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I think i heard this on "Survivorman", but also from many thru-hiker friends.

Dying of dehydration is a whole lot faster than giardiasis. If you're in a survival situation and are reasonably sure of a rescue in less than 14 days, go ahead and drink that water! Otherwise, don't.

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Yep. If you're dehydrated because you didn't bring adequate water or a filter, and drinking unfiltered water will get you to civilization (trailhead, car, etc), it is better to have giardia (in a few hours) than to be dead.

This is also why Imodium is included in most thru-hikers first aid kits. It decreases the effects of diarrhea to keep you hydrated long enough to reach civilization if you get giardia in the backcountry.

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