water filters

[Bergamo]

Are water filters really necessary in New England? I treat water with Potable Aqua tablets. Where are they needed?

 

[severine]

You'd think they're necessary after you get a case of giardia.

I've always used a filter on the trail if I needed water other than what I brought from home. Not worth the risk.

 

[Stache]

iodine or chlorine tablets to make it safe then run it through the good ol' NSA 10P to make it taste good.

 

[MichaelJ]

There are virtually no outdoor water sources that are not contaminated with giardia. It doesn't require any sign of human-based contamination, it can and does come from wildlife. You can treat with iodine or chlorine tablets so long as you make sure that you follow the directions for the amount of time required before drinking, or you can use a filter rated with a small enough pore size to remove the little buggers.

Remember, you never know when you're going to get water out of a brook only to find a dead moose just upstream in it!

 

[Mike P.]

Why chance it? Last time I chanced it 1992, BSP