Purifying water - CO - Middle of October

[nirvanafan]

I'm not sure if this belongs in the elk subsection or here. (Mods, feel free to move it if you think it belongs over there).

I'm going on my first ever out of state hunt this fall. I'll be hunting elk in CO between 10k' and 11k' elevation during the 1st rifle season. I plan on hiking in 3-5 miles and setting up camp. Google Earth shows that water shouldn't be too much of a problem.

How does everyone filter their water? I've used a Katadyn pump exclusively for my hiking trips back home in NY. I've never had to use it below 32° though. I'm assuming that using it where it could freeze at night is a bad idea. Who knows what the temperature will be like at that elevation.

It will be me and one other non-hunting friend. I figure we'll need about 10 quarts of water a day. What does everyone else do in the backcountry when the temperature can/will dip below freezing?

 

[Poser]

Back flush your filter at night and/or put it in a bag and place it in your pillow case, sleeping bag or underneath your sleeping pad. A little bit of insulation will keep it from freezing and freezing solid shouldn't be an issue anyway. Sawyer inlines are popular with Rocksliders.

 

[Jpeaston]

I use Sawyer mini's and haven't had a problem, but for a 2 oz penalty I carry two in November.

 

[nirvanafan]

Thanks for the info. I could always take out the filter and try to shake most of the water out of it. Couple that with keeping it in the sleeping bag with me and it may be alright. I don't really want to boil 2 gallons of water a day

 

[Elkfitness]

I've used both the hiker pro and the sawyer. I Bring a ziplock bag and throw it in there and then put it inside my sleeping bag. Don't forget about your drink tube if you use a bladder. Those can freeze pretty good. Later season hunts are a good time to use bottles.

 

[Darren Best]

Sawyer mini or Steripen.

Don't let the Sawyer freeze.

 

[Flydaho]

If you are worried about it you could always use Aqua Mira drops instead, they will also save you a ton of weight over the Katadyne filter. The only bummer is the wait time between dosing and consumption, but its worth the weight savings in my opinion.