sheep hunters-water filter VS tablets

[CSG]

I have read some threads and pack list on here and people often mention water filters. Wondering why you don't hear much about water purification tablets when weight(I realise the filters dont weight alot) and space is such an issue on sheep hunts and such.

Anybody got an opinion on which one is better. Is it worth packing in a filter?

[spreerider]

i dont have a filter and use tabs only because they are cheap but they make the water taste like garbage.

[bigwhiteys]

I don't pack a filter on a sheep hunt... We've used the pristine drops for questionable water in the past and it works I guess but we usually don't have a problem finding clean water, if nothing's shitting in the water above you then you should be ok :)

Carl

[Singleshotneeded]

:-) Up high you should be able to find clean water...if you're concerned bring the drops, the tablets give water a bitter taste(only for emergencies)...a small filter is good if you're wandering lower down...

[waistdeep]

those small filter pump units are not that bulky or heavy, I have one and used it last year for our hunt and the water tastes clean, is clear and safe. Nothing like pounding back clean clear water when your thirsty.

[Everett]

Last year I switched to aquatabs no change in the taste of the water and a weeks woth fits in the palm of your hand. Prior to this I used a katadyn filter and in emergencies iodine tablets.
You can buy them at the the commie co/op 6 bucks for 50 tabs.

[rand]

I allways filter, one year we get into camp and the waters all dried up in the creek,so pumping out of a small pond with sheep and bear shit all round it was all we had.Was glad I had a pump

[digger dogger]

my girl gave me a (steri pen) for x-mas 07. it's a small u.v light that looks similar to a jiffy marker never had the water tested but so far so good she got it from geeks.com i think.. it's not usually a problem to find clean water up north in august/sept

[BlacktailStalker]

I'll echo the above and I was worried about it last year prior to my sheep hunt, but the veteran sheep hunter I went with has never had a problem in 20+ years so I too learned its usually not an issue.

[Timbow]

I used the pump style water filter on my first backpack hunt. Now I use the water purifing drops and add a tablespoon of powder gatorade to give it some taste.

Cheers

[jjensen20]

I USED to think i have a "stomach of steel" so i never packed any filtration but last year i spent 2 days laid up shitting through the eye of a needle. never again will i leave behind the filtration to save space and weight

[jjensen20]

:-) Up high you should be able to find clean water.. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Animals crap in it up high too

[Singleshotneeded]

:D I didn't say ALL sources above the tree line were safe! The best bet are those water filters available at hiking shops, pure water without the bitter taste, and they're pretty light...

[mudbud]

Always filter all water no matter what. I use a gravity filter, very light and no pumping required. Last year I filled up my waterbottles, and went upstream a little bit to find the remnants of a dead sheep right in the creek. This was one of those creeks that looks perfect and clean that alot of you wouldn't bother treating the water from. Big mistake!

[Riverratz]

Get giardia once and you'll never leave home without a filter again, that can take 6 months of shear misery to get rid of.
For the few ounces and bit of space that a good filter takes up, can't understand what the issue is, but each to his own. Have used MSR (pump style) for the past few years with great results, but use pre-filter and take spare filter cartridge.........total of approx. $80.....money well spent and you'll have it for years assuming minimum care and maintenance.

[Fisher-Dude]

Get giardia once and you'll never leave home without a filter again, that can take 6 months of shear misery to get rid of.


Amen to that brother. I got giardia on a hunt up the Prophet and thought I was gonna die. Took 7 weeks to stop explosive shitting. Don't laugh or cough or sneeze or fart or you'll shit your pants. Lost 15 lbs and was so weak afterwards it took me about 6 months to recover. :icon_frow

Never, ever again will I drink unpurified water on a northern (or any other) hunt. 8)

[bigwhiteys]

How did we ever drink water 100 years ago....? Without all the high tech equipment...?

Carl

[mudbud]

we built immunity from being exposed

[30-378-magnum]

mec has a uv light water sterilization system for about 100 bucks ,i have a filter right know but might pick one up it looks pretty good

[1/2 slam]

Always always always a filter for me. Got sick once, never again.

[leadpillproductions]

whats a good light water bottle filter some thing you can just put water in no pumping

[Riverratz]

How did we ever drink water 100 years ago....? Without all the high tech equipment...?

Carl

I guess they just did, the knowledge of such stuff didn't exist yet. Probably a contributing factor as to why the average life expectancy of a human was around 43 yrs. back then as well. Can't personally understand why anyone would want to take the chance, especially with all the relatively inexpensive technology and knowhow out there, other than to just try to prove a point.
Why get vaccinations? inoculations? why wash our hands? why brush our teeth? These things weren't known 100 yrs ago either, but we accept them as necessity and quite normal now........well......at least, most of us do. (I guess there are exceptions everywhere). And, we're all better off for it, considering we live twice as long now as 100 years ago.
Want to learn the ugly truth,?? visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiasis#Life_Cycle_of_Giardia
especially the section called "reservoir", i.e. the fact that most of the transmission is caused by rodents or birds in streams, creeks, lakes, rivers, ponds, especially during the rainy seasons. I love the section on symptoms, and what to expect......particularly graphic and descriptive.
Our group uses MSR or Katadyn filters, the portable pump style for packing, and the drip models for base camp. We have tablets "just in case" the filters fail, which hasn't happened yet.
Filtered water is superior in taste to tablet treated, I think everyone will agree on that point. The portable filters (pump style) are light and don't take up much space. One filter does 2-4 people for a week, but carry a spare cartridge and do use the "pre-filter", especially in muddy or sedimented waters, or the cartridge plugs up real fast, although it can be cleaned.
At about $80 it's a small price to pay for the peace of mind, and it lasts for years with minimal care......just follow the instructions.
We spend upwards of $5000+ on a trip, and woe unto the guy in the group who gets sick and has to be taken to hospital because he was too stupid or stubborn to take some simple precautions, resulting in a ruined trip for everyone.
Buy the tablets (they're cheap) and try them at home......if you can't stomach the taste, etc. get the filter. Either way at least you're protected. Don't cheap out on the filter, really look at what they're designed to filter out, but having said that you don't have to spend hundred of $ either. MEC has a good selection of both brands. They're popular though, don't wait to order/purchase as the wait time can sometimes be months.

[Riverratz]

whats a good light water bottle filter some thing you can just put water in no pumping

Don't know about that, but here's a link to MSR; http://www.msrgear.com/watertreatment/

The MSR pumps we use move about 1+ liter of water per minute, effortlessly. Not a long time. Slows down with use as the cartridge slowly plugs up, but you can clean it in the field. Use the "pre-filter" which is optional, ....we found out the hard way taking silty water out of the Muskwa, plugged up real fast, all because we didn't have the $5 prefilter.

[Fisher-Dude]

Symptoms

A range of clinical syndromes may occur, with gastrointestinal syndromes being the most prevalent.
Gastrointestinal: A small number of infected individuals experience an abrupt onset of abdominal cramps, explosive, watery diarrhea, vomiting, foul flatus, and fever which may last for 3-4 days before proceeding into a more sub-acute phase. The majority of infected persons develop gradual symptoms that become recurrent or resistant.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiasis#cite_note-pennardt_g-11)
In both the acute and insidious onsets of symptoms, stools become greasy and malodorous but do not contain blood or pus because giardiasis does not involve dysenteric symptoms. Watery diarrhea may cycle with soft stools and constipation. Upper GI symptoms including nausea, early satiety, bloating, substernal burning, egg-smelling halitosis, and acid indigestion may be exacerbated by eating and are generally present in the absence of soft stools.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiasis#cite_note-pennardt_g-11)
Constitutional: The most common constitutional symptoms are anorexia, malaise, and fatigue. Weight loss affects more than 50% of patients. Adults with long lasting malabsorption syndrome and children with failure to thrive may experience chronic illness.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiasis#cite_note-pennardt_g-11)
Additional syndromes may include lactose intolerance and allergic manifestations such as erythema multiforme, bronchospasm, biliary tract disease, and urticaria.
Physical: Abdominal examination may expose nonspecific tenderness even there is no sign of peritoneal irritation. Rectal examination should expose heme-negative stools and in severe cases, there may be evidence of dehydration.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiasis#cite_note-pennardt_g-11)

[Goliath]

Pristine drops for iffy water is all I've ever used.

My digestive system goes into hibernation on a sheep hunt anyways. After a 10 day trip I'll pig out on a six pack and a fancy pizza...three hours later all hell breaks loose. And that's far worse than any little gardia bugs.:smile:

[ElkMasterC]

Seriously tho, I've had some pretty crappy water in my pot. Last year Humble Hunter and I had only puddle water to make soup. Scoop it up, let it settle, boil it. Puddle soup!
Had bugs too.
Protein. YUM!

If it's running fast outta rocks up high, I don't hesitate to drink it. If there's any chance it hit a marsh or livestock, I treat or boil it.

[Elkhound]

Guys...I have had some reports of bad posts on this thread....please keep it clean. Thank you