Like another poster I use a filter bottle (Sawyer) so when I want water I just have to dip and sip, so no pumping or draining through a gravity filter. For all cooking water (meals and tea) it comes straight from the lake/river.

I've been tempted to drink straight from the lake/river but I've always been solo and fairly remote and the risk of getting sick just isn't worth it, even if the chances are slim. If I happened to lose my filter I'd continue the trip drinking straight from the lake/river but if I have the option I'll take the filter. With the filter bottle the only inconvenience is having to back flush the filter every 2-3 weeks, which is easy enough.

Alan

The BSA National Camping School has run a trek leader guide certification course in the Adirondacks and other parts of the contry for over 35 years so far. I've been an instructor for 30 of those years. From nearly the beginning, we taught the guides to use and treat with PolarPure iodine crystals which as an option along with varioius filter methods are also provided at the resident camps where the guides lead scouts on wilderness hiking and canoeing treks for the summer season. To the best of my knowledge, no one, neither guide nor scouts out on their summer guided treks have gotten sick.

Personally when solo, I have used PolaPure from the beginning myself with the same good results. There were a few years when the DEA banned sale of the product because the iodine could supposedly be used to make drugs. But the one-man manufacturer was able to eventually overcome the legal issues and it is back on the market. One bottle will last for up to 2000 liters of treatment. The bottle is glass, so don't drop it on a concrete floor ( don't ask me how I know). Luckily I have enough supply and multiple bottles to far outlast me.

https://www.amazon.com/Polar-Pure-Iodin ... B00N5AGT1Q

When I paddled the Thelon many moons ago, we bumped into Bill Layman and Linda Holland. Bill was sick with what he figured was giardia, and we were carrying giardia meds (Flagyl) in our first aid kit. Boy, was he happy to see us...