Hydration for Hunts

[matechakeric]

how much faith do you put in water filtration/tablets? do you run mountain water through only 1 filtration system or do you use separate filters? or perhaps drop water tablets into the water after?

also, 2L, 3L, or 4L for hydration bladder in your pack?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

3L in pack sometime bring another bladder depending on the situation.

More and more I just use tablets, filter is more for summer or bigger group trips.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

We have always done one either filter or tablets, not both.

Most of the time we use the Katydyn 10-liter base camp filter.
I like it because if it is a dry ridgetop camp, dropping down to pack up water,
we each will pack over 10 liters back up to camp.
For hunting, near water, hanging a 10-liter bag and letting gravity do all the work is nice also.

I've used tablets on sheep hunts when weight was a consideration.

We have had the steripen fail in murky glacial water....

Many thru-hikers like the sawyer squeeze filter and an old smartwater bottle.

 

[ZMT588]

I use the Sawyer squeeze an the smart bottle.

 

[Bambistew]

I have used a bunch of different filters over the years. I use a Platypus currently, have used the Sawyer mini and regular gravity, they plug up really easily, and flow goes south quick. The pump filters are not for me, and I don't like the taste of tablets, or want to wait the 30min to use/drink water. I do have a few tabs in my first aid kit just in case. I usually keep one 2L bag full and will bring another 2L and fill when I come across water depending on water scarcity, and also will fill my dirty water bag on return to camp, and try to leave a 2-3L full at camp. Sometimes we are not near a good water source, and its nice to not have to fetch water in the morning or evening when we get back to camp. My partner usually just has a 2-3L bladder and we share the camp water. Also at times when we are not moving camp but staying a while and when water is a long ways from camp, I'll bring one or two 4-5gal water bladders and fill it up and pack back to camp. Gravity filters are the way to go, IMO. The only thing tabs have is a tiny bit of weight savings. I can pack the extra 8oz.

 

[Redman]

Steri pen and back up water tablets. Have a Katadyn pump but since the steri pen I don't use it. Platypus 2 L Big mouth bladder and 2 Nalgene bottles. One for creek water for the steri pen and the for clean water only.

 

[matechakeric]

does katadyn do any bad stuff to your gut critters? anyone experience stomach issues after a few days on the tablets?

 

[matechakeric]

I have used a bunch of different filters over the years. I use a Platypus currently, have used the Sawyer mini and regular gravity, they plug up really easily, and flow goes south quick. The pump filters are not for me, and I don't like the taste of tablets, or want to wait the 30min to use/drink water. I do have a few tabs in my first aid kit just in case. I usually keep one 2L bag full and will bring another 2L and fill when I come across water depending on water scarcity, and also will fill my dirty water bag on return to camp, and try to leave a 2-3L full at camp. Sometimes we are not near a good water source, and its nice to not have to fetch water in the morning or evening when we get back to camp. My partner usually just has a 2-3L bladder and we share the camp water. Also at times when we are not moving camp but staying a while and when water is a long ways from camp, I'll bring one or two 4-5gal water bladders and fill it up and pack back to camp. Gravity filters are the way to go, IMO. The only thing tabs have is a tiny bit of weight savings. I can pack the extra 8oz.

which gravity filter do you use?

 

[Jc2020]

Steri pen and back up water tablets. Have a Katadyn pump but since the steri pen I don't use it. Platypus 2 L Big mouth bladder and 2 Nalgene bottles. One for creek water for the steri pen and the for clean water only.

I have a steri pen I haven’t used it yet I’ve been wondering how well they work

 

[ccc23454]

I use a pump directly into a 3l camelbak and have spare 3l bag for camp and some odd waterbottles. I hate tab taste but carry couple tabs incase pump breaks (happened once) tried all filter types pumps work best for my style plus i hate chunky water (steripen).

 

[nrpate05]

I usually carry two liters in a dromedary and a nalgene. Or a four liter depending on the situation. I usually use a pump but they are kind of a pain when it is cold. I get kind of paranoid about them freezing, so I usually put it in my sleeping bag which isn't great. Last backpack hunt I used tablets and I think I'm going to stick with that. A lot of mountain water is cleaner than you think, some is probably dirtier than you think too. I've never seen the need to double filter.

 

[Redman]

I have a steri pen I haven’t used it yet I’ve been wondering how well they work

They work great but they don't filter out debris. If it isn't running water from a stream then I put a cloth over the mouth of my Nalgene bottle. You will get floaters sometimes but I just consider that extra protein.

 

[pre6422hornet]

3L bladder in pack with a Sawyer Mini inline. I also carry an extra mini in my pack for stream drinking in a pinch and as a back up in case something happens to the Mini on the pack. Every night I take the mini off the bladder line and blow out the water and then wrap in a wool sock just as a precaution from freeze damage. Partner carries the same along with purification tablets.

 

[RSET]

how much faith do you put in water filtration/tablets? do you run mountain water through only 1 filtration system or do you use separate filters? or perhaps drop water tablets into the water after?

also, 2L, 3L, or 4L for hydration bladder in your pack?

I've used a number of different filters (MSR, Katadyn, Sawyer) and remember on more than one occasion having an impending sense of doom...While on one backpack archery elk hunt in AZ, I was relegated to a small, stagnant puddle of water in the bedrock of a drainage. The water was solid green, with an abundance of larval mosquitos. I remember watching the larva swimmingly happily in my MSR dromedary bag while I gravity fed into my Camelback. Considering this was the only water source I could locate within a few miles, I'm sure I wasn't the only one using it. The water was nice and clear on the other end and actually tasted OK - no GI issues ensued (I didn't treat the water - only filtered it once). This past September I had a similar situation in the Gila, except cattle had been urinating/defecating in the only puddle of water could find. I can say definitively the Sawyer Squeeze cannot eliminate the taste of cow urine, but I didn't get sick ;-). I am no longer hesitant to drink water from backpacking filters - just make sure you don't let them freeze or otherwise get damaged. Because the Sawyers are pretty cheap, I usually replace them 1-2 times a year (immediately if I suspect they froze).

 

[Shangobango]

plus i hate chunky water

First time I have heard that term. Made me throw up in my mouth a little.

 

[EJDXT20]

I have never used a water filter, (I'm totally new to this type of hunting/gear). We have done a lot of hiking but only day trips and always had enough water. Doing some research, the most important features seem to be pore size and whether or not the rating is absolute or nominal. Absolute means it is guaranteed no pores will be over the rating, nominal is an average, where some pores can be bigger or smaller, bigger being bad. I went with the Katadyn befree .6L as a portable backup option, but will also carry some aqua mira and use that in conjunction with the filter if the water looks really bad. Seems like adding something like aqua mira is usually recommended. I also have a 3L platypus bladder that I will fill up at basecamp every morning before heading out and will probably carry a Nalgene type bottle as well. I believe the platypus gravity system is .2 micron, and the katadyn base camp is as well, but katadyn also makes a 3L gravity system that is .1 micron. Not sure if the platypus is absolute or not.

 

[longjoshr]

I've used the MSR Miniworks on many backpacking trips, and it is slow, but doesn't seem to have the need to be cleaned as often as others. For those of you using gravity systems, how often are you having to clean or backflush the filter? My inherent thought is that relative surface area is what allows for more time between cleanings, but not claiming to be an expert...

 

[diazjm2378]

how much faith do you put in water filtration/tablets? do you run mountain water through only 1 filtration system or do you use separate filters? or perhaps drop water tablets into the water after?

also, 2L, 3L, or 4L for hydration bladder in your pack?

I will start using the smart water bottles this season will give them a try have read about how great they are for backpacking because of how light they are. Recently got myself a sawyer squeeze filter that I will be trying out for the first time.

 

[CJnGA]

I have used a Sawyer mini for solo hikes, but curious how folks handle base camp water - as in drive in/wall-tent type base camp. Was thinking of looking for the 5-gallon filtered water jugs at a grocery store and getting an adapter valve to make pouring a little easier. Would likely supplement with a Sawyer mini on the trail as necessary. Anybody tried that approach? Epic disaster waiting to happen?

 

[longjoshr]

Lots of good reviews on the Katadyn 10 liter gravity filter, and I believe that is what Newberg uses as well.