Iodine in your water

What kind of drink mixes are you using? They make little packets that are sugar free. That is what I buy for my kids to put in their water, and it actually tastes good.

 

I don't generally use iodine except when I run out of tablets or don't have time to boil some water. Or I don't have a filter system in evidence. That said iodine does give a bit of aftertaste, but if I'm using it at that point aftertaste is the least of my worries.

 

I don't use it either. If I do for some reason drink it, I'm really desperate and all I care about is water, not taste.

 

It must be all in my mind then

I don't like having anything extra in my water as it feels unnatural to me. A little bit of bacteria will force the immune system to work and therefore get stronger (if toxicity or something doesn't occur).

That's just my opinion

 

A little bit of bacteria may well see you dead. It doesn't take much for unfortunate issues to take place, and in the woods that can very well mean death - especially if you're off the beaten track.

 

Good point 2sweed - hepatsis sucks much more then a bit of iodine. Bad taste does not justify failing liver function.

 

I do not like the taste of iodine at all. But I also do not want to get contaminated water either. So I do pack water bottles and use them in moderation. If I absolutely had to I would use the iodine. But to boil the water does work doesn't it? I have never gotten sick after using the boiled water. As far as the extra bacteria not being bad for your immune system I disagree. You can get deathly ill from nasty water.

We have never been camping were we were in a desperate situation so thankfully I never had to face this dilemna.

 

You know they also have little pills you can use. That's what I tend to carry along with me along with the iodine and the pot I use for boiling.

 

I think when it really gets down to it, would you rather become incredibly ill or die because you drank water from a lake, or would you rather be able to drink the water from the lake and not run the chance of contracting a bad illness or dying? I would rather drink the poorly flavoured (but safe) water with the iodine, then risk losing my life just because I don't like the taste. Honestly, I know taste is a big thing for some people, but when you are dehydrated from hiking, and you know you need a drink, it is best to be safe.

I always use iodine in my water, or boil it before drinking. I would never drink nasty lake water without treating it in some way. I would also suggest looking around for the 'pills' that people are talking about, perhaps they don't have such a strong after taste?

 

We used iodine tablets in our water in Vietnam and I didn't find the flavor disagreeable, but a lot of the guys did and they used koolaid for flavoring.

 

I always think my water tastes weird if not from a very familiar source. But with hydration being so important, I mustn't complain.