Portable and Potable: What (not) to Drink

Wondering about wilderness water.

Confession: in my LT day-hikes, I’ve not bothered with water purification. Worked on the assumption that if it was high-elevation, clear and running it was probably alright. But after day-hikes, I return to my bathroom-furnished, drinking-water-supplied abode. Hoping for the best is a high-stakes policy on a thru-hike.

few and far between. 

It seems that either iodine or chlorine dioxide are the most compact, reliable and cheap options. I’ll order one of each -- iodine-based and ClO2-based – and test them. Daily iodine seems unlikely to cause problems under 6 weeks of continuous use?

I’m also wondering about caffeine. I don’t want caffeine headaches/withdrawal migraines on the trail, but I think limited caffeine could certainly help my focus/endurance. Seems I have two options -- find a way to caffeinate on the LT, or go caffeine-free before the trip.  Typically, I have 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning and black tea throughout afternoon practice sessions. If I have a tricky bit of music to work on, a cuppa in my mug from The Drum Exchange is my purposeful-power beverage of choice (yes, I attach emotional meaning to mugs).

I’m thinking I’ll compromise – stop drinking coffee tomorrow, taper to tea only, then down to 1-2 teas a day pre-trail. Then I’ll take some low-caffeine powdered drinks on the trail in case I badly want them. Question for you all: is there anything similar to the caffeinated versions of Crystal Light that does not contain aspartame?

Aspartame sucks. 

  

Talking of wild water, here’s a trailer for a new “wild swimming” chamber opera by lovely composer/singer Kerry Andrew. Looks great. Check it out, UK friends.