Do You Drink The Water?

[ARCAT]

When hunting in the west? Some buddies are going to CO this fall and there is alot of info out there that all their water should be filtered and or purified. I don't doubt it. I however drink the water in Idaho and have for years, and have never had a hunter get sick either.

I've drank the water in idaho, MT, BC, and the yukon without a second thought. Some of that water in the yukon and BC has so much glacier silt it looks like milk but still tastes good.

I also cap horns, and split spines without necessarily washing my hands or knives and saddle axe too well either. may need to rethink alot of things in the future.

 

[OSOK]

I think alot of it depends on the individual. The fact that I've came down w/ Giardia 3 times in my life, tends to make me take things to the extreme. Always have the filter in my day pack w/ my anymore. There's been a few times over the years, where I didn't have the filter, and absolutely needed a drink. If there's a natural spring up high on a mountain, and you can get at it near the source I think a person is ok. The squits ain't much fun though that's for sure.

 

[Washington Hunter]

My brother, dad, his buddy, and I were hunting in the Bob Marshall in Montana back in '93, and 3 out of 4 of us got sick from drinking water out of the creeks. The outfitter had told us the water was safe. |oo

I lost 30 lbs before I finally decided I had better go to the doc. (I looked like an Ethiopian)

So all I can say is DON'T DO IT!!!

 

[ARCAT]

I guided an absent minded professor one time from Penn State. He had a real elaborate thoery on giardia. Claimed if you ever got it, it was with you forever, and anyone who ever spent much time in the woods already had it, but could fight it off enough to stay healthy. It made sense, but I'm not sure its true.

 

[BRD DAWG]

There are a few high mountain streams I will drink out of but for the most part I bring my own. I've had hunting partners get giardia and I don't want any part of that s***.

 

[OSOK]

AC,

I've heard the same thing. Whether it's true or not, who's to say. All I know is once you've had it, you're far more susceptible to getting it again. Supposedly the lil bastages latch onto the intestine lining. Some people it wreaks havoc, others will never know they have had it. Just depends on the persons innerds I guess.

You're right though, it ain't worth messing around with.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

30 years ago, we used to drink the water from the streams and springs in the Wilderness Areas without a second thought. Those days are over now.

 

[Quiet_One]

Well, interesting i never drank bad water , kinda hate water but need it, So i drink it my grmapa had that well water nasty, i like reg water city i guess but i htink safer buy from store u get rust in it sometimes :eeK:, sorry hear ya got sick, Wh glad ur ok

 

[BigHornRam]

Never had beaver fever....yet. I'll drink from springs and small streams. I filter lake and creek water.

 

[Nemont]

Why chance ruining a hunt over drinking bad water? Filters are cheap and effective. I have never gotten the bug yet but have had plenty of buddies who have gotten the hershey squirts. To me it is just common sense to not drink unfiltered water.

I just don't want to get sick, while hunting, from something that is preventable. I have even drank water with those nasty Iodine pills to be safe. In Saudi Arabia the army put so much chlorine in our water that it bleached all of our hair blond but never got sick from it. It was like drinking bleach straight from the bottle.

Nemont

 

[jerrym]

I had beaver fever over 30 years ago. When I was 14 a friend and I camped up by Lolo hotsprings in western Montana. Our moms packed us a ton of food , but we were going to live off the land. The first night we had fresh water clams and trout. We never cooked the clams long enough I remember and I got giardia. I got mono at the same time. Talk about weak and sick. I had a paper route and on Sunday with a big load of papers on my back I stopped to rest and fell a sleep on my neighbors porch. Any way I always filter my water, it is not worth it. My mom still gives me a bad time, the other day she said do you remember when you were pooping pearls Jerrym

 

[mtmiller]

My mom still gives me a bad time, the other day she said do you remember when you were pooping pearls

Thanks for that little tid-bit.

I always filter my water even way up on the mountain. Heck, it is just another 10 ounces of protection.

 

[Ridge Runner]

While we are on the subject what type of filter systems do some of you carry in your pack with you. I am debating going from the tablets to a small filtering system in the future.

 

[mtmiller]

I use a Pur Hiker

http://www.epinions.com/content_81176333956

 

[WH's OutdoorsChick]

My brother, dad, his buddy, and I were hunting in the Bob Marshall in Montana back in '93, and 3 out of 4 of us got sick from drinking water out of the creeks. The outfitter had told us the water was safe. |oo

I lost 30 lbs before I finally decided I had better go to the doc. (I looked like an Ethiopian)

So all I can say is DON'T DO IT!!!

We should go back to MT and get me some of that water

 

[csutton7]

usually giardia doesn't hit until after a week or two of drinking bad water--it is highly contagious--

my brother and I got it this year in Idaho--he took medicine after about a month or so, but I bucked up and crapped it out(literally)--took about 2 months before I was back to normal--if I ever was normal---it's a bitch--for the first month I would feel ok for a day or two and then feel like $hit--never puked, but was close--and yes I visited ol' mr john 6-8 times a day---as days went by I slowly got better and better--I can guarantee you that you don't want to visit the canorama after someone has been in there that has such an ailment--it's a knee buckler---funny thing was we had a filter, but that knuckleheaded brother of mine said we dont' need it --look at the water--it's roaring--and for the life of me why I listened now to my brother or younger years can only be given to the fact that I had to haul our camp by myself while he pretended to help and I got fatigued altitude sickness(that's my story and I'm stickin' to it)-----well he and I won't make that mistake again--DON'T CHANCE IT--chris

 

[Quiet_One]

Well nermont that pretty dabgerous sad hear yall ogt sick now i know never to drink unsafe water

 

[elkay]

Just rember fish piss in that water!! jk elkay

 

[Ridge Runner]

They do more than piss in ithump

 

[Moosie]

I've drank out of about 15-20 different streams in Idaho and never gotten sick. But I go once to Mexico last year and HAd the Squirts for a week, and I didn't even drink the water.

One guy fishing at Riggins a couple years ago caught it by Biting the Fishing line while tieing or biting off the extra line while steelhead fishing. Even in a big river that time of year. He went to the 'Spital to make sure.

I have a KAtadyn Filter, $59 at REI. Used it in AK 2 years ago and it worked great :