A complete guide to water purification while trekking – hydration in the Himalayas. While trekking in Nepal, there is no need to worry about finding access to clean, drinkable water along the way. However, it’s crucial to drink more than you would at lower elevations on any high-elevation climb. Three to four liters per day are advised for water intake when trekking. It used to be common for trekkers to carry plastic water bottles with them as they made their trip to the Himalayas, which had a detrimental effect on the ecosystem. We will go through the following choices to demonstrate the best methods to remain hydrated while trekking in Nepal.
BOILING WATER
The best method for purifying water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to properly boil untreated water. It’s crucial to understand that while you just need to boil the water for a minute below 2000 meters, you must boil it for three minutes beyond that elevation. Since a majority of our treks begin at elevations above 2000 meters, it is best to stay on the side of safety and boil the water for at least three minutes if you are unsure of your altitude. The teahouses also provide boiled water in their little cups for around one dollar each. Although the water from the village’s taps and houses is free, unless you intend to purify it yourself, it is not portable.
FILTRATION METHOD
Reusable water bottles are important! Even better if you get one with a filter straw! Filter straws eliminate 99.9% of germs, microplastics, and parasites that are waterborne. A single straw can filter all the water a person needs for three years, making it a useful investment that will last you much beyond your trip to Everest Base Camp. This filtering straw will work just fine if you’re drinking river water. The majority of filtration systems are useless against tiny bacteria like E. Coli but will remove anything larger than 5 microns, which includes protozoa like Giardia. We advise adding pills made of either iodine or chlorine to any filtering system.
IODINE AND CHLORINE TABLETS
For the purpose of purifying the water along the way, chlorinated or iodine-based pills are frequently used. Generally speaking, the water along the path is clean and cool, but you should still filter it before drinking it. After filtering the water, place the pill and let it 30 minutes to purge all the impurities. After that, drink! Drinkable water is available. Be aware that some people may find the taste in their mouth left by the chemical cleansing to be unpleasant. Since staying hydrated when trekking is crucial, think about taking flavor packets to mask the taste if you think it might irritate you.
Electrolyte packets, which are a terrific method to replace the salts you lose via perspiration, can also be used to mask the taste. For every beverage with additional minerals, we advise consuming one bottle of ordinary water. There are potential long-term issues with taking chemical pills, but for short excursions, there is no need or worry.
UV LIGHT/STERIPEN
Another alternative for people who are adamantly opposed to chemically treating their water is to use a steripen to expose it to UV light bursts. This simple, 90-second (per liter) option kills the DNA of all undesirable bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in the water to eliminate them. Many hikers find it to be a convenient and lightweight solution, but you must make sure you have a backup plan for the batteries. Different battery types perform better in the cold than others. In any case, attempt to keep the batteries warm by keeping them close to your body while not in use. Along the route, you may recharge them for a fee. If not, consider packing extra batteries or a power bank so you can recharge it yourself.
Using steripen or chlorine/iodine pills is the simplest approach to treat water. You can get free water from the tea shops, but it has to be filtered. Every two to three hours along the path, you may fill up your bottles with water. Just ask your guide if you’re unsure.
We’ll leave you with a couple more water guidance. When visiting teahouses, ordering lots of tea and soup (garlic soup is believed to help with acclimation, so win-win) is a fantastic way to stay hydrated.
Keeping track of your diuretic intake is important since you will need to increase your water intake to make up for it. This suggests that you should drink more water if you consume caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, or Diamox. Additionally, as alcohol may greatly hinder your acclimatization process and dehydrate you, we advise against drinking it (at least on the way up). Additionally, you should bring two water bottles so that you may alternate between drinking one and purifying with a pill with the other. When you pour boiling water into Nalgene water bottles, you won’t be burned since they retain heat. Our final piece of advice is to put boiling water in your water bottle at night to place in your sleeping bag to keep your feet warm.