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  1. #1
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    Default Anything wrong with just Bleach/Aquamira

    I've always used bleach or Aquamira drops when hiking. Is there any significant disadvantage to using drops on the A.T.? Everyone seems to be using the Sawyer Mini. I don't know of any problems, aside from having to wait to drink. Will I be fine if I stick with drops instead of a filter for a thru hike?

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    You may be carrying extra weight when you consider the weight of water that is typically carried per purification method as the weight of water carried usually far surpasses the weight of the purification method.

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    AM is all thats needed.

    I know several people that tried the mini, and went back to the full size.

    Drink at sources, and on the AT, most of the year, you could get by without carrying any water.

    If your pack is light enough...............
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 02-10-2016 at 21:56.

  4. #4

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    Bleach is better than nothing but not by much. Stick with Aquamira. Even if someone has a mechanical filter they should have a backup like Aquamira as filters plug/break.

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    FYI: Bleach works pretty well for viruses and bacteria, but fails on gyrardia cysts and chryptosporidium cysts, two of the bugs that are the greatest concern to many people. Aquamira works on the protozoa cysts, but takes 3 hrs to do it. Filters remove and UV deactivates the cysts as part of the standard process.

  6. #6
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    Just a wild guess, but I bet maybe 25-30% of folks I saw on the AT used Aqua Mira, myself included.

    I'm a big Sawyer fan for here out west where the water isn't as clear and it's nice to filter out the stuff besides the microorganisms, but on the AT for the most part, the water is pretty darn clear.

  7. #7
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    AM is good stuff. The catch with chlorine is that if you overuse / underdilute, over time you put your gut flora at risk. Not something you want to do on a thru hike. Consider a filter with AM as a backup. You'll also appreciate having it at shallow or stagnant water sources!

  8. #8

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    For what its worth, if you are going to use chemicals in your water, in my view its best to stay with products like Aquamira drops as opposed to bleach. Dosing can be an issue with chlorine (both in not enough for the water load or too much) and it won't affect cysts that carry intestinal parasites, which for me is one of the primary reasons I filter all my water.

    Sodium hypochlorite is the ingredient in bleach where chlorine comes from and should be between 4% and 6% by volume. Depending on the bleach product, if that range is lower it may not perform the way you need it to, higher levels could create a health problem. Keep in mind chlorine is one of the most lethal toxins to living organisms there is, killing off your digestive system "bugs" can easily be done using chlorine and is not pleasant, never mind other impacts chlorine can have if it spills.

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    I always used a Sawyer filter . What is if any the advantage of Aquamira?

    Thom

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    The biggest disadvantage to a filter is that they will freeze up when winter trekking, and they aren't always easy to thaw in the field. I use Aquamira when the temps are below 25 or so.

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    Yes freezing can b a problem . Good point . I like to camel up at water source . Filter works better I think for this.

    Thom

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cheyou View Post
    I always used a Sawyer filter . What is if any the advantage of Aquamira?

    Thom
    I use both depending on where I am, and I find using AM slightly easier, plus an AM drops kit is lighter than the regular SS, assuming you include the syringe and bag in the total weights. Small differences though, but if in a place where the water is generally clear, I just simply prefer AM. No backflushing, no squeezing a bag, no bag for that matter. Just a simple preference in methods.

    Cameling-up at a water source is nice though, and I do that as well when carrying a filter. It is a bit frustrating to have to wait 1/2 hour.

  13. #13
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    I only use Aqua Mira. On the AT specifically, I wouldn't even think about using a filter. Most of the water sources are streams or springs with decent-quality water.

    FWIW, I used only AM on the PCT and CDT (where some of the water sources are super gross cow ponds) and never got sick. YMMV.

  14. #14
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    I'd bet 25% or more that use Sawyer/Platypus filters end up leaving them out in freezing weather, supposedly rendering them not trustworthy of working properly. That kinda sucks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by colorado_rob View Post
    Cameling-up at a water source is nice though, and I do that as well when carrying a filter. It is a bit frustrating to have to wait 1/2 hour.
    There's really no disadvantage to aqua mira with respect to your ability to camel up. You can take your break at a water source and just wait for the water to be treated. Where water is scarce, we usually plan ahead for this and take our breaks at the water.

    And if you can't wait, there's almost no advantage to drinking at the water source vs. carrying it til the AM has had its time. In terms of weight on your feet, it doesn't matter if you've drunk the water or are carrying it in your pack--same total weight. You probably can't drink more than 1-2 L at a sitting, so it's not like you'd be carrying 10 extra pounds of water in your pack that would otherwise be in your stomach. And if it's warm out and the water is clear (true for most of the AT), you only need to wait 15 minutes, not 30. That's not long to wait, even if it means a few extra pounds in your pack. One friend on the PCT used to carry her AM caps in her hand during the 5 minutes that the components were reaction so she could make miles in the interim.

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    Aqua Mira doesn't claim to kill giardia or cryptosporidia only bacteria and viruses (it does kill giardia and cryptosporidia but they haven't done the testing to claim it). Portable Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets do claim to kill giardia and cryptosporidia after 4 hours! The Army Public Health Center (link below) says that under normal conditions of water temperature and pH chlorine dioxide will kill giardia in as little as 6 minutes or as long as 79 minutes with Cryptosporidia it takes 2-15 hours. Bacteria are killed very quickly but viruses take almost as much time as giardia to be killed. Bleach is about as effective as Aqua Mira in killing bacteria, viruses, and giardia but is not effective against cryptosporidia. Waiting times for bleach are similar to chlorine dioxide. So you have to ask yourself, are you going to wait for hours to drink your treated water? If not then Aqua Mira really isn't much better bleach. What about filters? If they work properly they will take care of everything except viruses. The only method that is going to work quickly against everything is UV light - steripen. Wait you say, steripen does work well with cloudy water and you are right but then neither do any of the chemicals.
    Personally, I am most worried about bacteria and viruses because they are by far the most common contaminants. Luckily chemicals of all kinds and UV work well for bacteria and viruses. I carry a steripen and use bleach for backup.

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  17. #17

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    There are lots of ways to handle water treatment. I personally like to have Aqua Mira drops for treating larger volumes of water overnight or in-camp and a 3 oz SteriPen or Sawyer Squeeze for quick treatment of water on trail when I just want to "camel-up" and not carry much water.
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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by coat4gun View Post
    The biggest disadvantage to a filter is that they will freeze up when winter trekking, and they aren't always easy to thaw in the field. I use Aquamira when the temps are below 25 or so.
    A ceramic filter element that has frozen is no longer effective and must be discarded. Water expands as it freezes, and the filter pores get opened by microscopic cracks that are big enough to let the nasties pass through.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by coat4gun View Post
    The biggest disadvantage to a filter is that they will freeze up when winter trekking, and they aren't always easy to thaw in the field. I use Aquamira when the temps are below 25 or so.
    Good point about the filter, although treatment times can get extremely long (multiple hours) for near-freezing water. I think that leaves you with boiling and UV.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by sliverstorm View Post
    Good point about the filter, although treatment times can get extremely long (multiple hours) for near-freezing water. I think that leaves you with boiling and UV.
    By that point, you may well be melting your drinking water. If you have to melt it, you might as well boil it while you have a fire going.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

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