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Originally Posted by Ian and Sue
Drinking out of surface water sources today is not a good idea at all like others have said Giardia is real and not good for you. Any water taken from a surface water source that is used for consumption should be treated...yes that means coffee, brushing teeth, drinking etc. There are basically three options: 1. filter the water to a point that bacteria are filtered out like this product https://www.msrgear.com/catalog/prod...er/category/7/ Option 2. boil water for 10 minutes yes 10 minutes full rolling boil ( go ahead carry that much stove fuel it weighs almost as much as the water) or option 3 treat the water with chlorine or another approved product. For this you can buy tablets but be sure to follow the directions to the letter or they will not be effective. OR Option 4 play roulette and drink the water....you may get sick or you may not....do you want to take the chance ?
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I had an 18 ft , 160 lb freighter canoe on my shoulders and a Duluth pack full of gear on my back . I suppose I could have tried to carry another 50 lbs of water but some of the portages were over 3/4 of a mile long. I agree with you that the quality of surface water varies too much to assume it is safe to drink .
We got our moose , no one got sick or injured and we had a good time.
We live on a lake and my family often swims or water skis during the summer. All of us have gotten more than a few mouthful of lake water over the years and survived.
I am not making light of your concerns just pointing out my experiences