How hot the water? (was) RE: Re[2]: [at-l] First aid 101

[nealb at midlandstech.edu (William Neal)]

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob C. [mailto:ellen@clinic.net]

>>>>DelDoc says that when the first bubbles escape from the bottom of the
pot, the
water is hot enuf. Yes some creatures have evolved to live in boiling water
or
near boiling water of hot springs. There is no evidence that these creatures
exist along the AT -- or that they are among the relatively few microscopic
creatures that cause sickness.

WILLIAM:
But there are Hot Springs along the trail.  Some marked and some not marked.
And while I have never heard of any of them causing sickness, one can never
be absolutely sure.  Plus, imagine it's late or the light is bad or you're
heating in a small pot, it's easier to see a rolling boil than a few
bubbles.

 >>>>Some chemicals are removed by boiling. Some are concentrated. But there
is no
 evidence that chemicals are a problem for those who use common sense in
 selecting water sources along the trail. I.e. don't drink from the springs
on
 the Lehigh gap superfund site.

WILLIAM:
Using common sense requires common sense.  And sometimes that means knowing
there is a problem.  What about unknown illegal dumps? Or runoff from old
mines?  Sometimes the direction of runoff changes due to surface and
sub-surface changes.

  >>>Nor, for that matter, is there any real evidence that most hiker
filters give
  more than mediocre protection, if any, from harmful chemicals that may
  contaminate drinking water.

WILLIAM:
I have seen some filters that "guarentee" to remove most toxic chemicals.  I
think it has to do with molecule size.  "Most" toxic chemicals apparently
are larger than those filters' smallest holes and larger than water
molecules.  I think at least one of the Kaytahdin (SP?) guarentee's that.

Having said all that, I probably will filter but do some boiling.  Time and
circumstance and filter breakdowns will determine that.  And, there will be
times I might not do any filtering.  

BUT, I thought the pros and cons should be debated for those who are new to
hiking.  Sometimes such info is not self-evident or it slips by a person's
mental filters: Know when I found out about thru-hikers having first pick at
certain shelters?  On the trail.  I never used it, but I benefited from it
from some Boy Scouts who knew about it.  Apparently this is more a Boy Scout
thing than actually policy, but (see seperate posting).