Water filter needed hunting from Kotzebue?

[mcseal2]

I was told by several people that they did not filter their water hunting caribou out of Kotzebue, their transporter told them it wasn't necessary. Is that a good idea? I was planning to take a gravity filter for camp and a Steripen in my pack.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Steve O]

It’s a good idea until it isn’t. I guarantee the first time any of those pests the filter takes out gets into your system it will be the last time you ask that question. Not worth taking the chance for me and it’s been 20 years since I found out from experience you should filter your water no matter where you are.

 

[realunlucky]

We were there late August and there was still tons of run off so lots of particles floating around. I'm always super concerned of catching something drinking from unfiltered water so i wouldn't risk a trip on it. We had good luck with the hiker hand pump we brought and even though we didn't have a pre-filter it never clogged. I would think you'd be fine with your hanging filter.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[Nick Muche]

Filter, no, rarely if ever.

Aqua Mira drops, yes, always. Easy insurance...

 

[Steve O]

I was being generic saying filtering. I should have said “treated”. Do something to make sure no microscopic bugs are getting into your system.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone. I’ll take the Steripen and a filter or drops.

 

[mooster]

we filtered ours. its not that hard to take some iodine pills to treat water if you don't want to filter. I also have a steripen which is easier than manual filter or pumping. regardless, why would one want to risk enjoying the trip of a year or lifetime because they didn't want the hassle of putting some drops in their water is beyond my understanding. Our bigger problem with our kotz trip was getting sediment free water. even with waders it was hard to walk out far enough in the lake to get clear water.

 

[AKDoc]

Thanks everyone. I’ll take the Steripen and a filter or drops.

Very, very smart mcseal2! Giardia is very, very unpleasant...and unfortunately I'm speaking from first-hand experience!

 

[Jackal7]

We brought two Platypus filters last year to that area for our hunt. It paid off having two extra clean bags. Four of us drank a lot of water. I would never drink unfiltered water up there or anywhere else. I got the G bug in British Columbia years ago - it was miserable.

 

[KChunter71]

@11Justin22 talk to @mcseal2 about his upcoming bou hunt

 

[mcseal2]

Steripen worked great, water was awesome tasting and crystal clear.

 

[All American Boy]

I've had giardia before and thank God it didn't hit me til I got home. If in the backcountry, I couldn't crawl out. Bring a filter!

 

[Josh86]

Steripen worked great, water was awesome tasting and crystal clear.

I'm glad we took a filter there was some nasty moss coming down the 2 rivers we were camped on. The Wulik river had a major fish kill thousands of dead Dolly Varden lined the banks. Would not have felt comfortable drinking the water unfiltered. One pilot told us it was due to some substance leaching out of the tundra we talked to the natives and they thought it was cause by a spill from the Red Dog Mine. There was a ton of rust colored moss coming down the river and it was very unpleasant to look at when filling the water bladders but we never got sick.... yet. lol