That thru-hiker who told me to ditch my water filter at the PCT

I was near Kennedy Meadows on the PCT last summer, and this grizzled guy named Dave said he'd been drinking straight from streams for 20 years without a problem. He told me filters are just extra weight and paranoia, and I almost believed him after he showed me his empty pack. Then he was hunched over with bad GI issues two days later at the store in Bishop. Has anyone else run into people pushing shortcuts like that on long routes?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahs827d ago

You've probably heard stories like that before, right? I've seen plenty of folks take shortcuts on the trail and pay for it later. Dave's GI issues just prove that filters aren't just hype. Giardia and crypto don't care how long you've been hiking. I always keep my filter handy, no matter what anyone says.

evanfox7d ago

Ngl I see your point and Dave's story is rough, but I think we gotta pump the brakes a little on acting like every stream is a death trap. I've been drinking straight from mountain springs and high alpine lakes for over a decade without a single issue. Not saying filters are useless, but a lot of it comes down to knowing your water source. If you're grabbing from a slow moving pond full of beaver activity, yeah you're asking for trouble. But a fast moving creek above treeline? I'll take my chances over carrying extra weight and messing with a pump every few miles. Filters have their place, but I think we overhype the risk for certain types of water.