Get better and thanks for the tip.

Cmon now, dont leave us hanging!!

Thats interesting. Ijust drank some old bottled water that was in my truck for days and, nothing. Must have got lucky. Thanks for the info, I won't take that chance now.

Wow I have done that before, never got ill thankfully. Glad you're feeling better.

It makes absolute sense... but I can recall just last season drinking a bottle of water that was in my bag for months!!! Im glad I didnt get sick, but I will definantely remember not to do it again!!

Im not sayin