Opened Aqua Mira

Cool and dark are the key elements. I would not trust it 1 year after being opened. Use the 1 year old stuff 40 drops per liter strength to clean out your containers, let it sit overnight, rinse and head out to the trail with a fresh batch. That is what I do.

Really?

I rarely treat water so it takes me more than a year to go through a set of the small bottles. Are you giving this suggestion based on knowledge or are you just cautious?

I am VERY cautious. Especially when standing on the Dam getting water while the beavers are harassing me. (I found them non threatening but they were giving it their best shot)

Arbitrarily increasing dosage from 7 drops to 40 drops is not what I would considered cautious…

If mixing A and B produces the yellow coloring, then oxidation is occuring and the solution is effective.

I meant just for cleaning the bottles or bags out. After sitting for 4 hours hopefully anything living in the bottle would be dead. On the trail I usually only go with up to 10 drops/liter if the water is very questionable.

Oh I see. I mis-read your post, thinking you were using that kind of concentration for treating drinking water! Yeah, a strong dosage for washing containers won't hurt, as long as it's all rinsed out afterwards.

OTOH, isn't it pretty darn expensive to sanitize containers with AM at home? I would just wash with regular dishwashing liquid — or a few drops of bleach if mold is an issue — and rinse thoroughly afterwards. Bleach and dishwashing liquids won't kill certain protozoa, but a good rinse afterwards with clean tap water will do the job just the same…

I used the Aqua Mira on a trip around the Three Sisters wilderness, and did not experience any problems. Of course, it is a wilderness area, and I didn't really see many signs of wildlife, so the water sources are fairly good.

Thanks for the input.

Tom