Don't know about everybody else, but I have never used a water filter while in the BWCA. I have never gotten sick, just lucky??? Or should I invest in a filter before my luck runs out....

I always do use a filter, but if I ever head up my own trip (normally I go with a church group) I think i am just going to drink from the middle. If you or anyone on your trip has a weak stomach, or you have had a history with giardia or other illnesses affecting the digestive tract, I'd say filter.

I say use a filter. You never want to ruin your trip because you get sick from drinking bad water. I think it is fine to drink water from large lakes but I would be careful around smaller lakes.

Although I have dipped straight from the lake on several occaisions, I still recommend filtering. I have experienced giardia and it's no picnic.

I both drink directly from lakes and filter. I usually assess a lake before dipping and always filter near shore.

I drink from lakes if they are known to be more than 30 feet deep, there is not alot of gunk in them and then I get water an arms lenght deep from the middle.

If a lake is not that deep, is gunky looking or I see lots of beaver activity I will filter.

If you do not want to invest in a filter bring some water purification tablets along for suspect water or boil.

Aquamira. (or other chemical treatment - polarpure - etc.)

It is really easy and is supposed to kill giardia. Just a little safeguard for me that makes me feel safe about things and it is so easy to do.

I always filter. I say why chance it. The one time you don't and you do get sick, you look back and say "Why didn't I filter?" I hear Giardia is a nasty bug to get.

It's really a no-brainer, you should always filter your water!

Just like everyone agrees that you should always...hide your food pack, and put the groundcloth inside your tent! ;) ;)

I have been sick once. It just so happened to be on a trip where our filter broke. Girardia is a horrible bug to get.

Bogs
You mentioned you get your water at arms length....do some cysts float or is there a bacteria that tends to be at the surface?

"You mentioned you get your water at arms length....do some cysts float or is there a bacteria that tends to be at the surface? "

The cysts are heavier than water ... but not that much, in fact they will become suspended at a certain depth because the water becomes denser. I have no idea what depth that is.

Normally cysts will sink, but water turbulance can suspend the cysts at a higher level. That is why you don't want to get water from that clear-looking water tumbling down a stream or close to shore where wave action will suspend the cysts.

I thing bogs gets the water away from the surface to avoid other impurities that do float -- bugs, pollan, duff, etc. In the middle of the lake there probably aren't cysts at the surface (unless a beaver just passed by), but there can be other junk, some of which will make you sick, too , ... or at least may not be fun to drink.

It's really a no-brainer, we have never filted our water!
I wonder what they did before 1900, when they didn't know there were bugs? What did the indians do?

i ALWAYS filter (actually, purify...general ecologys first need system).

i dont want to take the risk....AND, more importantly, i REALLY enjoy "tasteless" water. Jan (no brainer? how can you say that? you dont know what type of water everyone else paddles) also....in response to the 1900's comment/question...they probably got sick as dogs now and then!

In reallity they probably didn't get sick back in the 1900's
When people go to Mexico, they get Montazumas revenge from drinking the water. When Mexicans come to the States they get the same thig!
It is what we are used to!!!! If you have always drank they water out of the lakes, you probably have built up a tollorance to the stuff in the water. If all you have ever drank is tap water and purified water..............URG!

FG, I heard unfiltered water makes you cranky. ;)

That's HORNEY!!

to each our own i guess. i just prefer to drink non feces laden water (no matter where you get it from there is still some level of THAT in it) Jan

the availability of potable water, or lack there of, might have been a large part of the reason life expectancy in the 1800-1900's was about 35 years. Jan

arcticfern,
If you or a paddling partner ever suffered from giardasis, you would start treating [filter/chemicaly]! I wouln't wish that on anyone!
Even fishguts.

butthead

I use a filter, MSR Miniworks EX, with a few minor modifications my friend and I came up with. It works great. Take a look at the photo, sorry for the quality, I had camera failure, bummer. See the Moose in the water? Guess what she just got done doing in it. Funny thing, first she drank the water then I guess, in one end, out the other. I have to agree with others, I'd hate to ruin my trip because I got sick for a somewhat preventable event.

Out of the bigger lakes. We fill up water for camp and our personal bottles off shore a ways. We don't bring a filter.

Read this:
http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/pcs/articles/giardia.asp

If you aren't lazy about where you get your water you should be fine. Also, you probably won't ruin your trip because it takes a couple of weeks to get sick from it. Additionally if someone did get sick, it's more likely that it was from their, or their cooks, dirty hands then from the water....

Giardia Lamblia and Giardiasis
With Particular Attention to the Sierra Nevada
By Robert L. Rockwell

Quote : "One conclusion of this paper is that you can indeed contract giardiasis on visits to the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada, but it almost certainly won’t be from the water. So drink freely and confidently. Proper personal hygiene is far more impor­tant in avoiding giardiasis than treating the water."

I agree and believe this also applies to the BWCAW/Q.

Like Ghandi, I only drink my own urine........Kidding

I'm not......kidding

At least it's filtered.

Will alcohol based hand sanitizer kill giardia cysts?

According to the Mayo Clinic website, alcohol based hand sanitizers containing at least 62% alcohol are effective in preventing the transmission of Giardia.

I've drank water from the middle of the lake, just sink water bottle down a couple feet, to avoid the top water layer, that and I think it is a little colder. One reservation I've gotten sick once, and it was a terrible experience. Since then I mainly use a filter, but every once in a while I will still drink right out of the lake.

I've worked in outfitting for quite a few years and i've always told people that it's perfectly fine to drink the water from the lakes as long as they make sure they get it from out in the middle, where it gets a lot of sun and all the little nasties sink. BUT, I encourage anyone who feels the slightest bit uncomfortable to filter or use chemicals, because it's all about having a good time and relaxing.

I've been drinking the water from the lakes up here all my life, never been the slightest bit sick.

Interesting side note ---
After the Cavity Lake Fire, Alpine, Jasper and other lakes that got blasted had a VERY distinct flavor of ash, not too dissimilar to Johnnie Walker Red Label.

I have never filtered water I just got it from the middle of the lake an arms length under. I also use the Iodine tablets in the water and then just make koolaid and you can never taste the iodine. I have never got sick and been up there 10 times but we had talked about getting a filter this year just in case

Just add massive amounts of tang, that kills everything.

Yeah we drink alot of that up too

i purify (first need system) for two reasons.

1...i value my gastro intestinal tract. (never gotten sick from water up there (while i was there, or after i got home)...one time would be to many)

2...i like drinking water that tastes like spring water (tasteless). my first need does that for me.

i dont mind pumping at all, in the whole scheme of things....it really takes VERY little time.

Jan

I have drank straight from the lake but usually filter just to be safe. Once, while backpacking in the Rockies, I filtered some water from a stream and then headed on up the trail. About half a mile up a switchback brought me back across that same stream. Just below the trail crossing these was a decaying elk carcass in the stream. It was mostly eaten and no telling how long it had been there. I don't know that the filter treats for that kind of thing but I'm glad I had used it. You never know what's in the water!

Hell...we bring our own dehydrated water.





nyuck-nyuck