Re-evaluating my water treatment options…

[Brad Rogers]

I’ve been using Aquamira drops as my backcountry water treatment since around 2005 and using Gatorade bottles to drink from.  Previous to 2005 I had used a PUR Hiker filter.

Though I’ve used Aquamira drops for the past 17 years or so they have never been perfect to me.  The drawbacks to me are the taste (I know some people can’t taste it but I can) and the wait time.

I’ve tried a few other water treatment alternatives along the way but have been disappointed every time, but I am now re-evaluating alternatives and would like your advice and expertise.

My previous experiments were a Steripen Ultra (I think it was the Ultra – it had the little LCD screen) in 2009.  I used the Ultra on one four-day trip on the AT and it failed leaving me to borrow other filtration for the rest of the trip.   It showed that the batteries were dead despite putting new batteries in a week prior to the trip.  I was able to take the batteries out and warm them up against my body and get another liter or two out of it, but that was a pain due to having the get the screwed on battery lid on and off without a screwdriver (I seem to remember someone did a thumb screw mod).  It was a cold trip, but not that cold – maybe 30-40*F during the day.   After that the Steripen was dead to me – I don’t like gear that fails.

In 2016 or so I tried the new fad, the Sawyer filters on a trip to WRR and within a day or two the filter rate slowed to the point that I just started drinking untreated water – picking my sources carefully.  The water I put through it was pretty clear and I couldn’t believe it clogged.  I didn’t try to backflush it  – to be honest I didn’t think I would need to on a brand new filter using it on clear water.  It was the Sawyer Micro Squeeze which may have been my first mistake, but it really put me off on the technology.

Short of having a bottle busting or me losing one of them, Aquamira drops are pretty failure proof.

I’ll also add that I don’t like drinking out of bladders, so I want to be able to use hard sided water bottles.  I prefer the shape and wider mouth of 1-Liter Gatorade/Powerade type bottles to Smartwater bottles – though I could make Smartwater style bottles work if I had to.   Generally, I take two 1-Liter bottles on my trips and no other water storage.

Option 1). Obviously, I could deal with the taste and wait times of Aquamira though with everyone else seeming using Sawyer type filters or Steripen’s nowadays, I seem like the archaic one having to stop and mix Aquamira and wait for 5 minutes before leaving the water source (and between 15-30 minutes to drink.  If I went this route I could do a pre-mix, which admittedly I have never done.

Option 2).  I could go with Aquamira tablets – about the same as using the pre-mix but with an even stronger taste from what I hear.  I’ve never tried this option.

Option 3).  I do have a Steripen Adventure Opti that I bought cheap (used) to try sometime and never have done it.  In theory it seems great, but has the downsides that it doesn’t work with a Gatorade bottle (or Smartwater) so I’d have to find some lightweight bottles with a really wide mouth that I didn’t mind drinking out of.   Then of course I have to deal with the distrust I have on relying on an electronic device I have for water purification.

Option 4).  Try another Squeeze filter like the Sawyer Squeeze (full size), BeFree, or Platypus Quickdraw.  If I do go this route, which one is best, and since I hate drinking from a bladder, and the Squeeze and Quickdraw both attach to a Smartwater bottle, they add a bunch of height to a bottle that I think is already way too tall, Is my best option to carry a 1-Liter Gatorade bottle and a Bladder and just squeeze my drinking water into the bottle for drinking.  Does this seem like more trouble than it’s worth?

I know I sound really old, grouchy, and set in my ways, and perhaps I am – I have passed the 40-year-old mark.   I’ve never been totally happy with Aquamira, but it was fool proof and lightweight, and my experience with other water treatment methods has kept me thinking it’s the best, but the fact that nobody seems to use it anymore makes me think that other methods have gotten better.

[dirtbag]

Katadyn tablets no taste for me.. Aqua Mira drops and tabs I can taste.  I use the Steripen Ultra with smart water bottles. Used to only use that for winter but now I use it all year with no problems.  For my upcoming 8 day trip, I will use that but also throw a Sawyer Mini in my bag, as it also works with smart water bottles.  I usually carry 2 or 3 Katadyn tablets in my kit for backup but have never needed to use them. Sometimes I will drop a tab in bottle overnight and let it do its thing.. But for me the Steripen Ultra has been golden.

[Brad Rogers]

Interesting….I always thought the Katadyn and Aquamira tablets were identical and made in the same factory.

The Steripen Ultra is heavier then the other Steripen’s but I guess it works on Gatroade type bottles better due to the shape of the unit.

Edit to original post – the Steipen I had was the Journey not the Ultra.

 

[Russ W]

I use a Steripen Ultra in the winter because I don’t like dealing with a frozen filter.

Most recently during 3-season use, I use a Katadyn BeFree for immediate water needs, and use the Katadyn tablets to treat a full Platypus bladder when I stop for the day for overnight and morning water requirements.

Just curious if anyone has found a way to deal with the tablets without the protective foil packaging? Probably oxygen sensitive?

[jscott]

I’ve used a steripen for years with no issues (easily 100+ days backpacking). Before that I used various squeeze type filters but they would always end up being clogged to some degree. The Steripen is so much easier. You might try that device once more and just carry Aquamira as a backup. the weight penalty would be small.

It’s not terribly exp0ensive to buy water bottles that work with a Steripen. I like soft wide mouth bottles. I usually bring one large bottle to use in camp. You could use Aquamira in that and the steripen for your liter bottle while hiking.

To be honest, I’m not sure that bringing a used Steripen would be the best idea. New ones must have some sort of warranty.

[Brad W]

I think you should give Sawyer Squeeze another shot. For me, it’s the most durable, field serviceable filter. I have tried chemical treatment and I just can’t get over the taste. Plus I try to keep what few good gut bacteria I have alive.  Take some tablets as a failsafe and make sure you pre-wet your filter before your trip-many issues(Sawyer, BeFree, Quickdraw) with them not flowing are due to them drying out in between trips. I soak overnight in water fixes that.

[Jerry Adams]

I tried the Adventurer Opti, the one with the replaceable batteries, but it failed on my a couple times so I returned it.  But if I had new brand name non rechargeable batteries, it would have worked.

I think the Steripen with built in USB rechargeable batteries would work better.  Make sure you recharge before each trip.

I’ve used the Sawyer Squeeze for years.  No problem.  I always shake the water out of it after use, and backflush when I get back home and shake out any water.

If you use the drops, you have to let the water sit for hour(s) for it to kill the bugs.  So, you have to carry several extra hours of water.  Which weighs a significant amount.  And it will warm up so you have to drink warm water.

If you use Squeeze or Steripen, you can drink immediately.  It’s cold.  I hardly ever carry more than a pint of water so that saves some weight.

[Brad Rogers]

You’re right Jerry, with Aquamira by the time the water is safe to drink it’s no longer cold, and the taste is worse with warmish water than it is with cold water.

It just seems like for every good story you hear on a Steripen or filter you hear someone who’s had a bad experience.  The Steripen Ultra seems like a great solution if I can trust it to work when I need it.  It’s a little heavy at 5oz but 10-15 years ago I’d have said that about a lot of gear I use now going from a frameless packs and CC foam pads to light framed packs and an X-Therm.

[Iago Vazquez]

Like JScott, I have had great luck with Steripen. My first one was the Opti. But those batteries can be pricey. I decided to switch years ago to the Classic 3 with AA batteries. No failures. My son in Scouts likes it too, so I got him a used Classic 3. No failures. Checking on the model name online, I noticed that Sunny Sports has a 50% discount on them it seems.

I feel that in the BPL forums I seem to hear of failures pre-Opti and the first gen of the Opti, but not as much with other, more recent, models… So perhaps they have solved the issue?

I gave up on water filters a few years back.

[Jerry Adams]

Yeah, every treatment option has benefits and risks.  People should try different things and use what works for them…

I think the Steripen Ultra is pretty reliable according to people that have used it that I’ve heard of.  Just charge it first.

The Adventurer Opti has that problem with batteries – you have to use new, brand name, non rechargeable batteries and bring a spare set.  Then, according to people I have heard of, it’s reliable.

I think the worst problem with Squeezes is people put bleach with hard water into the filter and then store it.  That will clog it up.  Then you can use something like warm vinegar or CLR to disolve it.  If you backflush with just water, then, if you have hard water, run a little distilled water through it, then maybe you won’t have any problems.

I have been using my Squeeze for years without problem.

But some people report clogs in Squeezes regardless, so back to my first sentence.

 

[DWR D]

OP Wrote: “Steripen Adventure Opti that I bought cheap (used) to try sometime and never have done it. In theory it seems great, but has the downsides that it doesn’t work with a Gatorade bottle”

Mine has been working great with Gatorade bottles for the past 10 years or so… but I do buy the 36 oz ones, not the smaller ones. And the instructions clearly state not to use rechargeable batteries. I find a new set of CR123 batteries last about 8 days of backpacking. These batteries are half price or less on Amazon than in the store. I have had the same experience with the mini filters clogging quickly even with what looks like clear water. I hate the taste of chlorine… and, btw, it is a poison. I take a large heavy brick filter for the Utah canyons as it is cleanable and the activated charcoal takes out some bad tastes of stagnant water in the potholes. But, mostly it is the reliable Steripen Adventurer Opti for me.

[DWR D]

You have to fill the 32 oz Gatorade bottle to the very top for the Steripen Adventurer Opti to work. But it does work. I have done it many hundreds of times…

[dirtbag]

The Steripen ultra is rechargeable,  and I carry a battery for my phone, my Garmin Mini and watch, so if I ever do need a charge.. Im covered already.  All my trips using it, only 1 time i forgot to charge it before I headed out and on the second night it needed a quick charge.. no biggie. Never had any problems with it though, so easy and fast to use also.. right into the smartwater bottle, upside down and swirl 90 seconds.. Done!! I usually wrap my dirty water bottle with black duct tape.. thats the one I will fill, sterilize.. then pour it into my other smartwater bottle. I sometimes also tank up and drink.. leave my clean bottle filled and ready to drink, then just fill the dirty water bottle, cap it and hike on.. can always Steripen it later.

[Mark Verber]

With slight variations, my experience is similar to Brad’s though I was using the Katadyn tablets. There is no “perfect” solution. I am tempted by the Steripen, but I still remember the first generation failing me repeatedly. The last ten years I have used a Geigerrig Inline Water Filter + pressurized bladder (now sold by aquaria) which has worked pretty well.  Overtime flow dropped off. but the pressurized bladder didn’t make it as bothersome when it happened to an inline I was using in home made gravity system. I am on my second filter.  They have switched the filter design so I don’t have a lot of insight into it.

[John “Jay” Menna]

After drinking way too much silt I recently looked for options.  Has anyone tired the P&G water purification packets?  They are cheap and they look like they beat the hell out of Alum.

I just received them from FedEx literally 3 hours ago.  So I have not tested yet…

https://csdw.org/pg-purifier-of-water-packets/

[Sam Farrington]

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/99643/

The UV lights aren’t bad, and they do kill germs; but they do not filter out particulates that are poisonous or toxic.  The gravity filters make it very difficult to suck decent water out of shallow streams.  The filter in the link above, using a simple prefilter, collects potable water almost anywhere I would ever choose to hike.  The Sawyer minis, around $20 at Walmart, are replaced for every trek.  There are other cartridges mentioned in the link that last longer, but are heavier and cost much more.  And the heavier pump filters like the Pur Hiker also had their problems.  Best of all, the one made with the simple ketchup pump is much faster and requires less force.

Did buy an MSR Micro a few years ago for a back-up, but have never had to use it.  Tried similar MSR minis before that, but they required more backflushing than pumping, so have not used the Micro, which is still heavier than the DIY.  Don’t even know if the Micro it is still sold.

[Dan]

I have mainly been doing gravity filtration in recent years, with either a Platypus system (if more than one person) or a Versa-based rig (if solo). Obviously, this is not necessarily the best approach for people who prefer to refill frequently as they hike, and have continuous access to water. Like everyone, I carry tablets as a back-up, but haven’t used them in many years.

[bradmacmt]

Plus I try to keep what few good gut bacteria I have alive.

Brad W you make an excellent point. Most Americans gut biome (and therefore their immune systems) are already compromised without something like Aquamira added. If I lived/backpacked where I should filter water, I’d go with a squeeze and stay away from chemicals.

[Jerry Adams]

as far as backup goes

the risk of getting sick from most drinking water is low.  You probably won’t get sick if you just drink one time, but if you do it regularly, you’ll probably eventually get sick

I usually don’t bother treating alpine water.  If there are people or agriculture upstream, better treat it.  I’ve never noticed getting sick.

If you were in a survival situation, the risk of not drinking water is much worse.  If you are unable to treat the water, then find the cleanest water you can

[Brad Rogers]

I’m sure that is true, and moreso in off trail or remote sections of backcountry.  I’ve been to Alaska twice and didn’t treat any water either time.  Twice I’ve been forced to drink untreated water on trips, once where my filter failed, and one where in 2011 I was on a group trip with shared stove/filter and the rest of the group got sick and bailed early.  I spent the last two days on the JMT with no filter or stove.  I just ate cold food and chose my water sources carefully.

I’m a lot more concerned about water near established (and popular) trails.

[bradmacmt]

the risk of getting sick from most drinking water is low. You probably won’t get sick if you just drink one time, but if you do it regularly, you’ll probably eventually get sick

I have been backpacking consistently since 1975. In that time I have treated water no more than 10 or 12 times, and never in 30 years of backpacking here in Montana. The few times I have treated water were mostly on a 2.5 mo’s trip on the AT in 1977. I’ve never been sick from H2O backpacking. I regard it as mostly a “group-think” sort of thing, but I also evaluate where I’m drinking and were I in a new area/state I’d be packing a Sawyer squeeze.

I’m a lot more concerned about drinking municipal tap water than backcountry water…

[Russ W]

Bradmacmt – I thru-hiked the AT in 1983 and never treated a drop. Drank from Little Antietam Creek, drank from a cow stream below Max Patch….never got sick. My belief is that 2 factors played a major role:

• I was lucky
• I have the constitution of a buzzard

I think there are so many more folks out and about today, lots of bad trail etiquette, and the potential for bad juju is exponentially greater. My 2 cents.

[Sam Farrington]

For the optimists here, please take note: Years ago, hiking the AT in Maine, I got very thirsty from the heat and scooped up a cup of some clear water from a fast flowing brook.  As the trail continued uphill, I came to a marshy area from which the brook was flowing.  In a few days, came down with Giardia that was treated with an antibiotic upon return to civilization.  But in the meantime, there were painful stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Ever since then, filter all water and carry  a small vial of iodine based tablets for emergencies.  YMMV, as they say on BPL.

[Brad W]

On the PCT, mile 101 at Barrel Springs, where water comes from a pipe, many people were not filtering-why would they? Clean, clear water coming from a pipe. Sometime last last year they put a notice up-‘Filter this water-this pipe goes to a cistern and the mesh that keeps rodents out is compromised-dead rats and and mice are in the tank’.

Made me think twice about filtering seemingly nice sources.

[Jerry Adams]

“Made me think twice about filtering seemingly nice sources.”

I always carry my Squeeze but use it only about half the time

But, it’s so easy to filter water, and the result is still cold and doesn’t taste bad.  I may as well use it.

I only have 1 pint of filtered water.  And more water I carry untreated.

If I’m going to boil water for food or coffee or whatever, there’s no reason to treat it, so I don’t.  Just use untreated water to boil.

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