Hi,
I'm doing the Trans Am, eastbound, from August to October this year. Is it necessary to take a water filter / purification tabs, or are there plenty enough places to fill up along the way?
I'll be doing about 80 miles a day, to give an indication of how quickly I'll be going from place to place.
Cheers,
Ede
The answer is no. By the time you get to less 'civilized' areas, it'll be cooling off. Route plan your water load. Minimally, there'll be tap water, or water to bum from an RV. If having a way to purify is a 'peace-of-mind' issue, by all means go prepared. Stress/worry is a touring bummer. Minimize the what ifs.
Figure on at least a liter an hour and electrolyte supplements, temp dependent. Even slight dehydration will cause a drop in energy level.
Enjoy.
Nope. And the worst case is strap on a couple of liters of store bought water and you will be fine.
you can always take somme tabs it is not so heavy ....
Thanks for your replies. I might consider taking something then, but good to know I don't absolutely need them (I'm pretty stingy when it comes to carrying things I don't need).
Cheers
Just ran across this: http://www.adventurealan.com/best-hydration-drink-when-thirsty/
That's the one I was going to buy! http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/water-treatment-c24/water-filters-c165/mini-filter-p3646
I am a bit tempted as it is a cool little gadget and not expensive/bulky.
Cheers for the link
Aloha Ede,
Just be aware that the US infrastructure might not be what you expect. We just recently had / have a big scandal going where city tab water in Flint (Michigan) has been contaminated for an extended period of time.
The EPA is not effectively monitoring nationwide and Flint may just be the known tip of the iceberg. Many Americans only drink bottled water- by now I may think they are the smarter ones.
I will go Vancouver to Boston July 21 - October ?? - but I opted for the Canadian route. Besides safety, I also hope/wish for better roads and infrastructure.
Aloha,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Jeez, yeah I've just looked that up. What a scandal.
Well, cheers for letting me know. I'll keep it in mind once I'm out there. Although I hope I'm not going to have to buy bottled water the whole trip :( It seems a sad situation if the tap water in a developed country like America isn't safe to drink.
Have a good one on your Vancouver - Boston.
Cheers,
Ede
There might be locations near urban water supplies where you find yourself without water. I once found myself in that situation. Only about 15 miles from good city water but in the countryside. Just me, the creek, and the cows. Drinking water wasn't a problem. But the cow stuff was without a doubt in the water. So, I went thirsty until I got back into town. Not a crisis. BUT... I could have simply used chem tabs as the water was right there and flowing a little. Tabs are effective. Especially the Chlorine variety. They kill "most" microbes... but need 4 hours to effectively kill a nasty critter known as Crypto which will send your insides into a fullisade of unwanted BMs. The trick would have been to use any cloth to filter the large debris such as algae .... and then use the tabs to purify.
Through experience. I've discovered that even filters don't always remove a foul taste. So... if its water you need, you can carry a one pound filter ... or a package of chem tabs weighing 2 ounces .... and good for that rare emergency.