Mountain Climbing with the Wizard

Quote: Pacomartin

The Camino de Santiago the walk should take you about 30 to 35 days which you said was out of the question.

That's not out of the question. I am thinking of biking it after I retire, whenever that is.

Although I have no interest in hiking, walking to the bathroom is a big effort for me, I saw this article on cnn.com today and thought of you adventurous types.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/bolivia-cordillera-real/index.html

If the Inca Trail does indeed get 500 trekkers in a day I would surely avoid it and select instead the cordillera trail. Glaciers melting? Global warming is supposed to be a myth... the Koch Brothers said so..

Most people I see use a Sawyer filter
for their water. It filters water from
almost any source.

The filter uses a hollow-fiber membrane filter that removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E.coli and removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and Cryptosporidium.

How the heck does it do that.
I didn't even know stuff like
this existed. They're getting
water out of streams and
cow watering troughs and
drinking it on the spot.

Quote: Evenbob

Most people I see use a Sawyer filter
for their water. It filters water from
almost any source.

The filter uses a hollow-fiber membrane filter that removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E.coli and removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and Cryptosporidium.

How the heck does it do that.
I didn't even know stuff like
this existed. They're getting
water out of streams and
cow watering troughs and
drinking it on the spot.

The basic idea is that water molecules are smaller than nasty ones with organic matter. The filters let only the smaller H2O molecules through. You can use them to get clear water out of cow pee. A downside, at least the ones I've seen, is they are slow to use and the filters need to be frequently replaced.

Quote: Wizard

A downside is they are slow to use.

Well one then has the choice: wait patiently for the filter to work properly or be impatient and get sick. Seems like one of those 'no brainer' type things. Even on Naked and Afraid, I've seem them dig pits near a pond/stream and wait for the water to migrate thru sandy soil and thereby be filtered to some degree. It can take a few minutes on the show but I'm sure that in real life it takes far longer.

Quote: Fleastiff

Well one then has the choice: wait patiently for the filter to work properly or be impatient and get sick. Seems like one of those 'no brainer' type things. Even on Naked and Afraid, I've seem them dig pits near a pond/stream and wait for the water to migrate thru sandy soil and thereby be filtered to some degree. It can take a few minutes on the show but I'm sure that in real life it takes far longer.

There are other methods too. Purification tablets are very easy but make the water taste a bit funky and aren't as effective with cold water. You can also boil it. Another option, and I forget the term, uses some kind of light to kill any organic material in the water. I have such device somewhere, but have not had the reason to use it yet.

Quote: Wizard

A downside, at least the ones I've seen, is they are slow to use .

What they do is, fill some bottles,
screw the filter onto one of them
and drink right from the filter.

I've heard of the AT all my life,
and that it was hiked. I just
assumed it was an old Indian
trail, or early settlers. But no,
it was dreamed up by one man
in 1921.

After WWI and people were buying
cars like crazy, there was a huge
interest in camping and hiking in
the 20's. Even Ford went on
famous camping trips with Edison
and Firestone. It was thought a
hiking trail north to south on the
east coast would be popular, and
by 1937 it was done.

2.5-3 million hike some part of the
2200 mile trail a year. 2700 attempt
a thru-hike. They say it takes 6 months
to train and prepare for the hike, and
6 months to do it. And it's more mental
than physical. Some weeks you want
quit every hour of every day. And the
next week you want to never stop.

Ford, Edison and Firestone, roughing
it. They even had 'colored' manservants
to wait on them hand and foot. They
ate gourmet meals prepared by a staff
of chefs.

Quote: Evenbob

I've heard of the AT all my life,
and that it was hiked. I just
assumed it was an old Indian
trail, or early settlers. But no,
it was dreamed up by one man
in 1921.

You keep pushing this higher and higher on my bucket list. I think you would like the book A Walk in the Woods. The movie is a mediocre adaptation, at best.