I hear ya, Mike, I feel the same way. I'd rather be safe than sorry later that I didn't filter my water. Water purification systems, anywhere from tablet to filters, are well worth their weight, and their weight is so minimal.
And, for the person who spoke about the weight of a filter, you made me laugh. A while back some WZ members teased me for complaining that a bear canister was too heavy, now it's my turn to tease back because a water filtration system is so very light.
Yeah, I saw that rant about the canister... That person has left us, but you and the rest can laugh anyway.
My point is, and Fishmonger hints at it too, that there are more likely sources than water where you can acquire those intestinal bugs. The current literature on backcountry intestinal issues always stresses cleanliness much more than the need to filter the water, at least in the high altitudes where we hike.
You are all welcome to carry a water filter, but until someone can actually FIND any evidence of water contaminated enough to make you sick, then that filter is about as useful as the T-shirt and charcoal.
I know someone who used to carry a rock hammer in his pack on every day hike. But then he was using it to slow him down enough to be comfortable hiking with all the others in his group.
I'm getting too old to carry hammers and stuff like that. It is far more enjoyable to hike with 20 lbs on my back than 30.
