Читать книгу Day & Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California онлайн

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Water

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? Well, one simple physiological fact should convince you to err on the side of excess when deciding how much water to pack: A hiker working hard in 90-degree heat needs approximately ten quarts of fluid per day. That’s 2.5 gallons—12 large water bottles or 16 small ones. In other words, pack along one or two bottles even for short hikes.

Some hikers and backpackers hit the trail prepared to purify water found along the route. This method, while less dangerous than drinking it untreated, comes with risks. Purifiers with ceramic filters are the safest. Many hikers pack along the slightly distasteful tetraglycine-ñhydroperiodide tablets to debug water (sold under the names Potable Aqua, Coughlan’s, and others). I have used the SteriPEN with excellent results. Lightweight, compact, and battery-operated, the device uses ultraviolet light to render harmful microbes sterile.

Probably the most common waterborne bug that hikers face is giardia, which may not hit until one to four weeks after ingestion. It will have you living in the bathroom, passing noxious rotten-egg gas, vomiting, and shivering with chills. Other parasites to worry about include E. coli and cryptosporidium, both of which are harder to kill than giardia.