[philmont] Micro Pur Contact Time

I agree with Dan on this one. For some reason, we adults have to analyze, digest, scrutinize, reinvent every little thing. We spend hours on the details that are lost after the first two days on the trail. Micro Pur works fine. I agree that water management is very important. By knowing where your next water, both putrified and non putrified (Ranger slang) is, you can maximize the use of water that has already been treated by the Ranch. We never purified any of the water for cooking or clean up. In fact, our water bags always had untreated water in them and our canteens always had treated water in them.
 
Cooper Wright
Co-editor of the Philmont Advisor's Guide
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: prestonar@bellsouth.net
To: philmont@troop47.com
Sent: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:20 PM
Subject: [philmont] Micro Pur Contact Time

I guess we just have different backpacking philosophies. The older I get, the more weight-conscious I become. The old adage that if it doesn't have two uses you don't need it is a good one to consider when evaluating your equipment needs. When you are already carrying Micro Pur, a water filter does not have a single use at Philmont. You will be required to take the Micro Pur and you will be instructed in its use, so why duplicate the function of Micro Pur by taking water filters. We use water filters on all of our backpacking trips, except Philmont. In 2002, we used filters extensively at Philmont but since then, Philmont has installed so many wells and sources of purified water that last summer we only had two camps without purified water. Ten days of carrying heavy useless items that never leave the bottom of your pack will have you cursing your decision to take them.
 
You shouldn't have to wait on Micro Pur to eat. Just boil the water and kill everything.
 
If you want to take a luxury item, take a frisbee, a beach ball, a hackysack, some chocolate or something else that will make the trip fun for your scouts.
 
Dan Preston
 
On Jan 30, 2007, at 8:31 AM, Troop 6 Webmaster wrote:
 
> I'll going to respectfully disagree Dan, water management, including > purification is a required skill at the ranch. I'll agree that water > purifiers or filters are a personal preference/luxury item, but > suggest that one per crew is reasonable.
>
> Most trail camps and several staff camps do not have purified water. > Your starting camp often lacks purified water as well as a learning > opportunity.
>
> Philmont's water purification protocol, like most other protocols at > the ranch are designed for Philmont, the instructions on the Micropur > package are designed to avoid litigation and apply to the world, or at > least North America. Treatment times are a result of several factors, > water temp being one, what needs to be treated another. As others > have posted Katadyn indicates that all but cysts are treatable in less > than 30 minutes. Since philmont does extensive water quality testing, > as does the state of New Mexico, they know what they are up against > and there are, as of 2006, no cysts in the water at the ranch. When > you get your supply of MicroPur at Camping Services, you will get a > nice note from Mark Anderson explaining the Philmont protocol, last > year 30 minutes was the rule, this year it may be different ... or not > ... point is you will know, independent of what the package or > wikapedia or the chemist next door says, what you need to do to make > your water safe given the c
onditions at the ranch.
>
> In addition, the Scout Motto applies ... in 2004 a staff camp that was > supposed to have purified water had instead a broken purifier, this > after the climb over Phillips so we were near dry ... in this case a > pump made about an hour';s difference as to when we had dinner > since in 2004 it was polar pure, not micro pur, which required a much > greater prep & contact time. In 2006 we had several camps, staffed > and unstaffed, without pure water and several day long hikes with no > opportunities for pure water other than the end points ... so I > believe that dealing with micopur is a skill that each crew member > must be comfortable with.
>
> As you make trek selections, and get confirmations begin to figure out > where the water is ... use tools like PhilSearch, and get the detail > maps from TOTT early. When you get to the ranch they will show you > the water board in logistics to give you a sense of the water > situation. Even then the situation will change after you have left > base camp. 2007 is shaping up to be fairly wet a blessing for both > the water supply and wildlife issues.
>
> YIS
> Jim
> HA ASM Troop 6
> HA Chair Chester County Council
> www.troop6bsa.org?cmd=philmont
> PSR '74(16) '04(4) '06(26)
> IWTGBTP
> www.troop6bsa.org?cmd=philsearch
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Received on Tue Jan 30 10:53:09 2007