drinking water

[Biggles]

I carry out boiling, then water sterilisation as a matter of necessity being a renal transplant recipient. Consuming tainted water (e.g. containing a significant e.coli count or other contaminants) would otherwise be asking for serious drama "out there", but it's only like that for us transplant patients with poor immunity — countless others will not be affected by small contaminants. So 5 minute rigorous boiling and one tablet sodium isocyanurate for one litre does the task and never had a problem yet. I do not consume water from lakes or streams in outer urban areas or from waterfalls draining into turbid pools. Lots of other visual checks but wisdom prevails.

[rowan]

I have never used treatments and have never been sick from contaminated water - just add a berocca tab to any water that tastes a bit off.
I have heard, and believe, that if you have drunk water from old rainwater tanks, streams and such from a child your body develops an immunity to most water borne bacteria and even water borne parasites to a large extent which is why country people very rarely get sick from natural water sources.

[north-north-west]

I have heard, and believe, that if you have drunk water from old rainwater tanks, streams and such from a child your body develops an immunity to most water borne bacteria and even water borne parasites to a large extent which is why country people very rarely get sick from natural water sources.

Yep, I agree wholeheartedly. This current craze for disinfecting and antiseptictising any and everything amazes me - people are raising kids who will have no immunity to any bugs at all. Daft.

[Greenie]

If we keep going down that path, we will all have problems in the long run.

Back to clean water. You could always use sound to clean water http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/us-a ... rom-water/

[Cocksy_86]

Katadyn Micropur Forte
One drop per Litre. Leave for 15 minutes. You're sweet to go. We did this over in Kokoda and worked great. I take a smaller bottle with me and just top it up for each trip. I've had the same bottle for 3 years.

http://www.kellysbasecamp.com.au/p/1146 ... 1000f.html

[tasadam]

It never ceases to amaze me how everyone considers Tasmanian water "pristine". Sure its much better than alot of other areas but not matter how untouched by humans the water may be could you guarantee that 500m or more upstream there isnt some dead animal in the water or that an animal hasnt urinated of defecated in the water........a sure way to get a viral or bacterial infection.

True - I visited Pelion East inthe latter half of last year. On the western side, near the top, to the left of the main approach, there is a distinguished tarn. Laying beside a boulder in the stream that fed this tarn was a very dead and slightly decayed wallaby. Very gross.
Still, to date I have never taken any precautions with water treatment, other than being careful where I choose to get it from. Haven't had any problems, yet......

[Macca81]

It never ceases to amaze me how everyone considers Tasmanian water "pristine". Sure its much better than alot of other areas but not matter how untouched by humans the water may be could you guarantee that 500m or more upstream there isnt some dead animal in the water or that an animal hasnt urinated of defecated in the water........a sure way to get a viral or bacterial infection.

True - I visited Pelion East inthe latter half of last year. On the western side, near the top, to the left of the main approach, there is a distinguished tarn. Laying beside a boulder in the stream that fed this tarn was a very dead and slightly decayed wallaby. Very gross.
Still, to date I have never taken any precautions with water treatment, other than being careful where I choose to get it from. Haven't had any problems, yet......

reasonable chance that, having been doing this kind of thing for most of our lives, we have built up a better immune system... the aboriginals drank the tassie water for thousands of years without treating it, they survived till us white fellas came along and shot them... the water cant be that bad

[plaz]

I just use betadine, same as in the first aid kit, I think its 4 drops a litre for 1 hour. Was religious about it in central america and never got sick. I believe the iodine kills just about anything, but you have to be careful if you have thyroid troubles. In NSW I used to try and judge by the terrain and the amount of water, but ever since we had a trip where we all got violent gastro drinking from water that looked like it was coming off an untouched hill I have treated everything. In Tasmania I am a bit more relaxed - there is often so much water flowing that the dilution effect of any contaminent must be considerable. I always treat around campsites and huts though.


Cheers , adrian

[sailfish]

Anyone using Life Straw? You just dip it in and drink. If I understand it correctly, though made for the 3rd world, they are available for sale but I don't know from whom.

Ken

[ninjapuppet]

i use an aquiamira Frontier Pro as my lightweight filter kit. weighs 52 grams.
I dont personally use it as a straw to drink directly from it, but many people in the US do, and watch a clip of it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVf2XjTdb4c

with this setup, Ive now shoved all my filters and steripen into the corner now
cost me under $30 bucks Aussie, imported from the US. There are many sites on the net selling these, or you can just get it from ebay from an american seller.

[WarrenH]

I use a water filter, an MSR MiniWorks EX ceramic filter with a charcoal core, for 3 specific reasons.

Feral dogs are a problem here in the ranges of the ACT, up and down the Divide, in the coastal ranges and escarpment in the SE. Wild dogs, feral dogs and foxes are prolific contagious intermediate hosts for the hydatids parasite. I've always had a strict hygiene regime in the bush. A hydatids worm can carry a thousand eggs on its body and the hydatids eggs can stay viable on the ground for a few years. I can think of nicer ways to go than from hydatids. I often see paw prints in the river sands in even the most pristine looking streams.

Samba Deer are also found in the ranges here, they can carry something like botulism. One of the rangers at Royal told me the deer in Royal can foul the streams and botulism has raised its ugly head in Royal at times.

Also I like the Travelling Stock Routes. Many that I've visited and camped on are still parts of the working life of rural communities. The majority of the routes and reserves have different types of water sources, dams, mills, bores, tanks and streams. It isn't always possible to tell how long ago stock may have used or wandered through the water source.

On the TSRs I filter and boil the water. The filter is fantastic for removing 99.99% of crud and contagions... but there is no guarantee against viruses, supposedly, without a good rolling boil of about 7-8 minutes.

Although the filter when clean can filter a litre per minute, even in the most pristine streams in the high country, it is only about 4-5 litres of filtering before the resistance from the finest of particles building-up on the filter wall causes a need to clean it. The filtration flow gets reduced to one litre every five minutes. I like this happening. It has me feeling very confident in the filter doing the job.

The filter uses a standard wide mouthed Nalgene bottle as the reservoir. If I'm using the filter heavily and cleaning it often, I boil the filter sometimes twice a week. It is recommended that the filter be boiled at least once a week after good use and a thorough clean opens up the flow.

A good feature of this filter is the intake is weighted but it has a movable float above it, so that the intake can be set in a zone above the bottom sediments while sinking below the surface scum.

Warren.

[John Sheridan]

The Lifesaver bottle seems to ultimate water filter, not sure if it gets everything, it seems too from what I read. I mean it's a water filter plus water bottle, what more can you want, it even has a pump so you can pump water into other bottles and cooking pots ect, clean out wounds ect, ect.

http://www.kellysbasecamp.com.au/p/1026 ... 000uf.html

Correct me if I am wrong I want to get one, seems a nice way not to get sick from what in any way water can make you sicky,.

Cheers.

[WarrenH]

John, it does look very good but awkwardly large for walking with.

Compare the size of the MSR to a Trangia pot gripper ...



then to, this video ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIxxYmC2 ... r_embedded

Warren.

[buggeriamold]

Hi Warren,

nice to hear good things about the MSR, I have the MSR Hyperflow & am not impressed. For me the hyperflow cartridge clogs quickly & the back flush doesnt realy restore the flow. MSR quotes 1000 litres for a cartridge, I got about 60 at best before it was useless.

However my close to 20 year old Katyadin just keeps going, mind you its a lot bigger than that one you have.

Mark

[waggy]

Hi kids, when i need to purify water i use a drop of bleach to every litre. i dont know if its bad for your health, but i have never been sick on the track. i dont like the taste of water tabs and you cant taste the bleach in the water.

[John Sheridan]

How about the Katadyn Hiker Water Microfilter Purifier, it's only 310 grams.

Just wondering how well it filters everything, doe sit do everything to make the water safe to drink ???


Anyone got one ?

Cheers.

[quigs]

Over here in WA up in the Scarp (Jarah Forrest) there are hundreds and posibly thousands of wild pigs, so water born pathogens are a real threat and large portion of the forrest is in fresh water catchment areas. I use a hanky, a 1 liter Nalgene bottle and a steripen, it claims to kill 99.999% of the pathogens and the water dosent taste like a chemistry set has fallen in it. I just use a hanky to filter out the wrigglers from the tanks at the hut, but there may be the odd dead possum, bird or frog floating around in the tank!!

[Tofu_Imprint]

I was using a steripen journey, but after 12 uses it stopped working. This was 2 months ago. I saw this thread and am now reminded that I meant to try and organise a swap. FYI I changed the batteries, it was never dropped/mistreated. '
Dissapointed really.

[Kinsayder]

I grew up drinking from creeks and puddles and anything really but five years ago I drank a from a spring near the Federation Hut on Feathertop and managed to contract (not sure if that's the right choice of words?)campylobacter. Which made for a very quick sprint back down to Harrietville when it all dawned upon me. Since then I use an MSR filter. I'm not sure what type it is but it works perfectly. I know it could do without most of the time but, to me, it's just sensible to filter.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Wow, and here I am carrying a 750gram water filter with me. Better safe than sorry I say. I would have considered the Steripens a very ultralight option.

[ULWalkingPhil]

I was using a steripen journey, but after 12 uses it stopped working. This was 2 months ago. I saw this thread and am now reminded that I meant to try and organise a swap. FYI I changed the batteries, it was never dropped/mistreated. '
Dissapointed really.

I've read many very similar problems as you have in regards to the Steripen Journey, apparently the Adventurer serious are the ones to go for, they don't have the same problem.

[Macca81]

I still just drink the water...

[Tofu_Imprint]

I was using a steripen journey, but after 12 uses it stopped working. This was 2 months ago. I saw this thread and am now reminded that I meant to try and organise a swap. FYI I changed the batteries, it was never dropped/mistreated. '
Dissapointed really.

I've read many very similar problems as you have in regards to the Steripen Journey, apparently the Adventurer serious are the ones to go for, they don't have the same problem.

And now I"m reminded again that I still haven't done anything about exchanging the steripen yet!

I read similar things when I started digging, it's a shame really it would have been great if it worked properly.
I'd prefer to keep it light-weight so will probably try an adventurer...

[roodeny]

Try this crowd i found they a while ago and lost the link found it again .And there in Australia what a shock .
http://waterpeople.rtrk.com.au/?scid=56 ... 5453135722