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Anecdotally evidence: I've been backpacking for 25 plus years and am an avid filter user. But I have met dozens of people who do not, almost all on the AT (wh
by PacketPaul 9y ago
Anecdotally evidence: I've been backpacking for 25 plus years and am an avid filter user. But I have met dozens of people who do not, almost all on the AT (where I backpack the most). In the 90's it was quite common to find thru-hikers not using a filter. I have never met anyone who got sick from unfiltered water.
Will this change my behavior. Probably not. But I will stop treating my contaminated side of the filter like it it covered with ebola.
- robotresearcher 9y agoYou should avoid that contamination. The raw water does contain bacteria, just in low enough doses for your immune system to handle it. You have deliberately concentrated days worth of bugs in a small spot, so it’s likely to be nasty.
- yourapostasy 9y agoWould UV light help mitigate that small spot's infectiousness? After reading this thread, I'm writing to MSR about whether treating their Guardian filter with my ozone generator in a small box to 1 ppm for half an hour after I get back would void their support. I don't touch it now, but I'd rather kill the bugs than leaving them to desiccate in storage.