Isle Royale Forums

Planning a trip to the island in 2018. Can you use tablets to make the water safe to drink? If so, which ones? What is in the water that you have to worry about?


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Check the Greenstone or contact the Rangers, but if I remember correctly, chemical treatment isn't consider to sufficient to protect against tapeworm eggs. Filters are the preferred method.


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karlschindel wrote:Planning a trip to the island in 2018. Can you use tablets to make the water safe to drink? If so, which ones? What is in the water that you have to worry about?

The potential danger in Isle Royale waters is the eggs of the Hydatid Tapeworm. The risk of exposure is very very low but the consequences of ingesting a live egg can be extremely serious and will not present symptoms for years. Fortunately, the recommended treatment steps are safe and effective. Chemical treatment from tablets will not kill the eggs. Ultraviolet light pens do not work either. The only way to protect yourself is to filter water using a filter with a maximum filtration size of 0.4 microns or by boiling the water to a full rolling boil for one minute. Modern, backpacking filters generally are better (smaller) than 0.4 microns but check the specifications of what you are examining. Carrying a filter is lighter than extra stove fuel, takes less effort and tastes better. You can search the "Gear and Supplies" forum here for numerous discussions and recommendations on different makes and models. There are hand pump and gravity feed models. The Park Service also recommends also using tablets if filtering just in case there might be viruses that can pass through almost all filters. The tablet recommendation does not apply if boiling. See page 5 of the 2016 Greenstone Newsletter.

Check out the Sawyer Squeeze for a filter. Extremely simple to use and back flush and very affordable.

Only filtering your water or boiling your water is safe for treating water on Isle Royale. See the Greenstone park news paper on NPS.gov/isro for more information.

karlschindel wrote:Planning a trip to the island in 2018. Can you use tablets to make the water safe to drink? If so, which ones? What is in the water that you have to worry about?


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You do need to use a filter system while on the island. We use the http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.M15e ... =0&p=0&r=0 platypus filter system. great investment. We carry the large size when more than 2 travel and I carry the small one solo hiking. You can filter out of creeks, streams, lakes and even ponds as long as there is not a blue/green algae bloom. You really want moving water to filter but as long as you filter you can also boil, we have done the dual treatment at island mine when the creek was almost dried up. water can sometimes be questionable when its hotter out.