West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

Hunters:

I am looking for hunters who have used a water purification system in the high country, my questions are the following, are the systems useful in isolated area's? Are they cumbersome to have in your pack? has anyone gotten sick from drinking unfiltered water, how sick did you get? What type of illness did you have? Anyone hospitalized for water borne illnesses. Any information would be greatly appreciated, thanks so much.

Dr. Mike
RMOA-TV

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I can't remember the name of mine, but it's just a regular sized water bottle with the filtering in the lid. I bought it for a trip last year with my Brother inlaw to Montana. He used them due to a run in with " Beaver Fever" once. Myself I found them a little cumbersome due to the amount of time to strain the water, a quart took about five to ten minutes in mine adn your too thirsty usually to wait that long.I myself have never run into any waterborne illnesses. I only used it for a day, got tired of waiting and just drank from the stream. I would use them defintely if it wasn't a running source of water but I always drink from a fairly fast moving source?

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

if'n ya don't trust the water boil it for 30 min(rollin boil) then let it cool and drink it or you can throw a handful of coffee in it and that helps curb the bad taste of swamp water:D

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I've been doing hardcore backpacking for about 20 years now. Only recently did I acquire a water purifying system, the Katadyn Micro-something or other. It's not too much to carry, weighs less than a pound. I only got it when my nephew got old enough to start going out on weekend hikes with me, didn't want to bring him home to his momma with giardia.

Before that, I carried iodine, but only used it maybe 10% of the time. I still believe that in the Rockies, if you drink from those little two foot wide streams coming off the cliffs, your odds of getting giardia are awfully low.

I have had giardia once for sure, another time maybe. I didn't go to a doctor either time and the symptoms, while unpleasant, weren't as bad as what I hear and read. The first time, in the Frank Church Wilderness in ID, me and another fellow on a trail crew drank out of a spring with bear crap floating in it. (Yes, bears do indeed crap in the woods. I have proof!) We were really, really thirsty. The diarrehia (?spelling) kicked in about 24 hours later, and gave me some anxious moments for a couple days, then went away. My buddy's symptoms lasted for a couple weeks, and he eventually wound up at the doctor's with a diagnosis of giardia and a prescription. He lost a few pounds.

The other time, I was solo in the Gila Wilderness in NM. I drank out of a spring full of cow pee. (Nobody ever asks, "Does a cow pee in the desert?" Why not?) Two weeks later, by which time I had migrated to the Weminuche Wilderness in CO, I began having intense stomach cramps and gas. This lasted for two or three days, and I believe may have been giardia, though I won't bet the farm on it.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I DIDNT KNOW BEARS CRAP IN THE RIVERS![:-]OR THAT COWS PISS IN RIVERS EITHER.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

Never have yet, and we're all still here. Although in recent years we have started bringing water from home,and bottled water- being that we are not normally "wilderness hunters".
How did your ORV thing turn out Dr Mike???

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I backpack allot. I use a water purifier as often as possible. I do carry, as a backup, iodine tablets just in case something happens to my filtration unit. Mine is a PUR. I never never never drink out of a stream or spring. You never know what has died near the stream or if the BLM leaves cattle running on the land and they make a terrible mess near and around water. I watched 2 guys one year, who had taken a nice buck, dragged it down to the stream to clean it up and themselves. Since I was spotting an area I watched them and they followed the stream down and at one point I saw them drink out of the same stream. Sometime people are not all that bright or really have no knowledge or cares. If you contract the virus and don't take something for it, it could kill you if not treated in time. Think about it, your hunting 7-8 miles up in the high country, you don't use the filtration system or tablets and take a cool drink from a stream figuring the water is safe. Then when you least expect it, expeccialy when your hunting hard everyday and expending allot of energy, you start to feel weak and sick and decide that you may be tired and try and rid the feeling by sleep. At this time you should really be heading out to your vehicle. Always be safe, why trust the water when you can prevent from getting something from it.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

Well those boys aren't too bright, but I think most bacteria in a stream that's running good are probably moving with the water for the most part so I'd think it'd be a crap shoot to get caught with a bug? I've drank from streams for twenty plus years no problem. I also try and drink where it falls over a rock that isn't mossy if possible. Mother nature does have her own purifiers too.

My two cents...

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I strongly suggest you look at www.AquapureTravel.com. Its a website which sell a unique, and innovative Portable Water Purifier, ideal for travellers!

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

Heck a half gallon pot of water with a rolling boil would boil away into steam in a half hour then you would be left with nothing to drink.

After living in a small midwest farm town they would always issue a water boil order after a good rain we would just boil the water to a rolling boil for 15 minutes or so and never had a problem.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I always use a water filtration system when I am away from tap water for more than a day. I have had Giardesis and it is not fun. I imagine few people die from it, but it is very unpleasant. I recall vomiting and experiencing diahrea at the same moment in time, which is awkward. I also recall having an unquenchable thirst. My energy level dropped way down, which can be problematic when you are either hunting or just trying to crawl down to your truck to call it quits.

Go to a backpacking supply store and look at the inexpensive, lightweight water filtration systems they have. REI is one such source that has a web presence. There are probably others also. Take a personal water bottle or two for each member of the party. Draw water for all water bottles in the morning and drink from them all day long. I usually just take a quart bottle for drinking along the trail in the high mountains, but the books advise you to drink more fluids than this to prevent dehydration at altitude and also avoid altitude sickness. At night, the same drill, draw enough water to cook with, to drink, and to clean the pots up afterwards. Don't let raw stream water get on anything.

It sounds like several people have gotten away with just drinking out of very high streams, but based on my experience I would rather undergo the minor hassle of pumping water twice a day to avoid any chance of having Giardesisi again.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I've been hiking, camping hunting and fishing in the Washington Cascades since 1957, and I contracted giardiasis wheh I was about 17. Sick as a dog for three months until it was diagnosed. Antibiotics put it down in about four more weeks.

I now either filter or boil any water I drink. At altitudes over 3000 feet water doesn't get quite as hot, so I always boil water for about five minutes, longer simply wastes fuel. A good filter works better, but is slow. I use a siphon system that filters about 1/2 gallon an hour.

Giardia Lamblia cysts are too small to see and quite comfortably survive freezing for very long periods (500 years and more) but succumb to boiling in minutes. Clarity and speed of water flow are irrelevant, as is aeration. Gamble if you will, but if you ever get the real thing expect to be very ill for a long time.

Diagnosis is tricky and treatment slow. The symptoms are like having severe stomach flu for weeks on end, with fever, severe muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and bad stomach cramping. It is not fun, trust me.

Nordicthug

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

always carry mine just as important as toilet paper. I use a sweetwater pump filter works great for about 200 gallons. I've pumped crystal cool water out of stuff I wouldn't step in. super light. if you get "beaver fever' you'll wish you had taken our advise. Don't go in the hills without it......

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

About 3 weeks ago, I bought an MSR Miniworks Water Purifier. I used it in the mountains two Sundays ago, and it seemed to work just fine. I took water from a lake and after I filtered the water (at about 1 litre a minute), I noticed that there were fish guts only feet from where I had collected my water. I drank that water with no ill effects that I know of. I am still alive, and figured that if I didn't get sick from drinking that water, I have no doubts that this filter will clean about any water I encounter. When I cleaned the filter out, I could see all of the junk that it filtered out. It was Amazing!!!

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

A good friend of mine used to say, "If you're not using a filter, you are one". Good advice in my book.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

no, and yes.
I don't se a water system in the high mountains, above 8000' in Idaho. I have gotten sick from low valley water but never in the high country. Mostly drink from spring fed only, or lakes. the larger creeks can be a little warm and can have over bearing nutrients on the water from the higher temps.
But if you are not wanting to get sick, do use one. I use water from lakes or springs in camp. Coffee water gets boiled anyway.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I always filter/purify my water. I watched a work mate who got giardia while elk hunting in Colorado. He was not worth shooting for a month and a half. It raised hell with his work productivity and cost him financially as well. Water purification is cheap insurance in my opine.

I use a PUR water purifier (filter and chemical treatment) with a secondary charcoal filter on the discharge end to take out the "chemical" taste and coloration. I've filtered some pretty sleazy water and have had it come out tasting better than some tap water I've drank.

EKM

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

Try out the First Need filter set up. They have them at REI in the retail stores or online www.rei.com I've tried a number of different filter systems and like this the best. Unlike most of them, there isn't any idodine taste with the First Need (they use a different technology than most). Makes a big difference in the taste of that morning cup of coffee ! ;)

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

HERE IN ALASKA I USE A FILTER ALL THE TIME I HAVE HAD A "SWEET WATER" PUMP FOR PROBABLY 10 YEARS I REPLACED THE FILTER THIS YEAR. GIARDIA WILL HIT YOU IN 2-3 WEEKS IF NOT MORE SO YOU WILL BE HOME....MOST LIKELY BUT THE OTHER BACTERIA IS WHAT CAN CAUSE YOU TROUBLE WITHIN A FEW HRS. LAST THING YOU NEED IN A REMOTE AREA IS NON STOP HERSHEY SQUIRTS. [:'(][:@][:o]ALSO EVEN THOU GIARDIA IS DELAYED SOME FOLKS HAVE SPENT DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND THAT CAN BE EXPENSIVE AND CAN MEAN LOST TIME FROM WORK. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE PUMP. GET A TYPE OF PUMP THAT PUMPS IN BOTH DIRECTION OF THE PUMP STROKE.

RE: West Hunters, do you use water purification systems?
 

I totally agree with Nimrod... I always use boiling, filtering or iodine tablets and neutralizer. If I am going to be in a stationary camp for a few days I just get a 5 gallon bucket full of water as soon as I arrive..drop in the iodine tablets and while they work I set up camp. 5 gallons is more than enough water for two guys and cooking water. When I'm on the move I carry a small pump filter.

I got a case of giardia from a high mountain stream. It was the only non filtered or city water I had drank in a month so that had to be it.