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Can you boil a bite valve?

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dogwoodgirl

09/10/2020 09:15PM

So, my pack and I took a dip in a beaver rich lake. Can you boil a bite valve to field sterilize it? It was towards the end of my trip and I just drank out of my Nalgene for the rest of the trip, but it would have been nice to use the Camelbak on the longer portages.

~On to Fort Chipewyan before the snow flies!

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sns

09/11/2020 07:20AM

It's my understanding that the 'boil for one minute' thing is overkill to ensure idiots don't screw it up.

I believe 160F does the trick on bacteria...and that's a lot less likely to deform plastics than 212.

"I don't care what you believe. I care what you can prove." -Philosopher & Mathematician JJJ

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butthead

09/11/2020 07:49AM

Yes, done that for my several Camelback's. But normally I just carry a replacement bite valve, kept it the bladder sleeve, I have lost a few scrambling thru brush on hikes.

butthead

"never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" George Carlin

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dogwoodgirl

09/11/2020 09:52AM

sns: "It's my understanding that the 'boil for one minute' thing is overkill to ensure idiots don't screw it up.

I believe 160F does the trick on bacteria...and that's a lot less likely to deform plastics than 212."

Yeah, mostly concerned about giardia, think they need higher temps. You are right about bacteria, I believe.

~On to Fort Chipewyan before the snow flies!

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deerfoot

09/11/2020 08:31PM

During 13 years of tripping in NW Ontario which is a beaver-rich area we never did anything more bring water to a boil before Immediately using it. No one ever came down with beaver fever. So I would think simply bringing the bite valve to a boil would be sufficient.

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Savage Voyageur