Can I treat 2 liters of water in my hydration bladder by filling it in a stream or lake and adding the proper amount of Micropur tablets, Aquamira tablets or the like? Should I fill a liter bottle add the tabs and then add to bladder? Do I need to wait the proper time before adding to bladder? What is everyone's thoughts one this matter?

I don't see any reason you can't treat water in a bladder.

Sure you could. They are harder to fill at a stream than a rigid bottle, but it's doable. But having a rigid bottle along would make it easier.

Forever, I've done the following when chemically treating my water in a bottle:

Put in a tablet / drops. When dissolved, I invert the bottle, unscrew the lid a little until I get a dribble, then tighten it. I do that so everything, including the bottlecap and threads are exposed to the halogen. Okay, it's being anal-retentive, but anal-retention is better than dirrahea.

In a bladder you have much more volume of water in the drinking tube. Mostly what's there is already treated from the last filling. And maybe the water swishes around enough that there is enough mixing of dissolved chemicals. But between the bother of filling a bladder and my uncertainity about complete treatment, I use bladders only for 2-3 hour trips when I fill only at home.

I do make an exception when I'm being the sherpa for a large group and carrying a few gallons of water. Then I may use a 2.5 gallon / 10-liter bladder in a nylon bag to haul a lot and I'll toss in 10 tablets to treat it. But it doesn't have a drinking tube, just a wine-in-a-box rubber nipple as a valve.

"Anal-retention is better than diarrhea."

A new bumper sticker? On the inside cap of a Snapple?

My girlfriend's dad has started using a few drops of bleach in his water to purify it, based on a thru-hiker he saw do it on the PCT. Thoughts?

"Anal-retention is better than diarrhea."

A trend politicians don't seem to follow...

"My girlfriend's dad has started using a few drops of bleach in his water to purify it, based on a thru-hiker he saw do it on the PCT. Thoughts?"

Bleach is good for viruses and bacteria, but ineffective against protozoa. I too treat my water with bleach, wait 20 minutes, then suck water through my Aquamira Frontier Pro filter -- which will block the bigger, harder-to-kill protozoa, clarify water, and improve taste by removing all traces of chlorine. The filter is extremely versatile to use, and weighs just 2oz.

I've heard a lot about these types of filters, seems like there are a few companies who make them, do they just go in-line between the hose and the mouthpiece?

Cody:

The great thing about the Frontier Pro -- aside from being one of the lightest and most compact of filters -- is its versatility. You can use it in any of the ways below:

o screw directly onto your bottle (such as Platypus) and drink from the provided bite valve (removable)
o use as gravity filter
o use as in-line filter

Speaking as one who had amoebic dysentery in the Philippines last month I'd say always treat your water. (I did get the amoebic from eating raw tomatoes & onions.)

I just pop Micropur tabs in my bladder after filtering the water through a #2 coffee filter. I do it at night and in the morning I loosen the fill cap a bit and let the purified water get on the threads & re-tighten. Then I let some treated water out the bite valve to clean it too. Always works.

For IMMEDIATE clean water I use my Steripen in a bike bottle. usually for getting ready to make electolyte drink or if I need water in the evening after I've just treated my water bladder.

Edited by Danepacker on 02/24/2012 19:35:37 MST.

Or you could also have a mixed. try this
2 Tbsp of apple cider
2 Tbsp of baking soda
1 tsp of cayenne pepper

Put in an 8 oz glass and fill with water and mix. Taste not the greatest, but it works. Take two to three times a day. Apparently, a warm bath with ginger powder and baking soda helps as well

[urldecode=http://www.spicedcider.org]spiced rum cider[/url]