out into DA HEAT

It's going to be 109 degrees in Arlington today, just like yesterday, but I'm checking out of this motel and moving over to the RV park-cum-campground by the river. Once there, I'll see about setting up some poncho shade and photographing the respectable (or laughable) results of my efforts. On Monday morning, I'll mail off a pound or two of extra weight before heading off to the old Army Corps of Engineers campground near Exit 151. I'm morbidly curious as to how my knee will hold up during that walk, which will be at least 14 miles.

I bought some items to help out with water filtration and purification: a ginger ale bottle plus cotton balls, and a Brita water pitcher. The idea is to turn filtration into a three-step process.

First step: cut the bottom off the ginger ale bottle, stuff cotton into the bottleneck, close off the spout with fabric that's been elastic-banded into place, and run "dirty" water through the cut-off bottom. The idea here is to strain out most of the "macro"-scale problems, things that make river water cloudy, like mud/sand and algae. Most campsite purification and filtration systems come with disclaimers saying they work best with water that's already fairly clear, which means that, if they claim to strain out or kill 99.9999% of all dangerous microorganisms, you have to be a bit wary. I'm not a dainty guy, mind you: I'll drink water straight from the source if it comes to that, but would rather avoid the possibility of hiking a fifteen-mile stretch with diarrhea running down my legs.

Second step: the Brita pitcher. I've relied on Brita before and trust the brand, because Brita filters do a very good job of removing strange flavors and odors from tap water. The ability to deal with chemical issues is a big plus, in my opinion. The Brita will strain out most of whatever's left after the initial filtration, but might not catch all the microorganisms, which leads to our...

Third step: the Katadyn water pump filter. This is the hand pump I bought back in Portland. CouchSurfing host and REI guru Rico had recommended one of those ultraviolet lights that you place in a bottle of water, but I ultimately decided against it for two reasons: (1) online customer reviews were very mixed, with many folks noting that the light tended to crap out after only a few uses, or that it seemed weaker than expected (in fairness, I never saw a review that said, "I got sick after using the UV sterilizer"); and (2) the UV light's only function is to blast anything living, not to filter out all the critters and grit. So I opted for the Katadyn pump.

Anyway, it's time to get a move on. I had hoped to do laundry last night, but fell asleep. I want to do it this morning before 11AM checkout, but I'm friendly with the motel staffers and can probably get away with moving to the campground first and then coming back to the motel to use their machines. So there's no rush.

More later.


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