Uploaded August 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I DO NOT recommend that anyone drink lake water unfiltered.
Staying well hydrated in the heat and when working hard in the bush is critically important, especially when traveling solo in remote back-country. I show drinking the water straight, unfiltered, from the open area of a pristine lake in the northern Ontario boreal zone. I have been drinking the water unfiltered from lakes for over 40 years without a single incident of being sick - BUT I pick my locations very carefully. This is a totally natural watershed with no agriculture, no industry, no cottage development or outhouses or septic systems. This is as natural as it gets and the water is very clean in the aerated open water - but it still contains live organisms, animals live in the water, so there is risk. One of my most valued experiences in back-country travel and living is being able to drink the water straight from the lake, unfiltered, as our ancestors have always done.
In the video I show the area of the lake I drink the water from unfiltered (which involves risk), and areas of the lake where I use a filter or boil the water. I also state that each person is different, and one's gut flora can become adapted to local conditions, and other people may get sick drinking the same water in an area they are not adapted to (as international travelers well know). I DO NOT recommend that anyone drink lake water unfiltered. I do this at my own risk. But after 40 years I have a consistent record of successful adaptation and no illness.
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I DO NOT recommend that anyone drink lake water unfiltered.
Staying well hydrated in the heat and when working hard in the bush is critically important, especially when traveling solo in remote back-country. I show drinking the water straight, unfiltered, from the open area of a pristine lake in the northern Ontario boreal zone. I have been drinking the water unfiltered from lakes for over 40 years without a single incident of being sick - BUT I pick my locations very carefully. This is a totally natural watershed with no agriculture, no industry, no cottage development or outhouses or septic systems. This is as natural as it gets and the water is very clean in the aerated open water - but it still contains live organisms, animals live in the water, so there is risk. One of my most valued experiences in back-country travel and living is being able to drink the water straight from the lake, unfiltered, as our ancestors have always done.
In the video I show the area of the lake I drink the water from unfiltered (which involves risk), and areas of the lake where I use a filter or boil the water. I also state that each person is different, and one's gut flora can become adapted to local conditions, and other people may get sick drinking the same water in an area they are not adapted to (as international travelers well know). I DO NOT recommend that anyone drink lake water unfiltered. I do this at my own risk. But after 40 years I have a consistent record of successful adaptation and no illness.
If you liked this video, please hit the "Like" button, and please consider Subscribing and sharing, and click the bell for future notifications, thank you!
