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L.T.sully
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I'd invest in a filter, it might be a bit expensive, but you'll end up spending on other gear.
If you really can't afford it, boil.
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bumabu
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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.
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prettypaddle
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Uh, bumabu, I sure hope that's a gas can that's never been used for gas before...
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612er
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I don't know if they cost any less but one of those gravity filters may be a good alternative option. It would probably be great for a lazy guy trip.
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Bannock
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dwg, doesn't drinking water boiled on the fire taste like smoke? When I've done it, it has.
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ziggens66
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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.
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abcrodgers
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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
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dogwoodgirl
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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.
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bassmaster
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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.
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Bannock
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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.
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obadiah
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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.
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Canoe Dude
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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.
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wetcanoedog
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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--
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overthehill
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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.
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Rapid Runner
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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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moose plums
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We used to boil water years ago, and in my opinion the taste sucks, to put it bluntly. I would filter.
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Geronimo
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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.
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Ralphthewonderllama
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In your expert opinion, is this Beaver Poop? 
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Malamom
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If it's beaver poop, the beaver does NOT have giardia. Giardia poop is slimy, runny and often times greenish. In my somewhat expert opinion that is.
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Geronimo
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So basically don't drink slimy, runny or greenish water.
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dogwoodgirl
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Bannock- it does taste smoky, but that doesn't bother me. Beats the pants off the taste of Minneapolis city water, which is what I grew up on!
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adam
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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).
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alpinebrule
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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.
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bumabu
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Didn't know they were sinkers, thanks for the info.
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timatkn
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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
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gutmon
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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.).
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Bannock
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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.
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canoller
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if you need to boil the water to purify,cover pot with a lid to help keep the smoke out of the pot of water thereby eliminating alot of the campfire taste
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bumabu
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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.
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Georgiaboy
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UV Aquastar. It works I promise. After 7 years it is the only way to go IMHO.
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arcticfern II
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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.
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kanoes
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for 70 bucks and 1.5 lbs....ill stick with my purifier thank you.
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bumabu
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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".
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obadiah
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my brother volunteered his water filter, so ill use that. probably no collapsable water bucket, though it came in very handy last time. just nalgenes.
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bogwalker
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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.
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benr0
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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
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Ralphthewonderllama
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Actually the red cross wants you to filter THEN boil and Then treat with bleach. http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_563_,00.html
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gutmon
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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.
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obadiah
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7 months and this thread is still going!
water filters ftw!
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Savage Voyageur
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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.
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Les Ismore
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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.
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izzy
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I use a First Need filter / purifier. The filter cannister lasts a long time and we take in a 2 gallon collapsible water jug. We have never had any problems. The cost of the unit is well worth not having the sickness. Izzy
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gannettpk97
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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"
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Dennisal
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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..
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oldgentleman
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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!
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Georgiaboy
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Looks like the Beavers pooped on USC last night.
Hope the Dawgs don't get pooped on by the elephants tomorrow.
What does Golden Gopher poop look like?
Sorry just realized this was a drinking water thread :)
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mongo65
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I filter my water. I have also learned (From this great site!) to put a coffee filter over the intake hose to act as a primary filter and extend the life of your canister.
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Jeriatric
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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.
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