Backcountry Water Purification

[MtnMuley]

I shop at REI, and when I'm looking for hunting gear I tell them specifically what it will be for.  I've never been treated disrespectfully as a result.

 

[fillthefreezer]

when we were trying on packs for my wife at rei, she asked them which of the sandbags he was loading the pack with most closely resembled warm meat. i dont think he even got it...

[Knocker of rocks]

I've never been treated disrespectfully as a result.

 

Once upon a time I was shopping for a fanny pack for my girlfriend.  The salesman straight from PC  central came over to help.  When he saw what I was looking for, he told me that I really wanted a "lumbar pack" because fanny packs went in the front.  I replied that fanny was another word for ass, and they all went in the back.  I was then told that he found my language offensive.

I could only say that he kind of had his head up his fanny if he thought that was offensive.

I was able to shop alone without bothersome salespeople for the rest of the day

[CoachNemo]

I talked to the REI person in the packs section at the Redmond store and he is a hunter as well.

[brocka]

The gentleman that helped me at the Bellingham REI was a hunter as well, He told me stories of his fathers outfitter service he ran for years in Montana. Very nice man.

[William B.]

I huge trees every day in a saw mill.

[William B.]

Oh, I almost forgot, My sweetwater is the best filter I have found. I just replaced the filter after 4 years and many miles.  The Kataden base camp is great in spike camp. I had to replace the base camp filter after a 9 day drop camp on a lake out feed creek. It was the first time I used it. Now I look for a good creek before I fill up.

[7mag.]

Dan check this filter bag out.  Katadyn Base Camp Water Filter.  This is what we used on our 9 day backcountry hunt in Wyoming this year.  Its about the cheapest route to go and is extremely light.  Its top rolls up like a dry bag which is basically what it is.  You can stuff your clean sock, underwear, camera or anything in it that you dont want wet, then when you get to camp you unload it and fill with 2.6 gallons of water hang in a tree in the shade and have clean filter water to drink and makes a handy wash station as well because the output it slow so you can wash up and not use a ton of water.  I personally think this is the absolute best system out there for shear light weight, packability and multitasking with it.  Its cool because no one recommended it to me, just kind of stumbled upon it and absolutley love its multiple uses!!!
http://www.rei.com/product/737349

That's what I use, and it works very well. Once I took a collapsible water jug with me, and would fill the Katadyn before going to bed, letting it drain into the jug. 2.5 gallons of nice drinking water waiting in the morning.

[mazama]

I don't bring water from home anymore,i drink out of what ever river iam close to also bring home 10 gallons.

[BLUEBULLS]

I can't believe more people don't use tablets. I imagine the main reason is taste? I've found that if you rinse your container before you add tablets each time, the taste is almost non-existant as long as you use the white tabs. I never put them directly in my bladder, I pack 2 empty 20oz bottles for purifying.

For me the space and weight savings is worth using tabs over a purifier.

What are the other cons you've found with tablets?

[archery288]

I picked up a steri pen last year.. Ultra violet light that kills the bacteria.  Works like a charm! I also carry a few tablets as backup..

[ICEMAN]

I can't believe more people don't use tablets. I imagine the main reason is taste? I've found that if you rinse your container before you add tablets each time, the taste is almost non-existant as long as you use the white tabs. I never put them directly in my bladder, I pack 2 empty 20oz bottles for purifying.

For me the space and weight savings is worth using tabs over a purifier.

What are the other cons you've found with tablets?

No filtration, a bit of a wait for the water (and it warms up by then in summer ), also the flavor. Just bad experiences as a youth.

[deerslyr]

I picked up a steri pen last year.. Ultra violet light that kills the bacteria.  Works like a charm! I also carry a few tablets as backup..

That is where its at right now. Almost as small and light as tablets with out the taste. No sense in carrying a filter these days.

[CoachNemo]

The easiest way to hide the taste of the tabs is to use Emergen-C.  The packets are small and also help replace vitamins and minerals.  Mio might also work, but who wants to carry another little bottle of liquid?

[JLS]

One overlooked advantage of a filter is if you only have a small seep or a source that you cannot really dip out of, but have to pump it out.

Also, I don't like waiting a half hour or more for my water to be safe.  Sometime when you end up good and dehydrated, you'll go ahead and drink it and end up with beaver fever.  Don't ask me how I know.