Switched to a water filter on the PCT and it saved my trip

I was super skeptical about using a squeeze filter instead of my usual iodine tablets. Figured it was just extra weight and hassle for nothing. But after 3 days on the Pacific Crest Trail near Snoqualmie Pass, I ran out of tablets and had to borrow a buddy's Sawyer Squeeze. The water tasted way better and I didn't have to wait 30 minutes for treatment. Have any of you had a similar gear switch that changed your mind on something?

4 comments

4 Comments

ellis.leo29d ago

Wait, did you notice any difference in how fast you dehydrated without waiting for the tablets?

felix_black28d ago

and honestly @ellis.leo, i found the opposite happened to me. i forgot to wait for the tablets to dissolve in this creek i was at and just drank it straight with the gritty bits still floating. my body felt way more dried out after that hike, probably because the sediment actually messed with my stomach and i couldn't keep water down for like two hours. but when i wait for them to fully dissolve, the water goes down smooth and i feel hydrated way faster. maybe it's just me but the grit really throws things off.

harper_foster28d ago

Yeah, the gritty bits wrecked my stomach too, had to learn the hard way.

jennifer_jenkins28d agoOG Member

Oh man, yes, same here! I had this experience with electrolyte tablets on a long trail run last summer. I was so impatient and just chugged it with all the chalky bits still swirling around. My stomach did that weird gurgle thing and I felt nauseous for the next mile or so, just sloshing with liquid that didn't seem to absorb. When I actually let them sit for like five minutes until the water went clear, it was a total game changer. I felt like my body actually took the water in instead of just having it sit there in my gut like a rock.