Good to know. Simple/trouble-free would be one of my main criteria.
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Water, water everywhere ...
- Thread starter flyingbison
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Good to know. Simple/trouble-free would be one of my main criteria.
G
Guest
Guest
I have brought water along on many occasions. On the Green River I didn’t want to have to settle silt at the first camp, or be dependent on a first or second night’s campsite with filterable sidewater. Same for some heavily polluted rivers; if there are pig or chicken farms upstream, or failing sewage systems, meh, I’ll just tote the dromedary bags. Rio Grande water in Big Bend was another silt and upstream pollutant concern, and I wished I had brought more than just iodine.*
On “clean” lake or river trips I’ll just take my day canteens full and filter in camp. For that purpose I like having a gravity filter, so the water is being filtered while I set up the tent and tarp. And a dromedary bag, so I can filter several liters of water and have enough for the evening, next morning and day’s paddle.
Depending on the trip, expected water sources and number of people I sometimes bring a small pump filter as back up, although I haven’t actually used it in a few years; my non familial companions have always brought their own water filters as well. I liked using a collapsible bucket with the pump filter, so I could pump in camp and didn’t need to squat by the water's edge pumping the entire volume needed all at once.
A pump or Steri-pen would be more useful for mountain potholes or just filling a couple canteens at a time. My concern with the Steri-pen is that if it craps out without some backup you are screwed. Non-anecdotally a friend had a Steri-pen that died (not batteries) a few days from the end of a long hiking trip.
With any filter (or UV unit) I like having some fallback, even if that is “purification” tablets or an eye dropper and vial of super saturated iodine crystals. I still carry the little brown vial of saturated iodine crystals in my spares bag.
*The worst water I have ever “filtered” was from the Rio Grande; silt settled (no alum, long wait time), run through a (almost) clean pair of socks (no filter) and boiled (and cooled, more wait time), with a few drops of iodine added before drinking. That took hours and I was thirsty. It was still nasty.
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G
Guest
Guest
I use aqua mira pure 2 part chlorine dioxide drops. comments?
Turte
Turte
Settling time is 4 hours , no?
The downside to the gravity filters is that for one person with minimal needs the head pressure for one liter is pretty anemic
So if you are solo other means would be better. I only saw one person use a Steripen and back then it was a chore getting particulates out by prefiltering before zapping. Maybe the new units are better
G
Guest
Guest
I don’t remember what our Platypus gravity filter bags holds, I think 4 liters, maybe less. Even solo paddling between hydration and cooking needs I’ll easily run through 4 liters of water in a day. More if it is warm or if I want some insurance water along for the ride.
But that is in a paddling, not backpacking, mode. I know I’m not one for counting grams in paddling mode, but for potable water paddling purposes I’m happy with the quantity of filtered water from the filled Platypus reservoirs.
I hear good things about Sawyer as well, but from one observed failure might shy away from their smallest/lightest filter cartridges.
I don't see a situation were I'd bother to take a pump filter, the gravity filter is just so much easier and weighs the same. You fill the bag, hang it in a tree, put a bottle under it and you have water, even when solo.
I attempt to drink several quarts of water at the end of the day re- & pre- hydrating for the next day.
Swap out an empty for full, turn on the tap and even if you overfill there's a lot more out there.
I don't paddle in a lot of silty areas, I carry a second Sawyer and a plunger to back flush the filters.
I attempt to drink several quarts of water at the end of the day re- & pre- hydrating for the next day.
Swap out an empty for full, turn on the tap and even if you overfill there's a lot more out there.
I don't paddle in a lot of silty areas, I carry a second Sawyer and a plunger to back flush the filters.
With something like the Sawyer filter bottle you can have the best of both worlds. Quick water on-demand while paddling during the day (without carrying quarts of water over portages) and at camp pop the filter out and plug it in-line to your gravity setup. But, at least for me, I found in real use it's easier to ditch the bags all together and just drink from the bottle all the time. If I was with a group or wanted to filter my cooking water I'd feel otherwise.
As is obvious by the responses much of this depends on the water you're paddling in and how your paddling (or portaging).
Alan
As is obvious by the responses much of this depends on the water you're paddling in and how your paddling (or portaging).
Alan
Excellent reminder. I almost never have any portaging, so bulk and weight rarely sways my decisions.
I also forget that the great majority of those on this forum are the exact opposite, with portaging being the norm. It is a completely different decision making process, depending only, on what you are willing to paddle, as opposed to what you are willing to carry, and how far you are needing to carry it.
I think I may need to preface with a non-portaging disclosure statement, when responding to this forum.
Sounded normal for me to sometimes carry four 10L bags, but I'm sure illogical to the rest of you. But man I like hanging an extra black 10L bag for a hot shower.
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I had high hopes of the same. Carried one of those solar shower thingys for 12 days on the Snake River in the Yukon. It never warmed up even though the sun was out almost every day all the time...
Memo: in northern Latitudes a shower needs some heat help from a stove.. I don't know if my MSR gravity filter would melt with the application of warm water.. Seems if you are going to have a bag with a filter it ought to do double duty as a shower.
I have been using a Platypus system for the last 5 years, no issues and it can do enough water for the entire group .... 4 L takes only a few minutes.
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5035-528/GravityWorks-4-0L-Filter-System
The system is easy to maintain and use, the cartridges last quite awhile and you can just buy a new filter when it stops filtering as fast as you like. One 10 liter collapsible bucket on the way into a campsite and you have enough water to filter for the day usually .... it is easy to setup ... if it slows down, you just backwash the filter like a swimming pool filter, so on the trail it is dead easy and reliable. Highly recommended.
Brian
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5035-528/GravityWorks-4-0L-Filter-System
The system is easy to maintain and use, the cartridges last quite awhile and you can just buy a new filter when it stops filtering as fast as you like. One 10 liter collapsible bucket on the way into a campsite and you have enough water to filter for the day usually .... it is easy to setup ... if it slows down, you just backwash the filter like a swimming pool filter, so on the trail it is dead easy and reliable. Highly recommended.
Brian
YC, we had the same experience with the solar shower setup, I figured the only way to get it to work would be to boil some water and add that the shower water to bring the temp up .... and after 5 days i would likely go to that much bother for a warmish rinse/shower, lol
Brian
Brian
Hot showers fall in the same category as sizzling steaks and cold beer and fresh green salad and fluffy beds and dry pampered feet and washed hair and bug-free food and bug-free evenings and clean cotton clothes and ...a category of things I push way back into the dusty attic of memories of civilized comforts waiting at home. I miss them by day 5 true enough, but a jump in the lake takes care of both laundry and body more or less; the bare essentials of a pot-full of warm water and squirt of soap (well away from shore) feels great as a shower substitute.
G
Guest
Guest
I was pleased to see the Platypus Gravity works score high in that review, if only for conformational bias. But the review is kinda apples to oranges, including gravity filters, pumps and mini units.
I have no complaints with the functionality and reverse bagged back flushing of the Platypus, but will offer this for anyone considering a gravity filter.
I neglected to back flush and clean the Gravityworks filter when I got home after a trip. Next time out a few months later a pea sized wad of hairy black crud shot into the clean side bag. Cleaning and back flushing any filter before putting it away is a good idea.
The larger Sawyer filters can be syringe backwashed (I think Platypus advises against using that much pressure), and the (again larger) Sawyer filters were supposed to be good for thousands more gallons. IIRC some crazy number, tens of thousands of gallons.
I wish I could screw the clean side Platypus cap into our (discontinued) Kelty Isotainer dromedary bags. I’m sure I can order screw caps and fittings to DIY something, but having a gravity filter factory mated with a durably covered, bottom-tapped dispenser* dromedary bag would be advantageous, especially on trips where you don’t want to dump excess filtered water just yet.
*Having a dispenser nozzle on the bottom of a durable dromedary bag is a godsend. Just hang the bag on a tree, open the tap and let the needed amount pour out. Sans tap means having to pick up the waterbag, unscrew the cap (watch the dirt on the bottom), and accidental sloshing of precious bodily fluids onto the ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KvgtEnABY
Well, hell, that seems like a lot of work and spillage. I might as well just have another beer instead.
If buying a new gravity filter looking for a mated (durable, hangable, tapped) dromedary bag would be high on my list of requirements. The Kelty’s we have are 10 liter bags and work well for family and groups, a 5 liter bag might work for solo trips with plentiful filterable water available for regular refills.
Dromedary bags.. The choice of water filter revolved around 1 70 oz dromedary bag from countless years back.. At least 25. I don't know if there will ever be another as those bags are wicked expensive but its a plus that the MSR gravity system cap fits right onto the Dromedary.. All you have to be careful of is not losing the Dromedary cap itself. That virgin pure water has nowhere to go but into the Dromedary.
Hmm there seems to be a sale for a day
https://www.rei.com/product/114828/msr-dromedary-bag-10-liters
"best use:backpacking" Yah I would be so happy to hike with over 20 lbs of water.( who writes this stuff?)
Hmm there seems to be a sale for a day
https://www.rei.com/product/114828/msr-dromedary-bag-10-liters
"best use:backpacking" Yah I would be so happy to hike with over 20 lbs of water.( who writes this stuff?)
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The back flushing is something I have gotten in the habit of whenever I filter. Typically I filter from my MSR 4L gravity system straight into a MSR dromedary bag. The MSR adapter on the product end of the filter tubing screws directly onto the bag. When the dromedary bag is full, I clamp off the tubing below the filter, and then invert the whole rig. My MSR bags have the permanently attached bridle that allows the bag to be hung with the opening port either at the top, or the bottom, depending on whether filling or dispensing. When the bag is on top, and the filter path is reversed, I let the whole filter assembly and raw bag flush out, with the clean freshly filtered water. Have yet to have any "hairy black crud" issues.
It is a habit that is possible due to the large bag capacity. Doesn't really take more than a pint, and eliminates me having to remember to back flush when the trip is over. And it really helps to wash out the raw bag while the goobers and critters are wet, and haven't dried to the interior.
The screw port on the MSR bags comes with their screw on cap that has a smaller threaded male port, in the center of the large cap, that accepts an assortment of attachments. The screw on cap for that port has a flip-up port on it, but dispensing is slow, due to the small diameter hole. It works fine for dispensing if the bag is not hung. If set up in camp, I like to use the larger screw on cap that has the handle valve (Tap) for dispensing. It is a super handy system for typical camp water needs.
As far as durability goes, the MSR bags are about as tough as they come. 1,000 denier exterior. I also like that I can freeze several, and have frozen in an ice chest for food and beverages, and then potable water when thawed. They can also take boiling water for either heating hammock quilts, or a sleeping bag. Also nice to have hot water stored overnight, so coffee water in the morning is not frozen.
I've tried a bunch of filtration systems, and am now extremely happy with the performance, durability, and design of the MSR stuff.
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