No filter/treatment

[AK Troutbum]

I have always treated/filtered my water. I know several people who got beaver fever, and the saying that stands out most to me is " Once you get it, you'd sooner die of dehydration than take a chance on getting it again". My plan is to someday be laying on my death bed and be able to say, "at least I never got the beaver fever".

 

[Ross]

Several years back in North Idaho I showed up for a camping trip with several bottles of water, as I did not have a filter. My father was consuming the stream water left and right and touting the water is running fast and he has never had a problem drinking out of stream and rivers in Idaho. Two weeks later he was sicker than a dog with beaver fever and it stayed with him for 6 months and he dropped 15 pds! I had always been leary of tempting fate in this regard and will never do it after seeing what he went through. At the least I always have a filter drinking straw that weighs a mere couple of ounces.

 

[justin davis]

Been drinking out of streams and rivers and even beaver ponds since I was a young child running around the Rocky Mountains. Have not got sick once! I have a theory that some people can be immune to it. I have filled up nalgenes out of beaver ponds and drank the water right there just to prove to nay sayers standing near by. Still havent gotten sick.

I also know that Patrick Smith (owner and mastermind behind Kifaru) has backpacked all over the world and has never treated water and has never been sick.

Something to think about!

 

[Chesapeake]

I grew up in SE Alaska drinking water right out of streams ect... The first time you poop and you have one log dangling because its hanging from a large worm you really rethink the whole running water is fine mind set.

Taking wormer sucks.

I've never got noticably sick. Just got worms!

I still drink from a cool mountain spring from time to time but 90% of the time I filter my water. Sometimes I use drops, tablets, iodine, ect.....

You just never know who or what did what, or tracked what, into the water just up stream.

 

[Yukondog]

I grew up in SE Alaska drinking water right out of streams ect... The first time you poop and you have one log dangling because its hanging from a large worm you really rethink the whole running water is fine mind set.

Taking wormer sucks.

I've never got noticably sick. Just got worms!

I still drink from a cool mountain spring from time to time but 90% of the time I filter my water. Sometimes I use drops, tablets, iodine, ect.....

You just never know who or what did what, or tracked what, into the water just up stream.

You have won the prize! I've never drank water without the filter, now I may add iodine and chlorine tabs for good measure after the little word picture. I have nothing to prove. No where close to taking that risk. No thank you.

 

[Chesapeake]

I think just your filter would do fine for things like worms and worm eggs. I believe its the Giardia cysts that might give your filter a run for its money. Thats where chemicals or boiling may help.

I've never got sick since I started filtering and I've filtered out of some nasty stuff.

 

[Aron Snyder]

It only takes ONE run-in with beaver fever and I promise you'll be packing a filter along for the rest of your hunting days!

I think it should be noted that most of the guys I know that don't use filters are getting water from good flowing creeks and streams, whereas I have been forced to pump water out of elk piss infested swamps.

 

[bearguide]

in alaska we have never treated water, but here in wyo i take my katadyne hiker

 

[Doj4Whlr]

I had been using purification tabs of one form or another for the past 25 years or so with no issues. A couple of years ago, a buddy brought a filter to the wilderness and three days in, it was way too slow and difficult to get the water we needed. It was a good model Katadyn (I don't remember the model) and we removed the pre-filter to improve flow but it still was a hassle. It was a good thing I still had tabs in my ruck as we fell back to using them for the rest of the trip and he humped around a useless filter. Last year I sprung for a Steripen and used that with great success although I still have reservation about carrying the weight. I look forward to any comments from the community regarding the Steripen; perspective on carrying it, pros and cons, etc. Thanks.

 

[bhtkevin]

Travel outside of the US and drink some tap water. You will never leave your filter home again.

 

[Goober]

I'll have to dig further to find the research studies that I read before. As of 2 years ago, there was 2 (that I could find) true research studies performed on the bacteria and parasites found in wilderness water. They both found the levels in the various waters that they tested to be too low to cause symptoms, and cleaner than most munincipal water supplies. These studies led them to believe that most "water borne" sickness, was in fact likely caused by poor hygiene (not washing hands) and not the drinking water. That being said, I have always filtered or boiled. But I would have no problems drinking it if I forgot or lost or broke a filter. I wonder if we shouldnt ditch our filters and carry some hand sanitizer instead?

 

[broncoformudv]

I also carry a little bottle of hand sanitizer, because I think that contaminated food and toilet issues are more likely than water to get you sick in the backcountry.

Hand to mouth contamination or contaminated food are the number 1 sources of gastrointestinal illnesses that cause loose bowel movements, nausea, and vomiting.

How many of you that had a case of giardia or know someone that had a case of it actually had lab work done to see what the cause of the gastro illness was? Or are you just assuming that since you got sick in the back country it had to be giardia?

When in the mountains I do not filter my water, it is mountain spring water or glacier/snow melt so I never worry about it and have never been sick. When I am in lower elevations I tend to filter my water but not always and the only reason I normally filter it then is due to sediment and dying salmon in it. Who likes fishy tasting water and sand in their teeth?

Another thing about a true giardia infection is it takes anywhere from 7-14 days for signs of the infection to show up so most of us are back home before we get sick.

If you start having signs and symptoms of a gastro infection faster than that it is more than likely from a virus that you picked up from your hand or contaminated food. Like that fast food joint or greasy spoon you stopped at just prior to hitting the woods.

 

[Nick Muche]

I personally really enjoy the beaver fever, keeps me on my toes....

 

[tstowater]

I ended up with the real stuff (beaver fever) after a moose hunt in BC. Not fun at all. Unfortunately the medication did not work to take care of it and after several rounds of medication, my gut was all screwed up. Took a long time and a lot of natural products to rebuild my immune system. I keep a supply of herbals and homeopathics that worked for me at home for such an occasion now. Depending on where I am, I am more careful about the water, but will still drink out of the mountain spring or snow/glacier melts without filtering. I do think some people have a higher immunity to the parasites, etc.

 

[fillthefreezer]

i pack the travel hand sanitizer and my baby wipes, gotta keep clean.
i began filtering after too many horror stories but for years i did not

 

[2ski]

I have read a bunch of stuff on this issue as well. The studies show that most Western US water is pretty safe. I think somebody could hunt the Western US for their lifetime and never get sick. I also think that carrying a Steripen or Sawyer filter is pretty easy, and makes it even less likely you will get sick.

I also carry a little bottle of hand sanitizer, because I think that contaminated food and toilet issues are more likely than water to get you sick in the backcountry.

Plus you can squirt some onto that toilet paper we all carry and it makes a great fire starter....99.9% alcohol and such.

 

[AZ Vince]

In this day and age, even in wilderness areas, I'd sooner go without a spare pair of socks than not have my water filter. It's cheap insurance compared to the aggravation and discomfort of giardia, not to mention the doctor bills that result.

 

[2rocky]

Interesting article....

http://www.weainfo.org/en/art/26/

I look at filtering water as insurance.

Given the situatiuon that you are in an area with abundant water, and lost any way to filter boil or treat water, what would be the water source you would choose in order of preference?

 

[Justin Crossley]

I don't normally filter but I plan on it for my elk hunt in a couple of weeks in western Wa.