Eastern Sierra camping/question about water purification
 

We're going on a pack trip with Rock Creek Pack Station and camping at Hilton Lakes around 9,000-10,000 ft in elevation in the Eastern Sierras.

http://www.rockcreekpackstation.com/where.shtml

The outfitter has this statement about drinking water:

"The pack station does not boil or treat water. Campsites are remote enough that we feel safe in using the water. It you want to purify water bring your own filter pump or purification tablets."

For those who have camped in this area, what do you think? I'm leaning toward filtering the water myself unless you think it's TOTALLY unnecessary. Also any recommendations for a filter pump? It would be for 2 people and 3 days.

Thanks!

I've never been there, but I would filter or purify my drinking water. There's little point in taking the chance on getting sick and ruining your trip. I think there's always a chance of contamination - obviously, the higher you go the lower the risk. It isn't a question of how remote the campsite it, as far as I'm concerned, because animals are everywhere and quite capable of contaminating the water.

I've backpacked the Eastern Sierra, and it's quite beautiful. All of those pristine lakes and gushing streams look full of the purest water.

It's really a question of risk and consequences. The risk is probably pretty low, but having spoken to somebody who came down with giardiasis, I've discovered that the consequences can be quite unpleasant. I'd filter the water.

Honestly, I'd be even more wary given that you're camping in a location where livestock has been. (i.e. the packhorses).

I would carry a filter or other means of treatment, no matter what they say. I spent 6 weeks backpacking in the Sierras 30 years ago; we drank right from the streams and never became sick. I wouldn't do that now. The giardia organism is spread by wildlife, so it doesn't matter how "remote" the location is.

I like my First Need filter, which is actually a purifier. It screws right onto the top of a water bottle, and works pretty quickly. But there are many good ones on the market, and many are lighter and/or more compact than this one. REI has a good selection as well as excellent information to help you choose the right one.

I really gained a lot of confidence in the filter after testing it, according to instructions, by the "food color" test. I never would have believed it without trying the test.

Have a wonderful time---that is truly a beautiful area.

Take it from someone who has had giardia, definitely filter your water.

AustinTraveler---sorry to hear that; I've heard it is very unpleasant.

So there you go, Patty. The verdict is unanimous.

Will you write a trip report?

I have nothing to add about the water issue. I'm just also hoping you write a trip report. My friends take a pack trip with Frontier Pack Train (www.frontierpacktrain.com) every year, and it sounds like a blast. I haven't been able to talk DH into 3 days on horseback yet, but it is on my ever-growing "list".

lvk---he doesn't have to ride a horse; he can hike and meet you at the camp. We had a trip all set up like that once, with some hikers (us) and some riders (teenage girls). Unfortunately we had to cancel due to wildfires, but I do know it's possible.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm definitely buying a filter now!

enzian,
I'll look up the one you mentioned. I've already printed out some info from REI and will read it when I get home.

Anyone else have specific filter suggestions?

I'll post a report and pics when I get back.

Thanks to everyone who shared advice. I ended up buying the First Need Deluxe Purifier and it worked great. We already had two water bottles that fit onto it. We got our water out of the lake, the same lake that the horses were watering from, so I'm <b>really</b> glad we had a filter.

I haven't had a chance to write any sort of real trip report but here are some pics from our trip http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&amp;y=dao64k and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

One thing I have to say is that I wouldn't camp up there in mid-September again. It was freezing cold with strong wind gusts on Friday (I should've taken pictures of us trying to put up our tent) and got down to the 20's overnight. Saturday was beautiful but still very cold. Sunday was warmer (our last day, of course!). We camped at Davis Lake at 9600 ft. There was frost on our tent and ice on the lake every morning. I'm a fair weather camper and it was just too much weather for me!

From the pack station to Davis Lake was only 2 hours of riding (it took longer with lunch breaks) over approx 6 miles, so I think having a non-rider hike in as enzian mentioned would work just fine. My mule was so slow I could've walked faster that he did ;)

It's a strictly walking paced ride, so even those who don't ride can do it. We had a couple of non-riders (who rode) on our trip. The middle day ride was another easy outing to the next few lakes beyond ours, and on a base camp trip like the one we were on, you don't have to ride the middle day. You can just hang around camp, go fishing, hiking, whatever.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

I'm resurrecting this old thread to see if anyone has any newer recommendations or any further insights about water purification systems. REI's website shows pumps, chemicals, &quot;steri-pens&quot;, etc. Since we are not hard-core backpackers, it is all very confusing:

http://www.rei.com/search?query=water+purification

We will also be taking an Eastern Sierra pack trip, leaving from Tuolumne Meadows -- four people, five days--in late August.

Any suggestions, pros &amp; cons of each purification method, etc. will be appreciated.

So, first thing - purifier vs. filter. Purifiers kill viruses whereas filters do not. In the US and Canada, you don't really have to worry about viruses, so a filter is sufficient. If you were going outside of the US, then a purifier might be called for, depending on destination.

For 4 people over 5 days, you'll need enough water for cooking and drinking (and brushing your teeth). Probably not that much for cooking since you can boil the water to kill anything nasty in it. However, this pretty much precludes those water bottle filters and pen-sized devices.

So, that leaves the pump filters and chemicals. Given that you're not frequent backcountry travelers, I'd go as cheap as you can get away with. REI has the Katadyn Hiker for $60, which is pretty good. It's a filter which should be sufficient for what you're doing, and it's fairly easy to operate and can provide enough volume for your group.

If this is a one time sort of trip, then I might be more tempted to go with a chemical treatment. The chemical stuff is cheap and easy to use, plus it's really light. However, it's time consuming since you usually have to wait a certain amount of time for it to work. I avoid Iodine-based chemical treatments because it tastes awful. But, that can be neutralized to a certain extent. I like the chlorine based treatments better, myself.

REI has information on choosing a water treatment method online:

http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/arti...ter+howto.html

We just bought the Katadyn water bottle style purifier and filter for an upcoming trip to Bali. It seems like it will work pretty well for our purposes, which are basically to purify tap water for drinking when we are out and about so we aren't reliant on bottled water all the time. I tried it out last night and it is pretty easy to use. We figure that when we get home, it will come in handy for hikes and camping trips - we never camp where there isn't any potable water, but it will be nice not to have to carry a day's worth of water on day hikes.

Some experts do not feel that giardia is that prevelent in the High Sierra.

Here's a link to an interesting paper on the subject.

http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/pcs...es/giardia.asp

The most important means to remain healthy in the High Sierra is by using proper personal hygiene whether or not you filter the water.

Many people get sick from sharing food with other group members who do not wash their hands or clean their utensils properly.