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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum BWCA Food and Recipes drinking bwca water? |
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06/28/2008 11:40AM
i think most people bring water pumps but they cost money and i was thinking about just boiling water...but then its warm and nasty. what should i do?
oh, and by the way, if i had a water filter pump it would have to last 5 days serving 4 guys.
06/28/2008 02:54PM
I would recommend against boiling water to sterilize. Many people on this site will suggest that you take the water straight from the lake (deeper water, below the surface). Personally, I would go with a filter, however if it is not an option because of cost, you can use iodizing tablets, which purify water but do leave a chemical taste to it (kool-aid can help eliminate this taste). One of our first years, we planned on boiling water on the fire... bad plan. The water tasted like camp fire, you had to let the boiled water cool before drinking (unless you are making coffee or tea). Even if you made kool-aid from the boiled water, it tasted like smokey kool-aid.
06/28/2008 03:36PM
this is a subject that has been beat to death on this site..
BWCA water is "pure" in that no local sewer plants dump into it
and all the water flows out as its the top of the watershed.
i only filter to get "crud"..floating bits of waterplants,pollen,
water fleas and so on out of drinking water..a water filter should
last for years--some say 500 quarts of water..some have filters that backwash or can be cleaned as you go..good water is the last
thing you need to worry about--
BWCA water is "pure" in that no local sewer plants dump into it
and all the water flows out as its the top of the watershed.
i only filter to get "crud"..floating bits of waterplants,pollen,
water fleas and so on out of drinking water..a water filter should
last for years--some say 500 quarts of water..some have filters that backwash or can be cleaned as you go..good water is the last
thing you need to worry about--
it's just a level trail thru the woods.
06/28/2008 06:06PM
I have a Sawyer in line filter rigged to a 3 gal. waterbag which I fill with a bucket and filter into a 5 gal. collapsible. Will filter 3 gal in 5-7 minutes. Saw some sawyer 1 qt drinking bottles at walmart with built-in filter as well. Ceap if for only 2-3 times per year. I basically base camp, so bag works great.
Not to Hurry-Not to Worry
06/30/2008 08:33AM
Seems the amount of fuel, cost,its weight and time to boil enough water to hydrate 4 people for 5 days would be prohibative. Buy a filter or take it from the lake. Personally I filter to be safe and my Pur Hiker was only about $50. Most of us spend more than that on fishing lures.
06/30/2008 10:30AM
Ditto on what the others have said. Boiling water is fine if you are using it for oatmeal or coffee or hot chocolate or boiling noodles. Boiled water is not good for drinking water.
Many folks will use the iodine tablets or chorline dioxide tablets. If you do you must still filter out the big stuff before treating and you must follow the direction explicitly. Tablets for 4 guys for 5 days will probably run you close to the cost of a filter, or you may not be drinking enough water. It is a hassel to pre-filter, treat, and then wait while the chemical works to get a drink of water.
I think you'll find a filter the easiest and most effective method, and cheaper in the long run.
BTW - One filter (unit) will last many, many years. The filter cartrige will last several 5-day-4-person trips.
Many folks will use the iodine tablets or chorline dioxide tablets. If you do you must still filter out the big stuff before treating and you must follow the direction explicitly. Tablets for 4 guys for 5 days will probably run you close to the cost of a filter, or you may not be drinking enough water. It is a hassel to pre-filter, treat, and then wait while the chemical works to get a drink of water.
I think you'll find a filter the easiest and most effective method, and cheaper in the long run.
BTW - One filter (unit) will last many, many years. The filter cartrige will last several 5-day-4-person trips.
Bannock
06/30/2008 03:35PM
I'm in the minority here, I don't mind the taste of boiled water. If I'm going to boil, I boil a bunch the night before and let it cool overnight, then fill up the nalgenes in the morning. My kids, on the other hand, HATE the taste of boiled water and bought a filter.
As far as fuel goes, most of the time I'd be having a fire in the evening anyway, so no fuel is wasted.
As far as fuel goes, most of the time I'd be having a fire in the evening anyway, so no fuel is wasted.
~On to Fort Chipewyan before the snow flies!
07/08/2008 01:00PM
I always filter, but last year our filter got clogged near the end of a trip due to age of filter and the algea in the lake. We boiled water on our burners and put the boiled water into nalgenes then set the nalgenes back in the water to cool. Worked ok, but much prefer to filter.
I won't subscribe to the just drink and you will be fine. All it takes is one case of giardia or the descritption of someone who had it to take the time to filter (or boil).
07/08/2008 03:28PM
I've done five trips in the last four years and never filtered or boiled (except when drinking coffee or hot tang). I've never had a problem, in fact I always feel better and healthier after drinking it straight out of the lake for four-six days. Dip your bottle just below the surface, not too deep but deep enough so you don't get too much of the chunky stuff. If you get some bugs in there oh well, a little protein never hurt anyone.
"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify."- Thoreau
07/09/2008 12:26AM
I am a boiler, as stated before. A trick I use when traveling with more than myself is I bring a 1 gallon gas can to store up enough boiled water the night before. with 3 or 4 nalgenes and the gas can, we are good for the whole next day. It does taste smoky, but i don't mind.
I actually packed out a full quart of smoky water for my buddy that couldn't make the trip this year. When i presented it to him, he sipped that quart dry and said it made him remember his only canoe trip from last summer.
I actually packed out a full quart of smoky water for my buddy that couldn't make the trip this year. When i presented it to him, he sipped that quart dry and said it made him remember his only canoe trip from last summer.
Who I am precedes what I do, not the other way around.
07/09/2008 11:44PM
The truth is that is hasn't, but newbies sure think you are one tough son-of-a when you tell them that you dumped out the lawnmower gas last minute to use the container, and then take a big swig of the water!
I started using the gas can cuz it is cheap, the plastic is super duty, and it comes with a built in pour spout.
I started using the gas can cuz it is cheap, the plastic is super duty, and it comes with a built in pour spout.
Who I am precedes what I do, not the other way around.
07/10/2008 04:01PM
I bought an MSR miniworks which screws onto Nalgene bottles. The only reason was to eliminate the chance of ingesting the parasite Guardia from the water which could cause a spate of diarhea. I'd rather eliminate a potential problem which could detract from a wonderful trip for the cost of $70, when I'm spending plenty more money on flights, rental car, gas, food, hotel and equipment rental.
Just my 0.05
Just my 0.05
07/11/2008 08:34PM
I have been going to the BWCA for 20 plus years, just got back from from my last trip over the 4th. I have never boiled or filter or nothing. Just drank from the lake and I and the rest of anyone I have taken with me have never been sick. Ensure you do you dished in hot soapy water and you will be fine...the lake water is a pure as you can get.
07/12/2008 11:46AM
No offense arcticfern, but if you are not boiling or filtering, I would suggest bringing at least one extra roll of the best toilet paper you can buy.........eventually giardia will seek you out and infect you. The upside is that canoe seats are pretty easily washed clean of "accidents".
Who I am precedes what I do, not the other way around.
07/12/2008 02:56PM
If you decide to go the filter route try taking a collapsible bucket as well. If you let the water stand a while before you filter it the larger particles settle out and helps extend the filter life I find. Definitely want a filter you can clean in the field as well rather than disposable cartridges.
07/12/2008 09:11PM
I have a filter, but mostly we dip from the middle of the lake.
Gotta do what you feel comfortable with, but Giardia cysts sink. Don't get water whether you filter, boil, or dip from running water, shallow water, or near shore.
If you get water out in the middle of the lake it is really hard to get Giardia no matter what method you use.
We bring the filter along because sometimes we are in areas I don't feel comfortable about dipping from or if it is too windy to dip from the middle of the lake.
Tim
Gotta do what you feel comfortable with, but Giardia cysts sink. Don't get water whether you filter, boil, or dip from running water, shallow water, or near shore.
If you get water out in the middle of the lake it is really hard to get Giardia no matter what method you use.
We bring the filter along because sometimes we are in areas I don't feel comfortable about dipping from or if it is too windy to dip from the middle of the lake.
Tim
07/14/2008 09:16AM
They are sinkers, but also are suspended fairly easiliy, that is why you want to go to the middle of the lake. Wave action near shore, or moving water will suspend them. The crystal clear bubbling brook and the mountain stream cascading over rocks can be loaded with cysts.
The danger is that people hear that giardia cysts sink and then dip near shore. If in camp it probably takes less effort to pump a quart through a filter than it is to launch a canoe and paddle to the middle of the lake.
The danger is that people hear that giardia cysts sink and then dip near shore. If in camp it probably takes less effort to pump a quart through a filter than it is to launch a canoe and paddle to the middle of the lake.
Bannock
09/22/2008 07:27AM
I've always used bleach to treat water in the b'dub. Get a small medicine bottle with a dropper from your local druggist. Use regular bleach (not concentrated or "flavored") and add 4 drops per quart. Shake and let stand for 1/2 hour and you are good to go. Tip your water container and unscrew the lid and let some of the treated water flow out to flush away any untreated water that remains around the outside of the container. Although this does add a little chlorine taste to the water, it is no worse than the flavor added by most water filters or smoke flavor from boiling. And, the water is crystal clear after treating! This method of treating water is endorsed by the Red Cross to treat water in emergencies (floods, etc.).
09/22/2008 11:26AM
Ralph is correct. Bleach does a nice job killing viruses but does not work well killing off giardia which is one of the primary concerns as to why people filter water in the BWCAW.
The following passage was taken from British Columbia Health website:
"Bleach does not work well in killing off Giardia or beaver fever or Cryptosporidium parasites. The amount of bleach needed to kill these parasites makes the water almost impossible to drink. If Cryptosporidium or Giardia are in your water, boiling is the best way to ensure safe drinking water."
Boil, filter or use a iodine or similar tablet to make the water safe to drink. Bleach alone will kill many viruses etc, but as stated is not the best solution to get rid of Giardia if that is a concern.
The following passage was taken from British Columbia Health website:
"Bleach does not work well in killing off Giardia or beaver fever or Cryptosporidium parasites. The amount of bleach needed to kill these parasites makes the water almost impossible to drink. If Cryptosporidium or Giardia are in your water, boiling is the best way to ensure safe drinking water."
Boil, filter or use a iodine or similar tablet to make the water safe to drink. Bleach alone will kill many viruses etc, but as stated is not the best solution to get rid of Giardia if that is a concern.
"When a man is part of his canoe, he is part of all that canoes have ever known." Sigurd F. Olson WWJD
09/22/2008 11:27AM
True, but this is in reference to water that is most likely severely contaminated (due to sewer back-up, animal waste, etc.). BWCA water is most likely OK to drink without treatment, but the bleach treatment offers further protection from getting sick.
09/23/2008 03:40PM
I took a trip up to the BW for three weeks and didnt bring a filter. We didnt boil at all and just used iodine a few times. I am still alive. If the lake is big or deep just drink the water. Unless you can see beaver poop. Iodine is fine but it tastes weird, we brought Gartorade powder to put in it. Another idea is a filter with a ceramic filter. Those are nice because the filter takes about 30 seconds to clean. Or you dan be a girly-man and boil.
"When the going gets weird the weird go pro."- Hunter S. Thompson.
09/24/2008 03:14PM
Bleach here also in BWCA, Much like using Chlorine Dioxide tablets.
Bleach with 30 min wait effective in CLEAN water like BWCA, up to 4 hours if water is turbid.
I would NOT use bleach in other questionable water situations, Filter or Boil would be the choice. From Wiki - In other areas frequented by hikers and campers, as well as places where many residents rely on untreated surface water, reliable prevention typically involves filtration with a filter that has a nominal 1-micrometer pore size. Most chemical treatment methods, including common point-of-use treatments such as iodine and chlorine dioxide, are considered unreliable in inactivating Giardia cysts. Water parameters such as temperature, turbidity, and dissolved solids may also affect the effectiveness of such treatments. - You can look up studies that support - temperature, turbidity, and dissolved solids effects with the chem agents. Based on what I have personally found, I use bleach in BWCA - NOT A RECOMMENDATION for YOU. Wiki
Bleach with 30 min wait effective in CLEAN water like BWCA, up to 4 hours if water is turbid.
I would NOT use bleach in other questionable water situations, Filter or Boil would be the choice. From Wiki - In other areas frequented by hikers and campers, as well as places where many residents rely on untreated surface water, reliable prevention typically involves filtration with a filter that has a nominal 1-micrometer pore size. Most chemical treatment methods, including common point-of-use treatments such as iodine and chlorine dioxide, are considered unreliable in inactivating Giardia cysts. Water parameters such as temperature, turbidity, and dissolved solids may also affect the effectiveness of such treatments. - You can look up studies that support - temperature, turbidity, and dissolved solids effects with the chem agents. Based on what I have personally found, I use bleach in BWCA - NOT A RECOMMENDATION for YOU. Wiki
09/26/2008 09:48AM
Our outfitter supplied us with a steri-pen. We thought we were using it right by pushing the button for only a few seconds, but since I have found out we should have been doing this for approximately at minute or longer.. don't even know if the thing was working at all...
so we were drinking the water from Lake Three right from the campsite shoreline and we were fine..no one got sick..
so we were drinking the water from Lake Three right from the campsite shoreline and we were fine..no one got sick..
Never lost. All portages and roads go somewhere or they would not be there.
09/26/2008 12:13PM
I have been on nearly 50 trips and rarely filter of treat my drinking water. Most of my trips are to less traveled areas. I usually fill up in deep water. I do bring a filter but rarely use it. You should use filtered water when doing first aid.
"Dance between the rain drops of life"
"Dance between the rain drops of life"
Dance Between the Raindrops!
09/26/2008 07:02PM
I'm always amused by the"I've been drinking right from the lake for ...".
If my filter only saved one case of Giardia in 20 years it would be worth it.
It's like some of the seat belt arguments.
My seat belt has only saved my life once, so I guess I don't really need it, but I sure have enjoyed the twenty years since that one time!
If my filter only saved one case of Giardia in 20 years it would be worth it.
It's like some of the seat belt arguments.
My seat belt has only saved my life once, so I guess I don't really need it, but I sure have enjoyed the twenty years since that one time!
09/27/2008 01:25PM
Dennisal,
With a SteriPen, the length of time you hold in a button has nothing to do with anything. You push the button either once or twice, depending on the amount of water you are sterilizing. Pushing the button, either once or twice, causes the little red light to begin blinking. Before the red light quits blinking, you must bring the metal sensors, at the bottom of the handle, into contact with the water or the UV light will not go on and begin the sterilizing process. How long the UV light stays on depends on whether you pushed the button once or twice.
You can normally see the UV light but if the sun is too bright, you can step into the shade and easily see it.
If outfitters are sending SteriPens out with their clients, they should be including a copy of written instructions.
I think the SteriPen is great for one or possibly two people, very light and compact. For a group of 4, I lean towards a gravity filter.
I also admit to dipping from the middle of a big lake, on a couple of occasions, when my Nalgene has run dry.
With a SteriPen, the length of time you hold in a button has nothing to do with anything. You push the button either once or twice, depending on the amount of water you are sterilizing. Pushing the button, either once or twice, causes the little red light to begin blinking. Before the red light quits blinking, you must bring the metal sensors, at the bottom of the handle, into contact with the water or the UV light will not go on and begin the sterilizing process. How long the UV light stays on depends on whether you pushed the button once or twice.
You can normally see the UV light but if the sun is too bright, you can step into the shade and easily see it.
If outfitters are sending SteriPens out with their clients, they should be including a copy of written instructions.
I think the SteriPen is great for one or possibly two people, very light and compact. For a group of 4, I lean towards a gravity filter.
I also admit to dipping from the middle of a big lake, on a couple of occasions, when my Nalgene has run dry.
The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end that's all there is. ___Mr Carson (Downton Abby)
01/27/2009 07:49PM
I used to just drink out of the lake with a cup until I found a 5 inch tapeworm swimming one day. I use a water filter/purifier now. The water tastes great. On sawbill last year the algae was bad and just boiling did not remove the dead particles. A good filter should last you the trip and if you split it with the 4 guys it would be only $25.
"So many lakes, so little time." WWJD
01/31/2009 04:08PM
We bring a filter, but for convenience, I usually just use the Polar Pure I keep in my daypack or pocket. A capful or two, let it sit a while, and I'm good to go.
Build a man a fire, keep him warm for a night; set a man on fire, keep him warm the rest of his life.
03/09/2009 03:53PM
I have never filtered or boiled since '88. My uncle got the squirts from drinking water right after the portage from isabella river to bald eagle . It set him up for a day. Last i took a group out and one of the guys had one of them fancy filters he used in Colorado... he was drinking from the lake without the filter on day 2 with everyone else, maybe it was peer pressure.
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