Them Darn Aqua Mira Bottles

Cracked Corner on Aquamira Bottle

I've been using Aquamira for nearly 10-years. Yep, I am a big fan of the stuff. In 2003, I was sponsored by it's parent company, McNett, with 7 packages for my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. I never had a problem with water borne illnesses on that entire hike. I continue to use it exclusively on day hikes and long distance trips.

If I have one beef with Aquamira, it's their bottles. First of all, they are big. There's more than enough of the parts A and B bottles to treat enough water for 700+ miles on a typical thru-hike. Second of all, the corners of the bottles are prone to cracks. I was just a victim of a cracked bottle on the PCT back in April. I hiked to a small creek south of Pacific Mountain, and could not squeeze anything out of the part B bottle. This was on the first day of my trip, and like an idiot, I brought no back up water treatment.  Yep, I'd be dipping and sipping for the rest of the trip.

Apparently, I chose the right water sources, as I have had no effects from giardia or cryptosporidium. That said, I felt naked without water treatment for the rest of my hike.

Small Bottles Included

At the most recent Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kickoff, I walked over to the Gossamer Gear booth, and saw that they had a really cool alternative to carrying the square Aquamira bottles. They were selling smaller, round-shaped bottles, in which Aquamira can be transferred. Duh! How come I haven't thought of this one earlier? One bottle has a yellow top to avoid confusion between the Part A and Part B bottles, are easily filled, and hopefully are more puncture resistant than those ridiculous square, plastic bottles.

Gossamer Gear sells these small bottles when you order their Aquamira kit from them for $16.00.  I would imagine that one might be able to get these small bottles at a chemistry supply company or even a dollar store, but one might as well get the bottles from them.

Be careful when filling these bottles up. Here's what Gossamer says on their website: "We recommend using the opaque mini dropper bottle for the Part A, and labeling it with a permanent marker as such. This is because the Part A solution is more photo-sensitive. We include a clear mini dropper bottle for the Part B, because this allows you to monitor the amount of solution remaining in your kit."

Hats off to Gossamer Gear for a simple, but great ultralight solution!

Zoning Out on Water

I wonder how much time I have spent watching water rushing down through a creek or stream.  To sit on a rock at the edge of a stream is zen-like and peaceful.  What is it about water that captures my attention?  Is there some kind of sub-conscious thought about returning to the primordial waters of my mother's womb?  Or am I simply mesmerized by the unabated flow of water?  I don't know.

Life Giving Water On The Appalachian Trail from Heald on Vimeo.

This video from the Appalachian Trail is a reminder of the simply beauty of water. Yes, it is a kind of earth farty video, but I was taken back to those times of sitting by a source of water, drinking from it, and just simply watching it. Water...