4 ms·
I feel like drinking unpurified water out of desperation is a tale you'll eventually hear from people that've been outdoors a lot. It will either end unpleasant
by gao8a 9y ago
I feel like drinking unpurified water out of desperation is a tale you'll eventually hear from people that've been outdoors a lot. It will either end unpleasantly or with extreme emphasis on how lucky they were that it didn't end unpleasantly.
- hprotagonist 9y agoI think i heard this on "Survivorman", but also from many thru-hiker friends. Dying of dehydration is a whole lot faster than giardiasis. If you're in a survival situation and are reasonably sure of a rescue in less than 14 days, go ahead and drink that water! Otherwise, don't.
- loeg 9y agoYep. If you're dehydrated because you didn't bring adequate water or a filter, and drinking unfiltered water will get you to civilization (trailhead, car, etc), it is better to have giardia (in a few hours) than to be dead.
- omnius19 9y agoThis is also why Imodium is included in most thru-hikers first aid kits. It decreases the effects of diarrhea to keep you hydrated long enough to reach civilization if you get giardia in the backcountry.
- Avshalom 9y agoSure drinking it out of desperation is a tale. A shit ton of us grew up drinking water on the philosophy "clear+fast=safe" it's just that "I was a kid and half a mile from my house and thirsty" isn't much of a story to tell. Not that I under the impression that it's inherently safe just that none of the umpteen millions of us who surive and don't think it's a story.
- ghaff 9y agoI think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. I’ve certainly had some untreated water from time to time and never had an issue. To be clear I don’t advocate putting yourself in a position where you have to do so. But I also don’t think it’s extraordinary luck to not get giardiasis because I end up swallowing a mouthful of water whitewater paddling or because I’m dehydrated and have no water treatment.