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Water Treatment System

Final System Decision

Primary: Hollow-fiber filter (BeFree or Platypus QuickDraw class)
Backup: Chlorine dioxide tablets

Why This Combination

  • Filters cannot be reliably tested after possible freezing
  • Chemical drops provide guaranteed backup
  • Both systems require waiting time in cold water (30-45 minutes)
  • Filter + drops provides maximum margin

Tablet Selection

Potable Aqua — Chlorine Dioxide Water Purification Tablets

  • Same chemistry as Aquamira drops
  • Kills bacteria, viruses, Giardia
  • Kills Cryptosporidium with extended time
  • Best taste among widely available tablets
  • Cannot freeze

Supply Math

  • Daily water use: 3 liters
  • 1 tablet = 1 liter
  • 60 days = 180 tablets
  • Buy 10 packs (20 tablets each) = 200 liters coverage

Winter Workflow

Step 1 — Collect

Scoop water into dirty bottle or bag. Choose clearest source available.

Step 2 — Filter

Filter into 1L Smartwater bottle. Removes sediment, improves taste. Water is NOT virus-safe yet.

Step 3 — Purify

Drop 1 chlorine dioxide tablet into bottle. Cap and gently shake.

Step 4 — Wait

  • Normal filtered spring water: 30-45 minutes
  • Cold, questionable, high-use areas: up to 4 hours

Step 5 — Drink

Water is now safe from bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

Freeze Protection Rules

Night Rule (Non-Negotiable)

Liquids and lithium sleep with you.

Put these inside your sleeping bag every night:

  • Filter
  • Tablets
  • Batteries
  • Glasses
  • Phone / InReach

Day Rule

After using the filter:

  • Shake out excess water
  • Put filter immediately against your body
  • Inner jacket pocket or fanny pack

What Does NOT Work

  • Backpack pockets
  • Wrapped in clothes inside pack
  • Insulated sleeves without body heat

Insulation without heat always loses overnight.

Comprehensive Water Sources Guide

What “Reliable” Means

Reliable = dependable flow, not sterile water.

All listed sources:

  • Are spring-fed, major creeks, rivers, or established shelter sources
  • Are known to persist even in drier years
  • Still require treatment every time

Treatment Rule (Non-Negotiable)

For all listed reliable sources:

  • Filter or chemical drops are sufficient
  • Filter + drops (your system) provides maximum margin

Treatment is assumed every time.

When to Pause Even at a Listed Source

Reassess or skip a listed source if you see:

  • Algae or green film
  • Strong odor
  • Heavy animal activity in the water
  • Obvious flood runoff immediately after heavy rain

If that happens:

  • Move upstream if possible
  • Or walk on to the next reliable anchor

These situations are rare — but judgment still applies.

Quick Legend (Field Use)

SourceStatus
Listed source + treatment🟢 Safe to use
Listed source + visual red flags🟡 Reassess / walk upstream
Unlisted water (puddles, runoff, ponds)🔴 Treatment alone is not a guarantee

Reliable Water Sources — Northbound

GEORGIA (Springer Mountain to NC Border)

  • Springer Shelter spring (mile 0.0)
  • Stover Creek (4.1)
  • Hawk Mountain Shelter spring (9.6)
  • Gooch Mountain Shelter spring (15.6)
  • Lance Creek (20.6)
  • Woods Hole Shelter spring (26.6)
  • Neels Gap / Mountain Crossings (31.7)
  • Low Gap Shelter spring (35.9)
  • Blue Mountain Shelter spring (40.6)
  • Tray Mountain Shelter spring (43.0)
  • Deep Gap Shelter spring (50.6)
  • Dick’s Creek (53.7)
  • Plumorchard Gap Shelter spring (69.2)
  • Muskrat Creek Shelter spring (74.9)

NORTH CAROLINA / TENNESSEE (Fontana Dam to Hot Springs)

  • Fontana Dam spigot (164.6)
  • Cable Gap Shelter spring (170.7)
  • Brown Fork Gap Shelter spring (177.7)
  • Spence Field Shelter spring (186.9)
  • Derrick Knob Shelter spring (197.3)
  • Double Spring Gap Shelter spring (202.8)
  • Mt. Collins Shelter spring (207.7)
  • Newfound Gap (211.3)
  • Icewater Spring Shelter (219.4)
  • Peck’s Corner Shelter spring (237.6)
  • Tricorner Knob Shelter spring (241.7)
  • Davenport Gap Shelter spring (252.9)
  • Standing Bear Farm (257.6)
  • Groundhog Creek Shelter spring (274.7)
  • Walnut Mountain Shelter spring (282.9)
  • Hot Springs town water (288.2)

TENNESSEE / VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS (Hot Springs to Damascus)

  • Rich Mountain Shelter spring (~292)
  • Hogback Ridge Shelter spring (~302)
  • Flint Mountain Shelter spring (~315)
  • Jerry Cabin Shelter spring (~324)
  • Little Laurel Shelter spring (~333)
  • Laurel Fork (~340)
  • Dennis Cove (~345)
  • Overmountain Shelter spring (~356)
  • Stan Murray Shelter spring (~368)
  • Roan High Knob Shelter spring (~375)
  • Ash Gap (~380)
  • Kincora Hostel (~388)
  • Vandeventer Shelter spring (~405)
  • Iron Mountain Shelter spring (~421)
  • Partnership Shelter (~442)
  • Wise Shelter spring (~451)
  • Old Orchard Shelter spring (~460)
  • Trimpi Shelter spring (~467)
  • Damascus town water (~469)

VIRGINIA (Damascus to Shenandoah National Park)

  • Saunders Shelter spring (~475)
  • Lost Mountain Shelter spring (~485)
  • Hurricane Mountain Shelter spring (~497)
  • Watauga Lake inlet (~508)
  • Chestnut Knob Shelter spring (~518)
  • Jenkins Shelter spring (~532)
  • Knot Maul Branch (~545)
  • Bryant Ridge Shelter spring (~559)
  • Jenny Knob Shelter spring (~574)
  • Cove Mountain Shelter spring (~588)
  • Fullhardt Knob Shelter spring (~604)
  • Brown Mountain Creek (~618)
  • Matts Creek Shelter (river source) (~633)
  • Johns Hollow Shelter spring (~652)
  • James River (~681)
  • Punchbowl Shelter spring (~698)
  • Seeley-Woodworth Shelter spring (~713)
  • Cow Camp Gap Shelter spring (~733)
  • Maupin Field Shelter spring (~754)
  • Rockfish Gap (Shenandoah NP) (~780)

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

  • Loft Mountain Camp (~792)
  • Big Meadows (~820)
  • Skyland (~844)
  • Pass Mountain Hut (~860)
  • Elkwallow (~872)
  • Front Royal town water (~887)

This is the most water-abundant section of the trail.

MID-ATLANTIC (WV / MD / PA / NJ / NY)

  • Crampton Gap spring (~1,026)
  • Pine Grove Furnace (~1,102)
  • Quarry Gap Shelter spring (~1,126)
  • Wind Gap (~1,231)
  • High Point Shelter spring (~1,317)
  • Wildcat Shelter spring (~1,348)
  • Bear Mountain visitor area (~1,410)
  • Graymoor Monastery (~1,436)
  • Pawling town water (~1,463)

NEW ENGLAND (CT / MA / VT / NH / ME)

  • Upper Goose Pond Cabin (pump) (~1,527)
  • Dalton town water (~1,570)
  • Clarendon Gorge (river) (~1,663)
  • Killington Shelter spring (~1,699)
  • Hanover town water (~1,747)
  • Kinsman Notch Camp (~1,820)
  • AMC Hut system (NH Whites) (~1,830-1,888)
  • Carter Notch Hut (~1,863)
  • Gorham town water (~1,904)
  • Andover town water (~1,975)
  • Rangeley town water (~2,001)
  • Kennebec River ferry (~2,013)
  • Monson town water (~2,077)
  • Rainbow Stream (~2,095)
  • Antlers Campsite (lake outlet) (~2,144)
  • Hurd Brook (~2,153)
  • The Birches (ranger water) (~2,168)
  • Katahdin Stream (final source) (~2,193)

Water Types — What to Use & What to Avoid

🟢 BEST WATER (GREEN LIGHT)

  • Piped springs
  • Flowing springs
  • Rock-fed hillside trickles
  • Waterfalls
  • Fast, cold creeks

Filter or drops work well. Filter + drops is ideal.

🟡 ACCEPTABLE WITH CAUTION (YELLOW LIGHT)

  • Clear pooled spring seeps
  • Large rivers (upstream of human activity)
  • Large, cold lakes (prefer inflow streams)
  • Fresh, clean snow (must be melted and treated)

Use full treatment protocol.

🔴 AVOID EVEN WITH TREATMENT (RED LIGHT)

  • Rain puddles
  • Beaver ponds
  • Warm stagnant pools
  • Algae-covered water
  • Road or farm runoff
  • Water with chemical or rotten smell

Treatment does not make these safe.

Questionable Water Protocol

When you hesitate at a source, ask:

  1. Cold or warm?
  2. Moving or pooled?
  3. Rock source or dirt runoff?
  4. Any smell, algae, or animal tracks?

If any answer is wrong, treatment alone is not enough.

If forced:

  • Pre-filter
  • Filter
  • Drops
  • Full or double contact time
  • Don’t chug immediately

This reduces risk — it does not erase it.

Winter vs Summer Reality

SeasonConditions
WinterFewer visible sources, cleaner water, lower biological risk
SummerMore water, higher contamination risk, be more selective

The 1-Liter Rule (Realistic)

1 liter works when:

  • Sources are reliable
  • Quality is high
  • Temps are cool

Break the rule intentionally when:

  • Long dry stretches
  • Questionable water ahead
  • High heat or exposure

Carrying extra temporarily is smart, not failure.

Section-Specific Water Reliability

Standing Bear Farm to Hot Springs, NC

Distance: ~33 miles
Mile ~241 to ~274

Reliable Water Sources (What Actually Holds Up)

Standing Bear Farm Hostel (Mile ~241)

  • Spigot / creek
  • Fully reliable
  • Last easy, guaranteed water before ridge travel

Groundhog Creek (Mile ~248)

  • Creek crossing
  • Very reliable
  • One of the most dependable water sources in this entire stretch

Deer Park Mountain Shelter — Little Laurel Creek (Mile ~268-269)

  • Creek-fed water source
  • Year-round reliability
  • This is the creek most hikers remember as “finally real water again”

Note: Little Laurel Creek is the creek beside Deer Park Shelter — many hikers never hear the name, they just know the water.

Hot Springs, NC (Mile ~274)

  • Town water
  • Unlimited treated sources
  • Psychological and logistical reset point

Seasonal or Unreliable Sources (AWOL & FarOut Overstate These)

Garenflo Gap Area Spring (Mile ~244)

  • Sometimes flowing
  • Often low or frozen
  • Do not plan around it without confirmation

Max Patch Area Springs (Mile ~250)

  • Very low output
  • Often a trickle
  • Exists on paper more than in practice

Walnut Mountain Shelter Spring (Mile ~255)

  • Spring-fed
  • Frequently low, frozen, or dry
  • One of the most misleading “reliable” listings in guides

Bluff Mountain Area Seeps (Mile ~260)

  • Intermittent
  • Rain-dependent
  • Not reliable in cold or dry stretches

Why AWOL Shows Water That Isn’t Reliable

AWOL marks water based on:

  • Historical existence
  • Average-year assumptions
  • Warm-season bias

AWOL does not account for:

  • Freeze
  • Low-flow springs
  • Drought cycles
  • Ridge exposure
  • Removed shelters

AWOL water icons mean: “This source exists sometimes.”
They do not mean: “You can rely on this today.”

FarOut Water Icons — How Reliable Are They?

The truth:

  • FarOut is more accurate than AWOL
  • FarOut is still not guaranteed

Why FarOut is better:

  • Crowd-sourced updates
  • Recent comments (gold standard)
  • Freeze and dry reports

Why FarOut still fails:

  • Early-season lack of comments
  • Springs marked as “available” even when barely flowing
  • No dynamic drought or freeze adjustment

How to use FarOut correctly:

  1. Ignore the icon alone
  2. Read recent comments (last 7-10 days)
  3. Trust creeks, verify springs
  4. Always identify your next guaranteed source

Real-World Water Planning Rules

  • Creeks = trust
  • Springs = verify
  • Seeps = ignore
  • Never skip water before a ridge
  • Carry extra when shelter water is spring-fed
  • Ask: “What’s my next guaranteed creek?”

You followed these instincts naturally — that’s experienced hiker behavior.