Water treatment tablets and Cryptosporidium

[OldBill]

Do those that use tablets (Aquamira or Katadyn) bother to wait the 4 hours required to kill crypto?

Used repackaged Aquamira drops for years, but had a dropper bottle crack in the field. Had tabs as a backup (pulverized tho). Same 15 min for bacteria for drops and tabs. Not worried about viruses where I mostly backpack (Wind Rivers, White Mountains). Have never waited 4 hrs before drinking, but ...

Debating tablets vs Sawyer filter and 2L Evernew.

 

[regehr]

I never wait that long. I give it 30 min unless the water is really cold, in which case I try to give it a bit longer.

I just got back from a trip where my friend had a Katadyn Befree bottle, which was MUCH better than a sawyer (I sort of hate the sawyer filters, just too much effort per liter). would absolutely recommend for trips where you're often near water (for desert trips where you end up filtering a lot at a time, I prefer a gravity filter).

the nice thing about the befree bottle is that it's so quick and easy that we were mostly drinking fresh, cold water, instead of tepid stuff that had been in our packs for hours or longer.

 

[Jackson]

I never wait that long. I give it 30 min unless the water is really cold, in which case I try to give it a bit longer.

I just got back from a trip where my friend had a Katadyn Befree bottle, which was MUCH better than a sawyer (I sort of hate the sawyer filters, just too much effort per liter). would absolutely recommend for trips where you're often near water (for desert trips where you end up filtering a lot at a time, I prefer a gravity filter).

the nice thing about the befree bottle is that it's so quick and easy that we were mostly drinking fresh, cold water, instead of tepid stuff that had been in our packs for hours or longer.

The Befree gravity filter setup is excellent as well. @Wanderlust073 had one on a trip we did earlier this year, and I picked one up the next week because it was so impressive. Can't beat the speed of the Befree system, whether it's the bottle or the gravity setup.

 

[OldBill]

Thanks! Saw a few reports of Befree failing/clogging after a few uses, but they stated the water sources weren't clear. Neither was able to clean it in the field. Stock bottle didn't have good reviews, but neither do Sawyer bags. Sawyer is 4 oz saturated. Couldn't find number for Befree, but can't beat that flow rate! Great on the go option with a better bottle. Purchased a 2L Evernew that I can use for water haul to camp if nothing else (might rig a solar shower with it).

Some still use chlorine dioxide in the Winds, but it's seeing a lot more visitors these days, so I may have to up my base weight...

 

[Wanderlust073]

Filtered that flow of liquid dirt they call the Green River down in Canyonlands without clogging. Cleaning the filter is just a matter of shaking it in water so I guess if your water source is that bad you're just good and well f.....

edit: befree hanging bag, not bottle thing

 

[RyanP]

Does the befree filter as thoroughly/effectively as the Sawyer? Whenever I hear that one filter has a better flow rate than another, I question whether it just isn't filtering as much stuff out. Similarly, when I hear that you just need to shake the befree instead of backflushing, I'm a little skeptical of how much it's actually filtering

 

[Jackson]

Does the befree filter as thoroughly/effectively as the Sawyer? Whenever I hear that one filter has a better flow rate than another, I question whether it just isn't filtering as much stuff out. Similarly, when I hear that you just need to shake the befree instead of backflushing, I'm a little skeptical of how much it's actually filtering

From what I can see, both filter to 0.1 microns. And I've yet to get sick from any water I've drank from it, so I guess so far, so good. Haha.

 

[wsp_scott]

Does the befree filter as thoroughly/effectively as the Sawyer? Whenever I hear that one filter has a better flow rate than another, I question whether it just isn't filtering as much stuff out. Similarly, when I hear that you just need to shake the befree instead of backflushing, I'm a little skeptical of how much it's actually filtering

I think it is the same filter membrane, but the housing is constructed differently. The Befree is basically open at the intake end (check out the first photo in Phil's review https://sectionhiker.com/katadyn-befree-water-filter-review/). I think this is where the fast flow rate comes from.

I have stuck with Sawyer because I like that it uses standard threads so it fits on something like a Smartwater bottle.

 

[b.stark]

I've used the katadyn tablets for years and usually only wait 30 minutes. Far as I am aware, cryptosporidium isn't a major concern in places where I have backpacked, though, and i only occasionally do tablets. Not a fan of the taste. They are reserved for backup or packing extra light for an overnighter.

For the most part i use a Sawyer squeeze (regular size, not mini) or a platypus gravityworks. I drank a fair bit of untreated water in alaska last year though and i turned out fine, for whatever that's worth.

 

[regehr]

I know the advice ("filter or poison everything") and also the reasons for it, but I gotta say that I don't do either of those things when I feel pretty good about a water source, and I've never gotten sick.

anyone know if we have reasonably good data on how much of the time water would make us sick, or is this all just guesswork?

 

[regehr]

I drank a fair bit of untreated water in alaska last year though and i turned out fine, for whatever that's worth.

this most untreated water I ever drank was a 11 or 12 day trip in the Brooks Range when none of my group of five people treated anything for the duration of the trip. I was a bit nervous about this, but everyone was fine, including my brother who has had giardia multiple times and has a fairly sensitive gut...

 

[Jackson]

I know the advice ("filter or poison everything") and also the reasons for it, but I gotta say that I don't do either of those things when I feel pretty good about a water source, and I've never gotten sick.

anyone know if we have reasonably good data on how much of the time water would make us sick, or is this all just guesswork?

There’s No Reason to Filter Stream Water While Backpacking

If you got sick, it’s probably from your own poop, not the stream.

slate.com

That one made waves when it came out but seems to support your experiences. They caught a lot of flak from various places, but there seems to be some truth to what they're saying.

But for the record, I still filter my water because it's not a big inconvenience for me, and even if it's only a 1% chance I get sick off unfiltered water, I'd prefer not to run that risk.

 

[regehr]

But for the record, I still filter my water because it's not a big inconvenience for me, and even if it's only a 1% chance I get sick off unfiltered water, I'd prefer not to run that risk.

yeah I totally hear you and I most often also treat water, but on the other hand it's just so nice to not bother when you run across a spring or a stream out of a snowbank where the volume is so high that any possible contaminant is highly diluted...

 

[OwenM]

Does the befree filter as thoroughly/effectively as the Sawyer? Whenever I hear that one filter has a better flow rate than another, I question whether it just isn't filtering as much stuff out. Similarly, when I hear that you just need to shake the befree instead of backflushing, I'm a little skeptical of how much it's actually filtering

I don't know, but I've used Sawyers(Squeeze and Micro-I do NOT recommend the Mini) since they came out, and my buddy that I've done a weeklong trip and a couple overnighters with uses a BeFree. If there's a practical difference, I've yet to notice it. I use the Sawyers(with an Evernew bag) for the convenience, since I use Smartwater bottles. 20-25 seconds per .7L bottle when I put the grip on it.
There's no "flow rate". That's something someone just made up. It's called "Squeeze" for a reason. No doubt there's a limit(particularly the bags!), but the harder you squeeze, the faster it flows.

I think people get way too attached to whatever they use, as if bad-mouthing everything else somehow makes it better. I was happy with the PUR Voyageur pump(except the bulk and weight), happy with it when all I could get was the Hiker model filters, happy with the Sawyer Squeeze and Micro, and if for some reason I was forced to switch to a BeFree, I'm sure that'd be fine, too.

 

[LarryBoy]

I have occasionally waited 4 hrs for Aquamira to kill crypto, but only when drinking from a really nasty cow source. Usually it's 15 mins and I'm chugging away.

 

[OldBill]

E. coli E157 is used as the indicator of contamination. Rules were rolled back in 2015. Story and response from residents:
https://www.ksl.com/article/35659194/wyoming-streams-reclassified-to-allow-higher-e-coli-levels

http://deq.wyoming.gov/media/attach...-0830_Recreation-UAA_Response-to-Comments.pdf

"If you're in the Gros Ventre or the Wind River Range or the Fitzpatrick or the Bridger Wilderness, those small tributary waters are not being managed for primary recreation," he said. "They're allowing five times more E. coli in those streams that have been reclassified, and those streams of course all flow downhill."

There's also reports of human waste not properly buried in the Winds, with backcountry rangers having to clean up afterwards. Suspect it's high use areas like routes and areas surrounding Titcomb and Cirque. That's what prompted me to consider a filter vs chemical. So many more visitors in the last several years.