water filtration
Equipment
what are y'all using?
Open to any and all suggestions and recommendations
thanks
No matter what filtration system always pack some tabs. REI has a lot of good options.
Sawyer....... cheap, easy and effective
Ran about 25 gallons through it last week
Sawyer Mini- cheap, easy to use and low maintenance
Always used a life straw, but probably will switch to a steripen and nalgene set up eventually.
I use the MSR that hooks to Nalgene bottles.
Sawyer if you've got good looking water. MSR pump if the water is nasty.
Steripen with tablets as backup.
Is this the msr one?
https://www.rei.com/product/695265/msr-miniworks-ex-water-filter
Is this the sawyer one?
https://www.rei.com/product/890900/sawyer-mini-water-filter
Yes Pyrannah. Those are them. The MSR that I use is an older but very similar model. My MSR broke in the field once buy I got it back together with the super glue that I always have in my pack.
The Sawyer comes with a backflush syringe but it rarely (if ever) needs to be used. You have to be careful with the Sawyer filter because you can't let it freeze. So I shake the water out of it and keep it inside my sleeping bag at night. There is also a hose kit that you can buy for the Sawyer that allows you to use quick disconnect connections that some people use. The Sawyer is my favorite because it has been reliable and it's cheap. It is so cheap that I just buy a new one every season and keep last year's as a spare. For 30 days of use I can gladly buy a new one for $20 each season.
I've posted a link to the Sawyer on Amazon because if you're an advocate for the 2nd Amendment you don't want to support REI.
There are pros and cons to pumps vs a simple filter. The pumps weigh more and have more moving parts, which makes me nervous. The simple filter is lighter and more foolproof. Both filter/purify the water at about the same speed. If you pump too fast you can break the internals and you could be in trouble then.
The pump is better because it purifies out more bad stuff. The filter isn't as good but still gets 99%+ of what can get you sick. I forget the biological terms of all of the bad stuff but the filter gets giardia and cryptosporidium out and those are the big two that you need to worry about.
If you have a tiny water source then the pump allows you to drop the hose down and draw it out. For the filter you have to figure out how to get it into a bag first, which isn't usually a problem but could be if you had a tiny water source.
Lastly, always carry some tablets too because they are foolproof and extremely light. Personally, I think the tablets wreck my insides so I try not to use them. It makes sense that they would wreck our insides because they are supposed to kill bacteria and our digestive systems have a lot of beneficial bacteria that we need. Be careful with tablets, if you use too many you might run out of toilet paper :(
Elkstabber!!!! Thanks so much man! The breakdown pro/con is great and very appreciated...
Hoping I get a chance to stab an elk this fall for my first time! I have learned so much from everyone on here and starting to feel like I’m ready!
Thanks everyone for the recommendations
Ben
Katadyn pump & Base Camp. Both use the same filter cartridge (handy). The Base Camp is a gravity system that allows you to purify a gallon in 10-15 min. Super handy to use at a spike/bivy camp.
Used to have a sawyer, now have a Katadyn. Prefer the Katadyn. Big con to the Sawyer is they can not freeze. I was always worried about it freezing and had to take it into my sleeping bag with me on occasions. On our moose trip last year it would have froze during the day rendering it useless. Negative temps are often a reality elk hunting even. Always felt like I was risking it bring it. Katadyn is handy for filling up other things like pots, water bottles etc. I just had the sawyer in a water bottle so that stuff was a pain.
Gravity bag systems are a handy time time saver Collect the dirty water then let it filter in camp while doing other chores. Instead of being hunched over pumping for :20. BUT! As pointed out bag systems need a larger source. Like a little pool not a trickle. I usually, if possible dig out our create a little pool by building a dam. And yes pumps can break.
I have my sawyer set up with 3 liter platypus bags and a hose with quick connects. It definitely helps to have a cup with to fill the bag. the bad part about the sawyer is that if it freezes you wont know that it is no longer doing its job.
another vote for Sawyer, light weight and easy to use. I also hooked it up to a 50 gallon tank with a 12V on demand pump for use on my remote property.
I've been using the Katadyn pro hiker for a lot of years on backpack hunts with no problems. Easy to pack. Also have a filter bag the last few years just to have a bigger supply hanging in camp. The bag works as mentioned where you have a creek big enough to scoop.
I keep the sawyer mini in my daypack with the included "straw" for emergency use. It is small enough to fit in a (pants)pocket, so if I was worried about it freezing, that's where it would go. Body heat will keep it from freezing. And you will always have it with you if needed.
Platypus Gravity Works for myself. I bought the carbon filter attachment though as river water can taste funky and it worked REALLY well to improve the taste.
Filter system: https://www.rei.com/product/866422/platypus-gravityworks-water-filter-system-4-liter
Carbon element: https://www.rei.com/product/830346/platypus-gravityworks-carbon-element?CAWELAID=120217890000792974&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15877492480&CATCI=aud-87986356584:pla-449003599137&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|404_185735|8303460001|none|e9aee2a2-fee5-4155-8f00-73e7fa65d2df|aud-87986356584:pla-449003599137&lsft=cm_mmc:PLA_Google_LIA|404_185735|8303460001|none|e9aee2a2-fee5-4155-8f00-73e7fa65d2df&kclid=e9aee2a2-fee5-4155-8f00-73e7fa65d2df&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpcLZBRCnARIsAMPBgF2ZBEP7qBKrFHeagniN5eHmghr6W5azl6xtR9lEIZWkI_eaPMQbdHkaAgWdEALw_wcB
The concerns about freezing filters can also happen to pump filters. Pump filters weigh 11-18oz each where as mini Saywer filters weight 2oz. If there is any chance of freezing or heavy silt conditions carry two mini Saywer filters (4oz) plus water treatment tablets as back up.
lark, i saw the platypus one and seemed to have mixed reviews, but like the concept.. Im going to purchase the sawyer one with the kit this weekend.
thanks for all the suggestions ben
After working professionally in water treatment I am a little paranoid. I use a filter and 8 drops of unscented chlorine bleach/sodium hypochlorite per gallon (or 2 drops per quart). Let it sit for 30 minutes to let the chlorine work. I would never use a steripen alone but would use it in place of the bleach. A small dropper bottle takes up little space and is a cheap disinfectant.
Growing up in Colorado I drank straight out of many high country streams and never got sick. Don’t know if I was lucky or developed some sort of resistance.
I think I am the odd one out again. Or the dumb one. But all my dad and I use is the pills.
katadyne hiker and i filter lake water every year for our group of 6 that fishes and camps for a week at a time. careful with tablets as the iodine can screw up your thyroid if you have problems with it.
A little piece of tubing works well for filling bladders, etc. Build a little dam and insert tube. I had this setup at my NM spike camp last year and got to take hot showers :^)
A little piece of tubing works well for filling bladders, etc. Build a little dam and insert tube. I had this setup at my NM spike camp last year and got to take hot showers :^)
Pumping water from a little spring hole with a coffee filter wrapped around the water pickup
Pumping water from a little spring hole with a coffee filter wrapped around the water pickup
I used to use a PUR hiker pump filter (same as the Katadyn) years ago.
I switched over to the Sawyer filter and used it for a handful of years. I got really tired of squeezing all that ice cold water through the filter in order to stock up on some water at spike camp. My hands were always wet and cold and would sometimes start to cramp while squeezing the bladders. Also, I split the seams on a couple of the Sawyer bladders. Then there is the fear of the Sawyer filter freezing and becoming ineffective without knowing it. The sawyer filter is made of glass fiber or something that is more sensitive to freezing than other types of filters.
Last year I went back to my old PUR Hiker pump filter and I liked it a lot better than the Sawyer squeeze hassle. I can pump several liters of water much faster and more comfortably than squeezing it. I carry some coffee filters and wrap one around the pickup and hold it on with a rubber band if the water is silty.
I also use the BaseCamp bag at spike camp and as stated previously, the filter is interchangeable with the PUR/Katadyn pump.
I also use the tablets and prefer them due to simplicity if the water is clear.
Katadyn hiker pro as well... used on probably 15 backpack trips to Colorado without issue...
Josh
