[Philmont]: Re: To filter or Polar Pure

Based on my two treks (2000 and 2004):

- Filters clog easily. Prefiltering postpones but does not prevent
clogging.
- At best, filtering a substantial amount of water takes time. At worst
with a dirty or troublesome filter, it takes a lot of time. Sometimes you
have lots of time and filtering water is a pleasant distraction. Other
times it is an inconvenient nuisance.
- Filters break, especially if you are working hard against a clogged
filter.
- It's easy to drop parts while trying to clean, reassemble, or maintain
your filter. If you lose a critical part, your filter becomes useless extra
weight.

The two itineraries I've been on (#3 and #23) covered a lot of the ranch.
We found treated water at most of our destinations and several places along
our routes. We had the carrying capacity to manage our water so that we
only had to treat or filter water about twice on each of these treks (though
people tended to haul out the filters at other times just to try out their
gear). Other itineraries might need to treat water more often, plus weather
can increase your water usage. Based on the general availability of treated
water, I seriously question the value of carrying multiple filters given how
little we used them and how much hassle they gave us. There are those who
consider Philmont treks as introductory and training backpacking
experiences, and in that case you might want to practice water treatment
frequently. My groups have had other challenges, so taking advantage of
treated water has allowed us time to deal with other things. For my next
trek (hopefully I'll have one), I'll recommend leaving the filters at home.
If we have crew members who have medical or taste issues with iodine, I
think I'll consider something else such as the MIOX or Steripen devices, or
take one filter for the crew, as a backup to Polar Pure.

Rick Cordray
Crew 2016
Woodinville, WA

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Received on Wed Sep 8 13:33:43 2004