Giardia - do you protect yourself?

[Maxx]

Having just recovered from a severe case of Food poisoning, it had me thinking about getting sick on a backpack trip while in the mountains. I have never used a water purification system, but I am reconsidering. Getting hurt in the mountains is one thing, but being totally dehydrated seems just as dangerous to me

thoughts?

[J_T]

Good question. I never used to care, however I was doing a backcountry horse ride in the extreme back country and a lady I was riding with was telling me she was working as a camp cook for a guide outfitter and in the area we were riding (Abruzzi) she got Giardia from drinking the water. That just about means the water coming from the earth and sky is at risk of not acceptable.

So I no longer drink stream water. Based on that, I don't have an option in your poll. I protect myself, but I don't drink the water.

[ryanb]

A small filter weighs next to nothing and the ones these days are pretty good and don't cost much, so I see no reason not to carry one except for daytrips. I drink stream water when I have to and have never had a problem, but I don't make a habit of it.

[Sitkaspruce]

I personally do not. Never been sick or had those symptoms while fishing, hunting, camping etc. Knock on wood that I am just lucky and that it stays that way. I also look for fast flowing, steep mountain streams, or small springs, when ever I can, to top up my water.

A friend of mine, however has had bad cases of it twice while on fly-in trips with me. Both time he lasted two days and we had to emerg. fly him out. Both doc's in Fort Nelson said that it was a bad case of Beaver Fever and that he is very suseptable to it. They also concluded that because he was born and raised on treated (cholrine) water in a big city that his emmune system is very weak when it comes to this type of stuff.

Whether that is true or not, remains to be seen, but I drank the same water as him and had no problems. I was raised on well water for most of my life.

He has since bought a water purification system and has no problems since.

SS

[Wolfman]

I used to think 'Beaver fever' only affected young men and teenagers (nudge-nudge-wink-wink), but later I found out it was a nasty, nasty thing, when a buddy of mine came down with it hard. laid him out for quite awhile too.
Katadyn (Switzerland) makes a pretty servicable one called the Pocket Water Filter system - about $300 - ouch! I know but probably what I'm gonna grab up.

I'm too old to handle getting beaver fever!!!! ;-)



Wolfman

[HD95]

I have used a water purifying filter for about ten years now.I'm in the mountains up north every year.Two years ago,we crossed the Prophet river to hunt moose and elk.I only drank the water I pumped thru my filter,as did one other in our group.One other pal said he had hunted the area for years and never had a problem with the water,so he drank it raw.Long story short,man he had the worst case of the beaver fever sh#ts (s@#ts) ever.It took him one month and a few doctor office visits to clear that up.Needless to say,he now packs a filter.Last thing anyone of us needs,after all the prep involved in a backpack trip,is to be layed up with beaver fever,believe me,you can't pack enough bum-tape to deal with that....

[Kechika]

I take in the drops.I aslo pack some imodium or Peptmo to firm things up....just in case

[Kechika]

Having just recovered from a severe case of Food poisoning, it had me thinking about getting sick on a backpack trip while in the mountains. I have never used a water purification system, but I am reconsidering. Getting hurt in the mountains is one thing, but being totally dehydrated seems just as dangerous to me

thoughts?


Food poisioning...bad clams will do that

[bigwhiteys]

Having just recovered from a severe case of Food poisoning, it had me thinking about getting sick on a backpack trip while in the mountains. I have never used a water purification system, but I am reconsidering.

My family spent a few decades drinking the water in the mountains and so have I without an issue... The only case of the shits I know of was when my uncle made coffee for him and his hunter using the dishwater by accident... Needless to say they both came back to base camp early.

Just this past year I took along the pristine water drops. For the most part we didn't need them. But we did collect some water from a few nasty places where the drops probably saved us some grief...

Carl

[Chuck]

I've never worried about it in the past. However, that doesn't mean my turn won't come. I'm really not that good at preparing for the unexpected.

[pupper]

I use a Katadyn filter system, here is my little back country article:
http://www.huntingtipsandtricks.com/a/A_Guide_to_Backpacking_and_Bivouac_Hunting

[Pete]

A lot of the purification systems out there do not have the capability to handle Giardia. The most highly recommend method of disinfection of water is to boil it for a minimum of 2 min, 3 min or longer if you are at elevation.

[bruin]

I haven't used a filter system yet and have never had a problem, knock on wood. Niether have I seen anyone else get it. I usually try to be chosey about my water sources. I probably won't carry a water filter anytime in the near future.

[gearjunkierob]

I know a ton of people who have never used any type of filtration system and have never been seriously ill....with that being said, I had a good friend who contracted "beaver fever" on a hunt and I watched it effect him - for a very long time - as in years. It knocked him on his ass, pretty literally and it was tough to see. The poor guy was miserable.

Anyways, I have taken to carrying the "pristine" water purification system with me pretty much everywhere. I keep it in my "OH SH*T" bag with the rest of my survival gear, headlamp, etc. That bag goes with me everywhere, from my hunting packs to my hiking & mountaineering packs. The system is light, fast, really easy to use and cheap.

[Ovis17]

Absolutely!!!!! I paid the price one year on a fly in. I picked up Giardia and wasn't right for several weeks. I will never drink unfiltered water out of a stream again trust me (even though it looks so good sometimes). Small investment on a filtration system was worth every penny. The prescription was very inexpensive once I got back and I will be taking the pills in with me on every fly in from now on.

[Fisher-Dude]

I got giardia up the Prophet in 2000. Seven weeks of the worst stomach cramps and puking out my arsehole I've ever had. I lost over 15 lbs, didn't sleep through a single night without an hour or two holding my belly while sitting on the throne. It was disgusting. You end up stinking so bad you can't stand yourself. Oh, don't sneeze, don't EVER try to sneak a fart out - carry spare gonch and TP at all times! :frown: 20 minutes after you eat, you spray it all out. :shock:

Even after they finally diagnosed and treated me and killed the little buggers, I was weak for months afterwards. I'll never go through that again. Bottled or boiled water is all I'll ever drink on a trip. "It couldn't happen to me" - but it did. I was just lucky (I guess) that I got my symptoms on the way home from the trip.

[6616]

Having just recovered from a severe case of Food poisoning, it had me thinking about getting sick on a backpack trip while in the mountains. I have never used a water purification system, but I am reconsidering. Getting hurt in the mountains is one thing, but being totally dehydrated seems just as dangerous to me

thoughts?

Never had it, but fall 2006 we camped at Blackwater Lake on the Big Bend for a moose hunt and my hunting partner ended up with it. He was drinking the water out of Blackwater Creek. It effected him for months just like FD, it's no laughing matter.

[GoatGuy]

I've never had it. Drink out of the lakes/creeks up North for years. Having said that other guys I've been up with have gotten it before. I wonder if some people are more susceptible????

I use a filter in the southern half of the province only because I've seen what it's done to other people - no, it isn't giardia.

"There's something in the water............................" ;-)

[Tikka7mm]

I've never had Beaver Fever and I will never risk it. Whether I'm camping or backpacking (I rarely backpack..soon to change) it's either bottled, boiled or filtered with a touch of iodine.

[6616]

I've never had it. Drink out of the lakes/creeks up North for years. Having said that other guys I've been up with have gotten it before. I wonder if some people are more susceptible????

I use a filter in the southern half of the province only because I've seen what it's done to other people - no, it isn't giardia.

"There's something in the water............................" ;-)

Haha.....Yah I'll agree,,, take your filter or stick to beer, don't drink out at the 'Brook!

[orion]

I was like GoatGuy for many years. Drank out of all those crystal clear, flowing streams up north and down south with no problems. Then on a pack in trip both my son and I picked up Giardisis within a day of each other. Like having a knife turned in your gut. Really took the edge off the trip and the cost of the antibiotics were twice what a purifying kit cost. Very careful about boiling all my water now!!!

[Timbow]

I had it once before.

Went on a 10 day backpack hunt and my partner decided the water was good enough to drink without any purification. His hunt ended on day 6 due to beaver fever. I continued hunting.

[325]

I picked-up giardia when I was 17. I use to run a trapline, and ironicaly I got it from a beaver pond. All I did was eat some snow that had a spray of pond water on it..doesn't take much. I was sick for days and ended-up in the hospital. My Sh!t was neon green. I lost 25 lbs. It took me many weeks to regain my strength. That being said, I will still drink untreated water if I am confident that it is pure...such as a spring coming out of the ground above the tree-line. I won't touch anything that has any chance of contamination without running it through my ceramic filter first.

[Hank Hunter]

Never say Never, got it on an Alberta canoe trip. Four days in hospital in Edmonton and about 6 weeks before I really felt well

[boonerbuck]

I have used a water purifying filter for about ten years now.I'm in the mountains up north every year.Two years ago,we crossed the Prophet river to hunt moose and elk.I only drank the water I pumped thru my filter,as did one other in our group.One other pal said he had hunted the area for years and never had a problem with the water,so he drank it raw.Long story short,man he had the worst case of the beaver fever sh#ts ever.It took him one month and a few doctor office visits to clear that up.Needless to say,he now packs a filter.Last thing anyone of us needs,after all the prep involved in a backpack trip,is to be layed up with beaver fever,believe me,you can't pack enough bum-tape to deal with that....

It's pretty common up the Prohet/Besa. My ol'man got it real bad and we were waaay back on horse back. He lost 20 lbs in a week and it ruined his hunt. We've been back since and didnt screw around this time.

[Gateholio]

Giardia was never a real issue for me/us.

Spent my whole life drinking out of BC streams. A couple of years ago, I was on a trip with Boonerbuck, we all had those filtered water bottles. After awhile I stopped using the filter, since it was annoying.

We did use a pump filter (once we got it figured out:lol: ) when getting water from a muddy stream, that had lots of elk sign by it...

I personally believe that many build up a tolerance in thier guts. My brother got sick when he was 15, I was 13...on a 3 week trip. He's never been sick since. I've never ben sick, but I have witnessed those that have, and they smell bad.:cool:

Be interestign to see some real medical reports on wether you can or cannot build up a tolerance. Many areas of the world have poluted water, so maybe there is some basis for the theory.

[boonerbuck]

My ol'man picked it up again btw. This time in Cuba. He didnt get meds for it til he returned back home.

[hunter1947]

When I back pack into a remote area I boil my water. I take a few bottles of store bought water when I go into the back country when I run out I boil up enough water to settle my needs.

[Ron.C]

I used these on a 7 day canoe trip in the Bowron Lakes

Katadyn MicroPur MP1 Water Treatment Tablets
"A self-stable, easy-to-use water treatment option that purifies using chlorine dioxide. Effective against viruses, bacteria, giardia, and cryptosporidium. MicroPur is ideal for hikers, travellers and campers wishing to avoid iodine treatments. Each tablet treats 1L of water. "

They're extremely compact, and don't have much taste compared to others I've tried.
If you don't want to carry a filter, theyre a good alternative

[kenkell1]

I only carry bottled water with me for day trips.
The only sure way to never get beaver fever is to boil water if you have to although I wouldn't be opposed to buying a filter...just never needed it.
I have seen what beaver fever can do and it is not a pretty sight.
You just never know if there is a bear upstream taking a big dump in that crystal clear water you are about to drink.

[jerad]

Haha.....Yah I'll agree,,, take your filter or stick to beer, don't drink out at the 'Brook! that would be moose piss!:lol::roll::tongue::eek:.

i only drink water out of known springs or right off the glacier at high altitudes once its run over a rocky stream. we boil our cooking and dish water and bring a flat of bottled and a 8 liter jug for everything else.

[GoatGuy]

Haha.....Yah I'll agree,,, take your filter or stick to beer, don't drink out at the 'Brook!

Don't think you can filter that sort of stuff out - it's statistically impossible.

[DWH]

I believe there is something to having increased immunity to it. When I was growing up, we were often put on a boiling water advisory but we didn't always catch the news on the radio right away. When teams from out of town would come to town to play hockey, many of them would go home sick from filling their water bottles with water from the taps at the arena (not all the time but often enough).

I've never had a problem and I drink out of virtually all the streams I work in or hunt near, with some obvious exceptions (i.e. turbid, warm, muddy, etc...). Only when the rivers smell bad from the rotting salmon carcasses do I think twice. I did pick up something in Mexico once that took a few weeks to kick (damn those carparinhas and mojitos are hard to resist :tongue:).

Reading everyone's post here definitely changes my "it'll never happen to me" sentiments. Guess I'll be picking up some type of purification application.

[rocksteady]

Honestly, I have never given it a second thought...Grew up drinking out of every creek/lake/pond/slew that was handy when I was thirsty...

Several years ago, shot a bull elk down on one of the islands (BIG F***ING ISland) took about 5 hours to butcher and get it to the near side of the island...I was so thirsty I walked up to my knees in a side channel of the Kootenay, used an old tin can I found on the bank, and drank, drank,drank.....Only then did I notice all of the Cattle tracks on the far edge, the urine/feces smell of the cattle and the belly up flaoting kokanee going by me.....

Oh well, no harm done, maybe I just drink enough whiskey to repel those little critters...

[Deaddog]

Never have filtered water, drink pretty much any water I come across and I have never been sick. I have seen a couple of guys get sick though, one guy for weeks the other for a couple of days.