Safe Drinking Water - Six Tips For Backpacking

One thing you always here when talking to professionals about what pitfalls you should avoid in any sport is dehydratrion. Your body needs it to function at peak performance levels. Whether mountain backpacking overnight or taking an extended backpacking holiday, how you handle your water supply is essential. For further information on the best way to treat water while backpacking visit Backpacking For Beginners

Safe drinking water is a necessity, and these guidelines will help you be sure you have it.

On a day hike, safe drinking water isn't an issue. You can carry what you need. But when backpacking, you will most likely be using chemical water purification or filters to resupply yourself using natural sources of water. Both of these can fail at times. A filter can break or get clogged, and pills can be lost, damaged, or just not effective if the water you start with is too murky.

What you need then, if you want to be fully prepared when entering the wilderness, is a little knowledge, just in case. You need to know how to find safe drinking water, or make it. Here are some tips to remember when planning a hike.

Safe Drinking Water Tips

1. Use your map. See if there are farms or grazing lands or campgrounds upstream from where you are collecting your water. If so, be sure to boil it or use a heavier-than-normal dose of whatever chemical disinfectant you are using. Better yet, collect water somewhere else.

2. Use glacial melt water. If you collect water that is running out from under a glacier or is still near the glacier that it melted from, it is more likely to be safe. This is the best way to treat water while backpacking around glaciers. No guarantee, but in an emergency, it is likely better than the water from a cow pasture. If you have chemical purification tablets or a filter, it is more easily purified than muddy water (but allow lots of time for chemical purification of cold water).

3. Look at the surface. If there is a rainbow-colored sheen to the water, it may be toxic. If the color is from natural bacteria which are generally harmless, it will usually break apart when you poke a stick into it. If it doesn't, it may be petroleum-based, and should be avoided.

4. Smell the foam. Foam on water can be from industrial pollution or detergents, in which case it isn't really safe drinking water. But if the foam separates easily when disturbed and smells earthy, it is probably natural foam created by the plants in the water and the agitation of the current or waterfalls. In that case it does not indicate toxicity.

5. Look around. If you are mountain backpacking near trail crossings or places where people camp, try to collect your water upstream of these areas. If it is a short walk, you may also want to get above any meadow where animals graze.

6. Treat clear water. If the water is murky, your filter may clog or your chemical treatment may not be effective. To solve this problem, let the water settle for a while in any container you have, and then pour off the clearer water after the dirt settles out. You can also strain water through a bandana or t-shirt to get the big stuff out.

In any case, look for the clearest water that is furthest from sources of contamination. Filter, treat with chemicals, boil, or take your chances. Safe drinking water is a necessity, so plan ahead. Don't let contaminated water ruin your backpacking holiday.

Backpacking And Hiking Journals

At the draw is a spring with clear flowing water. Around my tent is a thicket of rhododendron. Although the wind roars above me, the sides of my tent barely flutter. This will be the warmest spot I could possibly choose for this night. This is the type of camp you dream about.

Backpacking Water Filters

According to conventional backpacking wisdom, giardia contaminates all wilderness water, and we hikers and campers need to purify every drop that we drink; as well as what we use for cooking and brushing teeth.

The Advantages of Using A Water Filter When Hiking

While hiking, your drinking water is extremely important. As long as you will be near a good water source, save some pack weight with a portable water filter. Using a backpacking water filter will make your hike easier and your water will be delicious and safe.

Six Hiking And Backpacking Tips

On Mount Whitney I saw hikers eight miles from the nearest road, at nightfall, with no water, facing a sub-freezing night with short sleeves. They underestimated the time they needed for the trip. They also hadn’t prepared for the dehydration dangers.

To get the ebook "Ultralight Backpacking Secrets (And Wilderness Survival Tips)" for FREE, as well as photos, gear recommendations, and a new wilderness survival section, visit: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com

By Steven Gillman Published: 11/14/2007

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