Backpacking Discussions

I want to backpack the Kalalau Trail in Kauai, Hawaii next year. What are the water sources like? Is the water fresh enough to drink straight or do you still have to filter or purify it? How often do you have the oppurtunity to get more water? I'm excited to start planning my trip! I read Outdoor High Adventure's Kalalau Trail pagealready (great info).

greenhiker wrote:I want to backpack the Kalalau Trail in Kauai, Hawaii next year. What are the water sources like? Is the water fresh enough to drink straight or do you still have to filter or purify it? How often do you have the oppurtunity to get more water? I'm excited to start planning my trip! I read Outdoor High Adventure's Kalalau Trail pagealready (great info).

The Kalalau Trail is probably my favorite trip. It is a great experience with spectacular scenery. There are many spots along the trail for getting water. Once you enter the Hanakapiai Valley, there is the river that you can get water from. http://www.outdoorhighadventure.com/Kalalau/slideshow/rivercrossing.jpg
There are many other streams that you cross along the trail, as you can see on the trailhead map. http://www.outdoorhighadventure.com/Kalalau/slideshow/trailmap.jpg Once you get to the Kalalau Beach you can go to the waterfall at the end of the beach and filter from that, too. Some people drink the water straight, people who are permanent residents and daring backpackers, but I preferred to filter and purify it just to be safe. The last thing you want it diarrhea while backpacking, so I filtered and purified. Hope I helped!

Greenhiker: you don't need to worry about not finding water often enough. Only pack enough water for a good half day, I'd say, and then just top off every once in a while that you come across streams and things. I haven't done the hike (hope to some day when I can afford Hawaii!) but it sounds like you don't need to carry a lot and I have heard of people who just drink the water straight, but like Colton said, I'd play it safe and purify it.

Thanks guys. That helped a lot. I'm the kind of person that always ends up carrying way to much water on my back, so it's good to know that a lot of water isn't needed. I think I'll be safe too and purify the water! Pray I don't fall down the cliff on those narrow parts!

I went to visit my cousin in Kauai over Spring Break this past March. I hiked for the first time with her and her husband. They just took me on the four mile hike and back to Hanakapiai beach. It made me wish I was staying longer to do the 11 mile hike. However, I would like to mention a note about the water. Plan on carrying your own drinking water or filtering system because the bacterium leptospirosis is found in almost all of Kauai's rivers and streams. The bacterium produces flu like symptoms. Hope that piece of info helps. Enjoy your trip! I fell in love with the island and have decided that I want to do travel nursing in the future just so I can call this magnificant place home for awhile.

OH wow. I've heard a little about the leptospirosis, but not that it's found in all of Kauai's water systems. I can hardly believe that people drink the water straight. Maybe if you've grown up drinking somewhat contaminated water, your body would be used to it. And I'm sure that they permanent residents of the Kalalau have got over the flu like symptoms by now! Thanks for the info and hope you can become a traveling nurse! You're going to have to tell us about all your outdoor adventures!

Does anyone know if there is a place on Kauai to buy fuel canisters? I'm afraid that i might not be allowed to put one in my pack and check it in on a flight from Chicago. Any information is appreciated!

Michal

See http://www.backpackingdiscussions.com/post172.html#p172