Good Times
02-24-2009, 12:36 PM
As avid explorers, we all love to go out and have fun. I noticed many trips that our community has done in part by foot or by vehicle of choice in the "Trip Reports" section which shows lots of cool photos but never really talk about the actual gear we carry. I've seen a few threads about what kind of gear you carry in your vehicle but nothing about what you carry when on foot.
I created a post last year when "The Lifesaver" water filtration bottle was first introduced. You can read all about it here (http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=4870.0). That thread talked about some of the cool filtration systems people use(s/d).
Since my 4runner is "almost" back up and running and will start going out to have fun again, I started to go through what I normally carry on my weekend/extended trips and realized that I carry way too much crap. Seriously I'm a girl! Either I'm a paranoid bi*** or just plain crazy but I carry a lot of water. I understand that I live in a desert and most of the trips I encounter are remote places with hardly any sound water source but I carry a 7 gal drinking water container (for a weekend trip for two) and at least another 3-4 gallons in water in combination of hydration bottles and water bottles/canteens. That's not all, I also carry grey water for the usual "washing your hands/dishes" around camp which I would suspect is another 2-4 gallons. So at the end of the day I'm looking at around 15 gallons? (insert cool words here! talk about seriously weighing down the truck!) I know it's the most important thing to have but I know that I can do a better job in organizing my stuff and pack more efficiently. It is recommended to carry 1 gal per person per day or 2 gals per person per day if you're in extreme conditions so my logic on the 7 gals sounds reasonable for two. I probably won't get rid of how much water I carry (maybe... we'll see) but I would like to be better prepared for the SHTF stuff when I need to tap into a fresh water source and filter water in an event I run out of my drinking water source.
So with that in mind, I'm starting to look into some water filtration devices. I've seen the chemical/uv stuff but was wondering if those are really all that? I've read lots of reviews on how some units will leave an interesting after taste to those that actually taste better than your own water! (hard to believe but I guess I should try before I believe anyone). I know that I can always boil water and treat the water that way but would like to also have other options available for a quick fix. I read posts from other members stating having a filtration device is definitely an important item to carry so I'd like to hear from you on recommendations/suggestions and feedback on what you currently have and what you would do different if any.
Right now I'm eying a Katadyn filtration device but before I pull the trigger, what do you all carry?
I created a post last year when "The Lifesaver" water filtration bottle was first introduced. You can read all about it here (http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=4870.0). That thread talked about some of the cool filtration systems people use(s/d).
Since my 4runner is "almost" back up and running and will start going out to have fun again, I started to go through what I normally carry on my weekend/extended trips and realized that I carry way too much crap. Seriously I'm a girl! Either I'm a paranoid bi*** or just plain crazy but I carry a lot of water. I understand that I live in a desert and most of the trips I encounter are remote places with hardly any sound water source but I carry a 7 gal drinking water container (for a weekend trip for two) and at least another 3-4 gallons in water in combination of hydration bottles and water bottles/canteens. That's not all, I also carry grey water for the usual "washing your hands/dishes" around camp which I would suspect is another 2-4 gallons. So at the end of the day I'm looking at around 15 gallons? (insert cool words here! talk about seriously weighing down the truck!) I know it's the most important thing to have but I know that I can do a better job in organizing my stuff and pack more efficiently. It is recommended to carry 1 gal per person per day or 2 gals per person per day if you're in extreme conditions so my logic on the 7 gals sounds reasonable for two. I probably won't get rid of how much water I carry (maybe... we'll see) but I would like to be better prepared for the SHTF stuff when I need to tap into a fresh water source and filter water in an event I run out of my drinking water source.
So with that in mind, I'm starting to look into some water filtration devices. I've seen the chemical/uv stuff but was wondering if those are really all that? I've read lots of reviews on how some units will leave an interesting after taste to those that actually taste better than your own water! (hard to believe but I guess I should try before I believe anyone). I know that I can always boil water and treat the water that way but would like to also have other options available for a quick fix. I read posts from other members stating having a filtration device is definitely an important item to carry so I'd like to hear from you on recommendations/suggestions and feedback on what you currently have and what you would do different if any.
Right now I'm eying a Katadyn filtration device but before I pull the trigger, what do you all carry?