The crystal clear, cold, flowing waters of Estes Park may not be as clean as you believe. Small microbes, particulates, and bacteria that can lead to illness live in clear water. We know, you never worried about this when you were children, but things are different. Regardless of how wonderfully refreshing it would be to drink right from a stream or river, we should all avoid it if we can. This is especially true for individuals that are on a guided backpacking trip in Estes Park.

Water Demands

Guided backpacking trips in Estes Park usually require multiple days of hiking and camping. This increased activity will drive up the need for clean and purified water. Carrying multiple gallons of water may be impossible due to the weight. This is where filtration systems come in handy. Many backpacking filtration systems are very small, and can be easily packed without adding too much weight. Filtration systems will also filter out dirt, bugs, and many of the microscopic things that can cause waterborne illnesses.

Filtration

Here are some of the most popular forms of filtration systems that you may bring with you on your guided backpacking trip in Estes Park:

1. Pump Filter: Hose is placed in the water (river, stream) and the other end of the filter is placed in the water container. The hiker will pump the device and the water will be forced through the hose.

2. Gravity Filter: Water is gathered (without filtration) into a container, and the other (clean) container is placed lower than the gathering container. Gravity will force the water through the filtration system and into the clean container.

3. UV Light: UV device is placed in the container, turned on, and kills off microscopic organisms with UV light. Unfortunately it does nothing for particulates or bugs. This is also battery powered so make sure to pack more batteries!

4. Chemicals: Water is collected into a container, chemical drops or tablets are dropped in, and then you wait. Unfortunately there is no particulate filtration so everything remains within the collection container. These can also give off a off-putting chemical taste.

To learn more about water filtration options or to book a guided backpacking trip in Estes Park, contact Kirks Mountain Adventures!