For those who are just starting out in the beautiful and challenging world of trails, an important question always arises: how much and how to bring water to ensure correct hydration? And, if it is not possible to take everything you hope to consume, how can you ensure that what you find is drinkable? Well, as with almost everything in this liquid world (sorry, Zygmunt Bauman!), the answer is: it depends.
According to Rodrigo Rodriguez, a doctor specializing in medicine in remote areas and a hiker for over 25 years, the most common illnesses when poorly treated water is consumed in a wild environment “are gastroenteritis, typically vomiting and diarrhea, generally caused by protozoa such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium and, secondly, viral causes”.
He emphasizes that the level of risk is directly linked to that of anthropization, that is, to the presence of humans, cattle and farm animals in the vicinity. “The greater the anthropic degree, the greater the chance of viral contamination and classic bacteria such as E. Coli”, he points out, giving as an example “the peak of Marins, whose waterways have been contaminated for more than 30 years”. Another relevant detail is the analysis of the biome: “Cold environments, mountains, water sources from small rapids have less chance of contamination than hot environments, still and slow-moving waters and larger rivers”, explains Rodriguez, a fan of carrying filters in his journeys.
This is, by the way, also the preferred choice of survival instructor and retired military officer Marcelo Montibeller, from Via Radical Brasil. “In outdoor activities, the lighter and more effective the equipment, the better.” In his courses, he recommends the use of purifying bottles, portable filters and UV lamp flashlights. “They are very safe, super resistant and easy to transport, one bottle results in more than 1,000 liters of drinking water”, he explains. Regarding the old formula of Clorin tablets and sodium hypochlorite derivatives, he considers that they are products that “used too frequently cause long-term problems, in addition to making the water taste unpleasant and even interfering with the cooking of food”.
For survivalist Adriano Lofresi, the most important thing to consider when choosing a water purification method is “the speed it will provide to consume water safely”. He explains that, if chemical purification methods “can take 15 to 30 minutes to work, even hours, and boiling the water will require around 20 minutes from boiling to cooling”, the best thing is to resort to industrial filters, “such as those from Stone Water, Lifestraw or Sawer, which allow instant consumption”.
But an important point is highlighted by field trainer Emerson Magalhães Jorge: “It is important to pay attention to the balance of consumption.” He says he has seen “people carry liters and liters of water in their backpacks, and not consume even half of it.” The tip is “put some water in your mouth and don’t drink it, keep that water for as long as you can stand it, don’t discard it, and swallow it.”
“It may seem bad to swallow this warm water in your mouth, but this little bit of water will keep the mucous membrane of your mouth hydrated, making you consume little water and still stay hydrated”, he adds. He swears it works — and the reader is probably already trying to hold a sip to see what happens.
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