My water filter busted mid-trail and I drank straight from a creek

Was hiking the Laurel Highlands Trail last Saturday. Three miles from the next shelter. My Sawyer filter cracked right at the O-ring. Water started dripping everywhere. Had no backup. So I just cupped my hands and drank from a clear looking stream. Got lucky no giardia. Anyone else trust their luck when gear fails out there?

2 comments

2 Comments

ben_lopez254d ago

Congrats on winning the backcountry russian roulette round.

matthewg634d ago

Backcountry russian roulette" is a pretty dramatic way to put it. I mean, we were just hiking a known trail with some tricky spots, not actually spinning a revolver. People throw around big words like that to make stuff sound more extreme than it really is. Most of those "dangerous" spots are only risky if you're not paying attention or you're way out of your skill level. Congrats on the hike, but calling it a win in russian roulette feels like a stretch to me.