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  1. #1
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    Question Aquatabs or filtration?

    Hi, in past I have used aquatabs as my method of water purification. I was wondering what everyone uses, if aquatabs and the like are popular, or filtration straws. Thanks!

  2. #2
    Registered User Sandy of PA's Avatar
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    Sawyer Squeeze filter, is the most commonly used method that I have seen on the AT.

  3. #3
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    Have you ever used aqua mira drops? If so, how did they compare to the tabs?

    Asking because I bought the tabs by mistake and am wondering if I should stick with them or pick up the drops.

  4. #4
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    I carry these as a back-up to my pump purifier...

    https://www.amazon.com/Taharmayim-Is...ioxide+tablets

  5. #5
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    I use Aquamira and have for a very long time. Aquatabs do not work against cryptosporidium which may or not be an issue on the AT. Aquamira comes in drops and pill forms. Aquamira drops are much more cost effective than tabs including Aquatabs. A bottle package runs $13-15 and will last you a month on the trail. They weigh about 3.2 oz but will reduce as you use them.

    Murky water you'll want to pre filter with a bandanna and you have to wait about 20-30 minutes to drink. I think they are the lowest weight option besides the pill form. I'll carry few Aquamira tabs in case the bottles run dry on the trail.

  6. #6
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    Here is a comparison I found. Not sure how accurate it is.


  7. #7
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    Sawyer squeeze is 3 oz . Can drink water with no waiting. So for me it's lighter then chemicals. Must keep filter from freezing.

  8. #8
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    Only problem with a Sawyer Squeeze is that neither it, nor most other backpacking filters, remove viruses. So, if you are concerned about norovirus or hepatitis (not common problems in back-country water in North America), you would want to add a drop of bleach or other chemical to your filtered water kill the viruses. But, since viruses are quite quick and easy to disable chemically, you don't need as much chemical or as much time if you are treating water that has already had the protozoa and bacteria removed by a filter.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  9. #9
    Registered User swjohnsey's Avatar
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    Just about anything works on the AT because there is little need to treat the water as it is coming right out the side of a mountain. I think I treated my water about twice using bleach. Aquamira is probably the most common chemical treatment on the trail.

  10. #10
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    I have met some that double treat water filter then chemicals. I'm in the less is more camp;0)

    thom

  11. #11
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    Sawyer mini squeez hands down. Instant Ive used 1 for 4 years now and hundreds of gallons. You wont regret thw $20 purchase. Pick up the 2 pack of 64oz squeez bags makes it a perfect kit to hang gravity feed or squeez.

    Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cheyou View Post
    Sawyer squeeze is 3 oz . Can drink water with no waiting. So for me it's lighter then chemicals. Must keep filter from freezing.
    The 3 ounces is the dry weight of the Squeeze and it is never dry on the trail. Plus you are probably carrying some accessories so Aquamira drops are lighter weight. Tabs are much more so. But the weight difference is not big enough to matter much.

  13. #13
    Registered User Guyler's Avatar
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    Do many people carry Aquamira or other chemical treatment as backup for the sawyer squeeze?

  14. #14

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    On longer hikes I bring two forms of water purification: a Sawyer Squeeze and Aqua Mira drops. Most would say this is overkill. I tend to use the Sawyer during the day as I pause at water sources or so I can grab a liter of dirty water and drink out of it via the filter without stopping. I like the filter because, uh, it is a filter and gets dirt and stuff out of the water.

    But I noticed that when I make camp I like to go get a lot of water ... to get through dinner, breakfast, and to take for the following morning. At that time of day I am never in the mood to sit at a stream squeezing a filter for 15 minutes. The drops are great in that situation.

    I'll use both if the water seems really sketchy, but that doesn't happen often.

    If you are uncertain for a thru hike I'd say bring both and within a week or so you'll know what works for you.

  15. #15

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    The problem with chemicals is you have to wait for them to work and the colder the water, the longer the wait. Up to 45 minutes to be safe. Many people don't time the treatment and drink it way too soon for it to be effective, so they shouldn't have bothered in the first place.

    I use a filter because if I feel I need to purify the water (which is pretty rare, but depends on the source) I don't want to wait. Plus, since I drink pure, mountain stream at home, I don't want to be drinking chemically treated water out on the trail and ruin the taste.
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  16. #16
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    I use Aqua Mira this time of year because I don't want to run the risk of my filter freezing. If I'm melting snow for water, I just boil it. (Similarly, water that I boil for meals or hot drinks doesn't have to be treated.)

    In the summer, I use a Sawyer Mini. I still carry Aqua Mira and like to use it at least every couple of days to make sure the surfaces on my water containers are clean.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  17. #17
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    I have used Aquamira and Steripen on quick day hikes. I also used Katadyn Hiker Pro.
    ''Tennessee Viking'
    Mountains to Sea Trail Hiker & Maintainer
    Former TEHCC (AT) Maintainer

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by hyperslug View Post
    The 3 ounces is the dry weight of the Squeeze and it is never dry on the trail. Plus you are probably carrying some accessories so Aquamira drops are lighter weight. Tabs are much more so. But the weight difference is not big enough to matter much.
    No extras and it's lighter I can drink at the he source. No waiting.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cheyou View Post
    No extras and it's lighter I can drink at the he source. No waiting.
    Why would I filter when I could add chemicals to the fresh water taste

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cheyou View Post
    Why would I filter when I could add chemicals to the fresh water taste
    Because you either have to sit and wait for the chemicals to do their thing before drinking it, or carry the extra pounds. With a filter you can drink immediately.

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