Ok, I know this is a MUCH talked about issue, but I'm totally new to chlorine dioxide (I've been filtering forever) and want to make the switch for a JMT thru-hike this summer. Forgive me, but I haven't found any real concise answers to my questions through a search. I'd like to know:
1. Is contaminated water on the outside of your treatment container a risk? If so, what do you do?
2. Pre-filtering through a bandana, etc: This seems to imply the use of a separate, "dirty", collection container. It seems a wide-mouth would be necessary for the treatment/drinking container so you could hold a bandana around the rim while pouring...

Am I on the right track here?

Would any of you be willing to (yes, again) explain the steps you take and your favorite containers?
Thanks for the help,
Craig

Edited by xnomanx on 05/13/2007 21:15:31 MDT.

I use a narrow-mouth Platy (1l). I fill it with water, add the ClO2, and pour some back into the cap which I then dump on the threads. I very seldom have to deal with water that has to be pre-filtered. A few floaties are par for the course and don't bother me. In the summer I'll take two platy bottles. I drink from one while the other is being treated. I turn the bottle being treated upside-down on the outside of my pack so I don't confuse it with the one that I am drinking from.

Thanks for the response James. I've always liked using Platy's, what you describe is pretty much what I had in mind.

For collecting untreated water from a "tricky" source, a Ziploc bag can do in a pinch if its difficult to fill the Platy bottle directly.

Jeff

Craig,

Yes untreated water around the top of your container could pose a risk, although likely a small one(in terms of micro-organism numbers) depending on the water source. To be safe just rinse the area with some treated water as was already mentioned

Water can be filtered through some sort of barrier(like cloth or nylon mesh/screen) either directly from the source or from another container, you decide. I prefer to find water sources with minimal 'floaties' and use a filter only if I need to.

Craig,

One thing to consider when using chlorine dioxide tabs is the 4 hr treatment cycle. This is ok for overnight treatments but it does not work during active hikes, when you need water now. That is why I switched to Aqua Mira.

The wait time for the tablets is the same as for Aqua Mira. The tablets don't have the 5 minute prep-time that the pre-mixing of Aqua Mira requires. The tablets are, however, more expensive per liter of treated water.

I carry a Bota Outback filter bottle (~5oz) for immediate clean water while on the trail. When treating larger quantities of water in camp, I use the chemical treatments.

For me, the convenience (and back up) is worth the added weight. I really enjoy dipping the bottle in a water source and having a nice cold drink w/o waiting.

john

The 4 hrs is only for Crypto. I routinely only wait ~30 minutes - the detention time for Giardia. I prefilter with a bandanna directly into my two 1L Aquafina bottles. I don't worry about rim contamination except to wipe it dry with the bandanna. Most infections supposedly come from a bottleful of bugs - not an isolated few.

I might be a little more concerned in high use areas, but the places I frequent (anywhere in Idaho) are not high use by AT or Sierra standards.