I was reading a BWJ last night and came across an article by Rob Kesselring where he mentioned he no longer boils water to disinfect it, but he pasteurizes it. I followed his suggestion and watched the Gearsceptic video that explains the science, why the FDA recommends "boiling for 1 minute", and that if you pasteurize rather than boil you get the exact same results BUT can save up to 50% of the fuel that you would use if you boil the water.

It was truly fascinating! So ahead of my upcoming trip next week I ordered a 4 gram Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI) and will plan on dumping some of the fuel I was planning on carrying.

My question--does anyone else here pasteurize water rather than boil? Wondering if you have kept track of how much fuel you have saved by doing it?

BTW, here is the link to the study/information
Water Boiling vs. Pasteurization

If you are bringing a water filter, I think boiling or pasteurizing water from the BWCA, Quetico, or many places isn't needed.

If you aren't bringing a water filter, then yeah, you're stuck with boiling water to be safe. Or gathering it from the middle of the lake and the surface where UV rays have had time to kill the germs.

Where pasteurization or boiling needs to be in conjunction with a water filter is when getting water from really, really, suspect sources such as stock tanks, mud holes, or any source where pathogens can get by a water filter.

For instance, the USDA recommends bringing your own water when canoeing down the Missouri River in Montana. That's because the river passes through miles and miles of cattle pasture land. Lots of manure and such in the Missouri. If you don't bring your own water, then yes, you would have to first filter the water for silt and large debris, boil it, and then water filter it.

I bring a WAPI along for pasteurization as a backup to my water filter. It's definitely something that I think of as an emergency option but can also be used if you're heating water anyway (for tea, broth, etc.) and you want to save fuel. I keep it in my thwart bag with an emergency fire kit, space blanket and other survival gear.

As far back as I can recall the only times I've prepared drinking water with heat have been over the fire (with the exception of melting snow in the alpine) so I never really worried too much about fuel, but I've always thought that perhaps boiling the water is overkill (certainly boiling it for 5 minutes). As a chef in a past life I was taught that 165°f will kill most nasties. Sounds like the WAPI triggers at 149. Not sure why you couldn't just bring a thermometer with which would be more multi-purpose? Just stir it up to make sure the temp is even?

pleflar: "I bring a WAPI along for pasteurization as a backup to my water filter. It's definitely something that I think of as an emergency option but can also be used if you're heating water anyway (for tea, broth, etc.) and you want to save fuel. I keep it in my thwart bag with an emergency fire kit, space blanket and other survival gear."

I usually use a steri-pen, and heat for coffee, food, etc. Always trying to cut down on bulk in traveling, I love the possibility of cutting my fuel in 1/2.

wxce1260: "

pleflar: "I bring a WAPI along for pasteurization as a backup to my water filter. It's definitely something that I think of as an emergency option but can also be used if you're heating water anyway (for tea, broth, etc.) and you want to save fuel. I keep it in my thwart bag with an emergency fire kit, space blanket and other survival gear."

I usually use a steri-pen, and heat for coffee, food, etc. Always trying to cut down on bulk in traveling, I love the possibility of cutting my fuel in 1/2. "

As you're already familiar with GearSkeptic I just suggest that you watch both episode 6 of the backcountry water series on UV sterilization and the most recent episode (backpacking stove efficiency part 1). The entire water treatment series is useful and he is, at least in part, getting at the questions of how much fuel to carry in the stove efficiency video.

Edit:
I generally use a twig stove so that I don't carry fuel at all. However, I'm still interested in fuel efficiency as I like to have coffee fast, get out of camp quickly and in an emergency avoid dehydration just because I couldn't reach a boil with the fuel within reach. Gearskeptic stove efficiency part 1
Gearskeptic on UV water safety

Links added for general access to information

I have drank straight from the lake for 48 years.....every single year.

There's a point to the recommendation to boil water. Everyone can see boiling. Not everyone has a thermometer to determine when the temperature has reached pasteurization. Since it takes less than one second to kill pathogens except for botulin spores, which take pressure vessels to reach the required temperature, boiling for a minute recommendation seems excessive and boiling for 5 minutes is wasted fuel. Many people may mistake the formation of bubbles on the bottom of the pan to be boiling hot but I have measured the water temperature then at about 150F. thus the recommendation to boil for a minute.

UV Sterilization ( aka stere-pen) is a lightweight and effective method to purify water. Regarding immunity, according to Backpacker Magazine " Many people, as many as one out of every ten, can carry Giardia without ever knowing they are a carrier. Everyone seems to develop at least some immunity after a case of giardiasis. With cryptosporidium the answer is less clear. Immunity does seem to develop in some people after exposure."

pleflar:

As you're already familiar with GearSkeptic I just suggest that you watch both episode 6 of the backcountry water series on UV sterilization and the most recent episode (backpacking stove efficiency part 1). The entire water treatment series is useful and he is, at least in part, getting at the questions of how much fuel to carry in the stove efficiency video.

Same. I use my solo twig stove on all trips and backpacking where weight is more of an issue.

I watched the steri-pen video. It makes sense. I think with the WAPI and my steri pen I will be comfortable. I do always carry some chemical tablets in my emergency kit in my pfd, just in case. I just got the WAPI in the mail today. I will be interested to see how it works.