hogabum said:
What do most people do?
Do you:
a. drink bottled water only
b. filter water
c. treat water
d. drink right out of the stream and take your chances.............
'a.', 'b.', 'c', and 'd.' Depends...
If I don't know there will be water available, 'a.'
(I assume 'bottled' means in a Nalgene type bottle)
If I do, I have a filter and the aqua mira drops. If I bring the filter, I usually use it. It's heavier than drops. The drops usually taste ok, but the last time out, with fairly warm water, it tasted a little like chlorine. No biggie.
If there is a pipe, the water is typically safe to drink unfiltered. I've done this many times in many places, and never gotten sick. I also drank from a stream once in the Catskills and did not get sick, as we had run out of water. I do not recommend this. But, I am told that you will usually not get sick for 24 hours, so you will at least make it out, rather than be dehydrated. The choice is yours to make, given the circumstances.