Posts filed under 'Hiking'
November 22nd, 2006
spryken
In part 3 of my series on water treatment options, I want to cover Filters….
Filters come in many different forms. Some have prefilters to remove the “floaties” in the water prior to treating the water. What to keep in mind with filters is the pore size. Giardia cysts are about 6 microns in diameter while some bacteria is as small as 0.2 microns. Getting a filter with a nominal size of 0.1 or 0.2 should be best for removing bacteria. However, viruses are even smaller!!
Filters range in size and weight, so that is a factor when buying. How much space and weight do you want to devote to water treatment? DON’T forget to calculate in the water weight that will be added after you use the filter. You can dry it out immediately, so you will be carrying extra water.
Filters have to be cleaned and inspected. The actual filter has to be replaced eventually.
All of that said, filters work when properly tended. There is not a long wait time for chemicals to work. There is not the extra fuel required for boiling. Filters are convenient.
In Part 4, I will be covering some new methods of water treatment. Then in Part 5, I will summarize and draw my conclusions.
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping, Gear, Hiking
November 20th, 2006
spryken
Continuing my series on Water Treatment, I want to look at chemical disinfection.
Chemical Disinfection generally falls into 2 categories….Iodine and Chlorine. It is not surprising since both elements belong to the same chemical family.
Iodine
Iodine can be used in tablet form (Potable Aqua, eg.), liquid (tincture of Iodine), or as a saturated Iodine solution (Polar Pure).
Tablets are convenient and easy to use. One tablet will treat 1 liter of water. However, the tablets loose their effectiveness with prolonged contact with air. The bottles should be tightly sealed and replaced every few months. Cost is about $.40 - $.50 per quart/liter of water.
Tincture of Iodine is difficult to use due to the imprecise measuring that is usually available on camping/backpacking trips.
Iodine Solution (Polar Pure) is easier to use. The crystals are stored in water, so the solution is always ready to use. Cost is about $.005/quart/liter.
Pros for Iodine are cost and ease of use. Iodine will eliminate bacteria and giardia cysts. It will neutralize viruses.
Cons - taste, although that can be hidden with drink powders, and I have heard that cryptosporidium is not affected. Another con is the time involved. To effectively treat all but viruses you need to treat the water for 1/2 hour, up to 4 hours for viruses.
Chlorine
Chlorine in the form of chlorine dioxide can be used to disinfect water. This is a typical treatment for municipal water systems. Chlorine dioxide can be used in tablet form (MicroPur eg.) or liquid (Aqua Mira).
MircoPur tablets treat 1 liter of water and cost about $.40 per liter.
Aqua Mira is a system that uses 2 liquids to generate chlorine dioxide. Cost is about $.12 per liter.
Pros for Chlorine Dioxide - cost and ease of use. Chlorine is effective against bacteria, viruses, giardia cysts and cryptosporidium.
Cons - taste, although it can be hidden with drink powders. Some people complain of a “lemony” flavor or swimming pool taste. Another con is the time involved. To effectively
treat all but viruses you need to treat the water for 1/2 hour, up to 4
hours for viruses.
For both chlorine and iodine, cold temperatures will affect treatment time. Prefiltering is needed for “dirty” water.
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping, Gear, Hiking
November 16th, 2006
spryken
This is the start of a series on Water Treatment. I will be covering the different types of treatment options available, discussing the pros and cons of each.
Do Nothing
The first method of water treatment is to do nothing. That’s right nothing. Probably not the safest thing to do, but you can get away with it. You need to be aware of possible contaminations and the source/environment of your water. Water from the source of an underground spring is likely to be safe to drink. Water from a lake or pond is probably not safe. Check the surrounding area, is there fecal contamination? Then you probably want to treat the water. In an article on Giardia, Dr. Robert Rockwell asserts that poor camp hygiene is responsible for most gastrointestinal ailments related to backpacking and camping, not poor water quality.
Boil the Water
The next method to consider is boiling the water. According to the Center for Disease Control,
Boiling water is the best method for making water safe to drink. Boiling water as recommended will kill bacterial, parasitic, and viral causes of diarrhea. Adding a pinch of salt to each quart will improve the taste.
Most campers and backpackers have a stove and fuel, making boiling water a good option for water treatment at least as a backup to other methods. Some of the drawbacks to relying on boiling water are:
- you have to carry a significantly larger amount of fuel
- it is harder to treat water multiple times during a day, so you have to treat the day’s worth either before starting the day’s trek or at the end of the day’s trek
- the treated water tends to taste a little flat
According to the CDC -
Directions for Boiling Water
- Boil water vigorously for 1 minute and allow it to cool to room temperature (do not add ice).
- At
altitudes greater than 6,562 feet (>2,000 m), boil water for 3
minutes or use chemical disinfection after water has been boiled for 1
minute.
The next post in the series will cover the chemical treatment options. Look for it on Saturday, 11/18/2006.
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping, Gear, Hiking
November 10th, 2006
spryken
Late one night this week, I was thinking about the differences in Process and Goal hikers. Let me explain what I mean. Process hikers are all about the hike, the joy is the actual trek up the trail. Goal hikers are all about getting there, the joy is in reaching the peak or camp. The fun for them is the destination. Some people talk about as “Do you hike to camp or camp to hike?”
It is really a continuum. Few actually fall into the extemes. I am more of a Process hiker. I enjoy my time on the trail. I don’t try to hurry, but enjoy being in the wild. I definitely like having goals: reaching that next peak, seeing that great vista, camping by a stream, etc. But getting there is more than half the fun.
That is probably why I like longer trips of 4+ days. A weekend just doesn’t seem to allow me enough time to enjoy the hike.
So as a partial list of reasons (primarily mine own) I offer:
- To really get away from it all
- To see nature, up close
- To see views that you can only see by walking there
- To challenge myself physically, mentally and emotionally
- To think
- To keep physically fit
- To enjoy the company of a few like minded souls
- It is fun
Want to offer any more???
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Camping, Hiking
November 6th, 2006
spryken
Yes, I am addicted. And no, not as some of you are probably thinking it is not to backpacking. Well, at least that is not the addiction I want to talk about.
Caffeine!! I am addicted!! Usually that is not a problem. I have my coffee and sodas. But, I do not like instant coffee and cannot carry my diet colas on the trail. What can I do?
I do like tea also, so for short trips, 2-3 days, I carry tea bags and make hot tea. But I have a 5 day trip coming up and that is a lot of tea. I tried the individual coffee bags, but I can’t say I’m overjoyed. Rich, my uncle of GPSTrackLog, told me that 3 chocolate covered expresso beans equals 1 cup of coffee. Since I would need at least 3-4 cups a day, that is probably not feasible.
When I went to Philmont in 2005, I weaned myself off of caffeine. I guess that is what I will do for this trip too. Or at least cut way back. That way a little tea and a little chocolate expresso beans can probably tie me over….Until I hit McD’s on the way back and get the super sized diet cola!
Any other ideas?
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Camping, Hiking
