3 JMT hikers…2 or 4 liter gravityworks filter?

It depends.

How much water do you normally carry? Let's start with the assumption that you each carry one liter at a time. So, at a water pickup point, you need to scoop up and filter 3 liters.

You can do that with a 2 liter rig, but you will need to fill it twice to get 3 liters total. If you do it with a 4 liter rig, you only have to fill it once. You don't have to fill it full.

Besides, once you pull into camp at the end of a day, you may want even more than 1 liter each. For cooking and cleaning, overnight drinking water, and a start on breakfast water, you might want several times that much.

I would go with the 4 liter rig.

What is your backup water treatment system?

–B.G.–

If something unforeseen would happen I would like to have my own water treatment set up. Light enough these days. A Sawyer or Steripen perhaps.

Bob, I knew I needed the 4…just wanted someone to tell me so.

I never considered a backup. Hey…that's why I joined.

Thanks

Jason, you didn't answer the question.

–B.G.–

You might want to take time to consider Ken's point about individual water treatment systems. It's more common than you might think for people to bail for any number of reasons. Shared gear becomes an issue. I once ran accross a lady on the JMT who was complaniing about the weight of pack. Turns out she had a fight with her boyfreind and he bailed. She continued on with a heavy tent and cooking gear.
You might want to do some research to determine if you need to filter water. I hope this doesn't start another filter or die thread. I never treat water on the JMT except if I'm getting it at Trail Camp-a veritable cesspool in my opinion. I carry a few Micropur tablets for that. In case the question is asked, that is my backup.

Two people, June JMT. I've got a Sawyer and a Sawyer Mini. I use both in Gravity setup mode with the two liter bag. Any opinions on:

1) Mini + aquamira for backup

2) Fullsize Sawyer + aquamira backup

3) Fullsize Sawyer + Mini as backup.

I'm leaning towards option 1.

Yes, I'd say option #1. It's what I've done recently.

The only time the Sawyer Mini sucks is when you have to use it often. If you only carry a 1L bottle and plan to fill it at every creek crossing then the slow flow rate starts to get annoying. If you fill several bottles once or twice a day it's ok.

I did the JMT last year while on the PCT and I rarely treated water while in the Sierra. Now before I get raked over coals, I am not advocating you not treat water, you can make that decision for yourself. When I did treat water, I just used bleach, super simple and fast. I started with a Sawyer mini but just got sick of messing with it and switched to bleach and was a happy camper from then on out.

I also rarely carried more than one liter at a time. When I came across water I would drink 'til I was satisfied then top off my bottle and keep going. Never had any issues because there was water everywhere. If I were doing to JMT I would prolly just carry a 1L bottle and a 2L platy just in case I need the extra capacity for some reason.

YMMV

the OP made me wonder about how common is giardia in the Sierra? We did the JMT in 1971 with no water filter, with no issues. I guess its different now.

Keep in mind, people who never get sick drinking "raw" water may very well be either 1) beating odds that are impossible to guess at or 2) already carrying it but never showing symptoms. It's kind of like "never getting rained on so I don't use a tent" or "I never use a bear can anywhere and don't have problems." You have the problem when you have it, when the water's just right and the couple of organisms flourish into a great many right before you drink it.

I got curious a few years back and started asking random hikers about it, as well as a bunch of SAR team members, including the water rescue team. I racked up about 35 confirmed cases (hospital visits, testing, etc) including two dogs. One lady on the SAR dog team has been symptomatic for years, even after repeated courses of antibiotics. The water rescue team (small, maybe 10 people) had a high rate of infection – one lady has been treated for giardia three times. Those are folks with no possibility of infection via food sources or poor hygiene – they drive up, maybe hike a few miles or get helo'd in, put on dry suits and helmets, rope up, and get down into the water to yank bodies of kayakers out of strainers (lower down, there's more unfortunate swimmers or boaters), all over the Sierra, at different elevations. So it's pretty hard for me to say there's no chance of giardia from drinking the water. On the JMT, there are so many pack trains and people that I wouldn't touch any water that wasn't treated within five miles of the trail.

I stopped asking after a while. If I were to count everyone who just thought they had it, it would have been a higher number. But, there's that pesky incubation period. Getting sick two days out ain't it. Some of the maybe's had a more reasonable time frame, some didn't.

I just filter. I have enough problems and enough medications that I already need probiotics every so often to help me get back on track.

"On the JMT, there are so many pack trains and people that I wouldn't touch any water that wasn't treated within five miles of the trail."

I wouldn't worry about that if it was five miles uphill from the trail.

I will drink Sierra water that is dripping off a snow bank. However, there may not be many snow banks this year.

–B.G.–