From: Mike Bingley (mbingley@telusplanet.net)
Date: Thu Aug 01 2002 - 15:31:41 CDT
> By the way, during Ranger Training (where, of course, the crew is shown how
> to bleed the threads of a nalgene) we have been told that impure water can
> cause
> sickness weeks after contact...
Incidentally - as someone who has had giardia (a stupid move several years
ago), I can honestly tell you this:
A)I will never, ever, complain about the taste of iodine ever again - I now
use polar pure in all my water, then I run it through my MSR mini-works
(both of which were very useful when my town was under a boil water order a
few weeks back).
B)Giardia can, and will, strike when you least expect it - it could be on
the trail (though it probably won't), it could be in the office, but more
likely it will be half way through an important business lunch where you're
finalizing an important deal - In my case, it was half way through a major
promotion at the radio station I was working at. Murphy's Law is like that.
C)Boiling water helps - but, you have to boil the water for several minutes
before it kills everything - a local biologist who is an experienced
backpacker told me that one.
D)Don't ever share drinking vessels - I've heard people mention that giardia
can be spread from person to person in that way - I don't know if it's true,
but I'm not going to take the chance.
E)Wash your hands. Then, wash them again - this might not do anything for
giardia, but it will pretty much eliminate the chances of you spreading
other viruses, like the Norwalk virus....make sure your crew does the same
thing - they too can get you sick.
There's my $3.50Canadian ($0.02 US)
Mike
-- Mike Bingley Council Field Executive Scouts Canada - Chinook Region 403-327-4647 888-321-4647 (Alberta and BC) Experience High Adventure in the Canadian Rockies with Scouts Canada http://www.chinook.scouts.ca/impeesa-x/ ------------------------------------------------------- Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/ Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp ------------------------------------------------------- Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com ------------------------------------------------------- As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. -------------------------------------------------------
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