Algonquin Adventures / Giardiasis

**Posted by My Self Reliance** 10/11/2015 1:32 pm

Steri-pen failure and a shortage of treatment tablets on my solo trip two weeks ago resulted in me sitting at home this weekend instead of hiking and canoeing like planned.

Just got back from the hospital where multiple tests have narrowed it down to Giardia or something similar so back again this week for more tests to confirm.
It's not life threatening, but it's quite literally a pain in the ass when the weather is so perfect for adventures. Can't venture too far. I'll spare the details but apparently blood is a powerful bowel irritant, according to the good doctor.

**Posted by Steve E** 10/11/2015 1:54 pm

Yiikes that's too bad. Touch wood that's something I've never experienced in my years in the Park (and we have not been the safest over the years...). What happened to your Steri-pen?

**Posted by My Self Reliance** 10/11/2015 3:13 pm

I installed brand new batteries before leaving, and it worked fine the first time. Second time and forevermore, the green lights would come on for a few seconds and then blink and go out. A reviewer on MEC.ca described the same problem.
I had six or seven chlorine tabs and used them up, but because I've never had any issues in the past, I scooped from the middle of the lake for the rest of the trip. At camp, I boiled for food and one Nalgene full. I probably drank about four litres untreated, from different lakes.

**Posted by Steve E** 10/11/2015 10:24 pm

Yikes that sucks....sobering reminder of how important it is to sterilize eh? Like I said I've been complaicent in the past just out of laziness..no excuses for me, that's for sure.

**Posted by Methye** 10/12/2015 8:05 am

Sorry to hear that.
I've never used a steri-pen (I recall Martin G from these forums gave a bad review of it so I stayed away) nor have I ever filtered, despite owning a Sawyer squeeze filter; I've only used Aquatabs. I wonder if i should add filtering to the Aquatabs. Curious to know what you'll be doing...once bitten, twice shy? Going forward, what will be your method of choice?

**Posted by token** 10/12/2015 3:15 pm

I use the gravity filter and it works amazing. ;)

**Posted by My Self Reliance** 10/12/2015 3:31 pm

I have no interest in carrying more than 1 litre of water at a time so I won't be using a gravity filter. I'll continue using the Steripen (replacement) but will also carry enough Aquatabs for the duration of the trip. If I feel like torturing myself hourly with an arm workout, I'll use my MSR mini(?).
I'll continue looking at options. I should note that I drank straight from lakes and rivers for 30 years with no problem before now.

**Posted by token** 10/12/2015 3:36 pm

My Self Reliance wrote:
I have no interest in carrying more than 1 litre of water at a time so I won't be using a gravity filter. I'll continue using the Steripen (replacement) but will also carry enough Aquatabs for the duration of the trip. If I feel like torturing myself hourly with an arm workout, I'll use my MSR mini(?).
I'll continue looking at options. I should note that I drank straight from lakes and rivers for 30 years with no problem before now.

I usually dont even use the 'clean' bag, i just connect the filter to my bottle and dump the rest of the 'dirty' water and go on my way.

**Posted by Marko_Mrko** 10/12/2015 5:47 pm

Bloody diarrhea is not caused by Giardia. Infectious causes would be fecal bacteria - E.coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter. So likely food poisoning rather than tainted water. Giardia would cause fatty, foul-smelling diarrhea that is non-bloody (google steatorrhea for fun).

I'm paranoid of anything that requires batteries, and am a convert to the gravity filters. The ease of use is incredible, they faster are lighter than the pump filters.

Hope you're feeling better.

Marko

**Posted by MartinG** 10/12/2015 6:43 pm

Sorry to hear of your trouble Shawn. I've been through 3 Steripens (warranty) finally threw the last one away. It was always battery issues. Mine used CR123 Batteries which cost a fortune Great concept just not reliable enough. After that I switched full time to Micropur. Probably influenced by Laloche TR's. Ha! Funny how that works. I also drink straight out of the lake on most trips.

Pumping is a PITA. I have an MSR Hyperflo which is a workout. I've mulled over getting a gravity filter or maybe a Sawyer Mini but a lot of people I trip with already have one so I don't really need it. There are a couple of new technologies coming down the pipe so this time next year we all might be doing something different.

Hope you're feeling better.

**Posted by Rob H** 10/12/2015 9:24 pm

Shawn look after yourself Man
My Sterpen is sitting on the shelf afer crapping out my second day in Wabakimi and it is the last one I will own.
Someone recomended this to me and the next time I am near a Bass Pro I am going to treat myself. I think they sell for around $50.00 or $60.00
Dip the bottle in the lake, screw on lid with filter and drink. Sawyer claims the filter is good for 1 million U.S. gallons and I beleive it wil scew on a nalgene bottle.
https://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-personal-water-bottle-filter/

**Posted by DanPM** 10/13/2015 10:25 am

Earlier this summer I went on a long day hike with a friend who had a Life Straw water bottle lid system (I think this http://eartheasy.com/lifestraw-go?gclid=CjwKEAjw1_KwBRDEz_WvncL4jGwSJAAEym0dfoaueY8Wo7_pdwKglRVXE44oOQrzd0WocsvUd_tmcRoC7Ufw_wcB ), which basically works the same way as the thing Rob H linked. Pretty handy thing to have, if you want to just scoop water out of a lake and drink it. Of course these things shouldn't be your only form of water treatment since they only filter water as you're drinking it out of the bottle; they can't produce treated water for other uses like cooking and brushing your teeth; but if it's a matter of not wanting to travel with more than a litre of drinking water, and you're prepared to boil, pump or gravity-filter at the campsite for use at the campsite, the Sawyer or LifeStraw bottle could be a good answer.

My only complaint about the LifeStraw was that the drinking spout sort of has to be angled perfectly in order to get a good flow of water. No idea if the Sawyer is more user-friendly in this way.

**Posted by ChristineCanoes** 10/18/2015 6:57 pm

We use a steripen on the water and gravity in camp. I was given advice to turn the batteries upside down when not in use - we've used the same batteries for 3 years using this technique - the batteries will drain even when the device is off otherwise.

**Posted by Algonquintripper** 10/18/2015 10:48 pm

Rob H wrote:
Shawn look after yourself Man
My Sterpen is sitting on the shelf afer crapping out my second day in Wabakimi and it is the last one I will own.
Someone recomended this to me and the next time I am near a Bass Pro I am going to treat myself. I think they sell for around $50.00 or $60.00
Dip the bottle in the lake, screw on lid with filter and drink. Sawyer claims the filter is good for 1 million U.S. gallons and I beleive it wil scew on a nalgene bottle.
https://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-personal-water-bottle-filter/

Have a look at the Sawyer Mini instead. You can screw it onto the top of a bottle and do the same thing as the water bottle filter but you also have the flexibility of using it as a squeeze or gravity filter. And only about 25.00.

review
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/Sawyer-Mini

Bought mine on Amazon

Last edited by Algonquintripper (10/18/2015 11:01 pm)

**Posted by My Self Reliance** 10/19/2015 5:41 am

Algonquintripper wrote:
Rob H wrote:
Shawn look after yourself Man
My Sterpen is sitting on the shelf afer crapping out my second day in Wabakimi and it is the last one I will own.
Someone recomended this to me and the next time I am near a Bass Pro I am going to treat myself. I think they sell for around $50.00 or $60.00
Dip the bottle in the lake, screw on lid with filter and drink. Sawyer claims the filter is good for 1 million U.S. gallons and I beleive it wil scew on a nalgene bottle.
https://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-personal-water-bottle-filter/

Have a look at the Sawyer Mini instead. You can screw it onto the top of a bottle and do the same thing as the water bottle filter but you also have the flexibility of using it as a squeeze or gravity filter. And only about 25.00.

review
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/Sawyer-Mini

Bought mine on Amazon

That's exactly what I have decided after researching options. I searched Barrie for it on the weekend, but I think only Basspro Shops carries it in this area.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions everyone. FYI, my symptoms finally cleared up this morning after 10 days and a week of medicine. I'd like to think that my clean diet and plenty of fresh air helped lesson the symptoms and shorten the infection time. It certainly couldn't have hurt.

Btw, it has been confirmed that it was in fact Giardia and it had to have come from Algonquin based on my activities prior to becoming symptomatic.

Giardiasis - it finally got me! Bad timing

My Self Reliance wrote:

Rob H wrote:

Algonquintripper wrote:

Rob H wrote: