I've used the pump style quite a bit but since I switched to the Sawyer Squeeze filter I won't even consider going back. It is better in every way, from convenience to price. I tossed the bags it came with aside and bought a 4 liter Platypus zip water tank. Fill that bad boy up, screw on the filter, and clean water just flows right out. It's sooo much better than pumping.
Water Filters
- Thread starter Art Vandeley
- Start date
Ben Long
Well-known member
I"ve used my MSR for years and it's never failed me. However, to save time and weight I go to a Steripen on shorter jaunts. As long as you're careful with batteries, it's a breeze. The water must be clear, though.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
Awesome idea. Thanks!
Bambistew
Well-known member
Platypus gravity... Is hands down the best there is, IMO.
I have a Sawyer mini, works great but is easily plugged/fowled with silt. Its cleanable, but is a PTIA to stop and start again, over time the filter rate degrades. The weight is worth it for most applications though.
Also have the Hiker Pro... well its a pump, and I have better things to do than pump water. Fill a bag and let it drain/filter while you do something else.
The MSR, same as the Hiker, zero advantages and its heavier. Worked fine, but I went to a gravity system.
On a trip last year we had the Platypus gravity filter and I had a Sawyer... no comparison in time to filter or ease of back flush. The back flush on the Platypus was as easy as raising the clean bag and flushing the silt back into the dirty bag. With the Sawyer, you will have to flush about ever 3-4 liters with water like this, and do so vigorously.
This is silty water... The Platypus filtered it with zero issues.
I have a Sawyer mini, works great but is easily plugged/fowled with silt. Its cleanable, but is a PTIA to stop and start again, over time the filter rate degrades. The weight is worth it for most applications though.
Also have the Hiker Pro... well its a pump, and I have better things to do than pump water. Fill a bag and let it drain/filter while you do something else.
The MSR, same as the Hiker, zero advantages and its heavier. Worked fine, but I went to a gravity system.
On a trip last year we had the Platypus gravity filter and I had a Sawyer... no comparison in time to filter or ease of back flush. The back flush on the Platypus was as easy as raising the clean bag and flushing the silt back into the dirty bag. With the Sawyer, you will have to flush about ever 3-4 liters with water like this, and do so vigorously.
This is silty water... The Platypus filtered it with zero issues.
Attachments
D
Deleted member 20812
Guest
When you can fill them, the gravity filters are great. Where I was at in the Rubies last year, it was much easier to pump.
A tip for filling the gravity bags is to take along a 12" or so piece of 1/2" pipe. You can use this to pipe the water out away from the hill, allowing you to fill the bags. We have used ice screws in this fashion with great success.
A tip for filling the gravity bags is to take along a 12" or so piece of 1/2" pipe. You can use this to pipe the water out away from the hill, allowing you to fill the bags. We have used ice screws in this fashion with great success.
dihardhunter
Active member
With wallow water, you will need to back-flush the Sawyer Mini every 3-4 L, just as 'Bambistew' states above. Otherwise, we've found that every 4 or 5 days it's smart to back-flush. Lightly tapping the filter on a rock while forcing water backwards through the filter seems to work great. 5 or 6 quick rinses and you're back up to 100% rate.
WapitiBob
Well-known member
I Hiker Pro with quick disconnects on the pump and on the bladder bite valve. Done in a cpl minutes and the bladder stays in the pack.
this! i have QD's on bite value, and pump lines and fills fast dont even need to take pack off and i dont get wet. i do put a coffee filter with a rubberband over the end in dirty water just to help it filter bigger pieces. tastes normal and i have filled bladders from cracks in rock puddles and many places a gravity filter will just not work. carry a couple of tablets in emergency kit.
Art Vandeley
Well-known member
Well I decided to go with the Platypus gravity system. Thanks for all the info..good stuff.
Epfd217
Member
I'm not sure I understand the argument that a gravity filter cannot filter water from small water sources, but I guess I've never been in that situation. If there is room enough to suck water from, then there is room enough for me to dipwater into the "dirty water" bladder.
I have two options that I rely on. The MSR Sweetwater and a hybrid gravity system of the Katadyn Base Camp using a Sawyer filter (full size, not mini).
The sweetwater is fast and easy for a pump style and filters on both the up and down stroke. Its also nice to use the adapters for the platypus bags or nalgene bottles. Downside is it plugs fairly quickly, even with clean water and although it is fairly easy to clean it gets tedious.
My preferred setup is the Katadyn Base Camp using a Sawyer inline filter. I read a tutorial on how to convert it online and I have used it this way ever since. You have to cut up your old Hiker filter in order to keep the adapter on the outlet on the bag or buy the MSR cap that fits the same threads. I chose to cut up the old filter and it works well. Then you just place the Sawyer filter inline and fill the bag. I use the coffee filter trick when trying to clean murky or standing water. I use this several times a year in the Boundary Waters Wilderness on canoe trips and on any wilderness camping trips I take. I use it for my hunts or whatever. Its the best system. I can filter as much or as little water as I need. I use quick-disconnects also. Having the full size Sawyer filter increases flow rate and it lasts longer between backflushes.
If I was going lightweight, I would consider the sawyer mini in a similar system using 1L bags and maybe a 3-4L bag for camp. I like being able to store a decent amount of water almost as much as I like not having to pump water. The gravity system will have my platypus bags full in the time its takes me to setup camp.
I have two options that I rely on. The MSR Sweetwater and a hybrid gravity system of the Katadyn Base Camp using a Sawyer filter (full size, not mini).
The sweetwater is fast and easy for a pump style and filters on both the up and down stroke. Its also nice to use the adapters for the platypus bags or nalgene bottles. Downside is it plugs fairly quickly, even with clean water and although it is fairly easy to clean it gets tedious.
My preferred setup is the Katadyn Base Camp using a Sawyer inline filter. I read a tutorial on how to convert it online and I have used it this way ever since. You have to cut up your old Hiker filter in order to keep the adapter on the outlet on the bag or buy the MSR cap that fits the same threads. I chose to cut up the old filter and it works well. Then you just place the Sawyer filter inline and fill the bag. I use the coffee filter trick when trying to clean murky or standing water. I use this several times a year in the Boundary Waters Wilderness on canoe trips and on any wilderness camping trips I take. I use it for my hunts or whatever. Its the best system. I can filter as much or as little water as I need. I use quick-disconnects also. Having the full size Sawyer filter increases flow rate and it lasts longer between backflushes.
If I was going lightweight, I would consider the sawyer mini in a similar system using 1L bags and maybe a 3-4L bag for camp. I like being able to store a decent amount of water almost as much as I like not having to pump water. The gravity system will have my platypus bags full in the time its takes me to setup camp.
MT_Wyatt
Member
I have the mini and a hiker pro - filling those squeeze bags isn't the easiest, but I cut the top off of a 16 oz one to use as a water scoop, really saves time. I read that on the Section Hiker blog. I like the weight savings......but squeezing gets old when you're doing a 100 oz of water.
Be super careful about freezing the mini.......it basically destroys the fiber's ability to filter.
Be super careful about freezing the mini.......it basically destroys the fiber's ability to filter.
MTbowhunter84
Member
Pro hiker for me as well.
Use Katadyn for camp. Carry MSR (hyperflow, I think) with me, not too bad to pump. I get new filter every season. My buddies have been using some kind of squeeze bags last trip or two and they leave me at the creek pumping while they're down the trail...time to look into something new.
knobbytire
Member
My hunting buddy had some water filter in a bottle that filters as you suck on it. It takes a lot of suction to get water and he was dehydrated. He's replaced it with a pump style water filter.
I use a MSR Sweetwater, pump style filter. We were still filtering water from the lake at 15 degrees last year and so long as we kept pumping it didn't freeze. However, now I'm concerned that I need to think about bitter cold weather.
We also boil the filtered water and put it into our Nalgene bottles and use it to warm our sleeping bag. That further sterilizes the water and makes a toasty sleeping bag.
I use a MSR Sweetwater, pump style filter. We were still filtering water from the lake at 15 degrees last year and so long as we kept pumping it didn't freeze. However, now I'm concerned that I need to think about bitter cold weather.
We also boil the filtered water and put it into our Nalgene bottles and use it to warm our sleeping bag. That further sterilizes the water and makes a toasty sleeping bag.
RobG
Well-known member
I used a Katadyn Gravity Camp 6 Liter last weekend ($89.95 at Sportsman). That thing is so easy and quick to use that for the first time I wasn't rationing drinking water in the camp. It also has an attachment to fill your camelback bladder directly and a clamp to close off the hose. I think you could stuff it in a 1/2 gal milk jug with the top cut off and you'd have something to scoop out the water with.
The spec says the gravity camp weights 11 oz and will fill a 1 liter bottle in 30 seconds. (The spec also says Randy's Base camp is 12.4 oz and holds 10 Liters.)
The spec says the gravity camp weights 11 oz and will fill a 1 liter bottle in 30 seconds. (The spec also says Randy's Base camp is 12.4 oz and holds 10 Liters.)
Attachments
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
I went with the sawyer mini,,,just $18 at bi-mart
muledeerjunkie
Member
I use a Platypus and have had no issues so far, it'll filter 4 Liters in a matter of a few minutes and you can do other tasks while the water is being purified by gravity. I've used pumps before and don't care for them, you have to sit there and it usually ties up both hands (mosquitoes eat you in the process).
I think a person might encounter issues with any filtration system (whether it be gravity or pump) if the air temp stayed below freezing for a long duration of time and you didn't have a heat source to keep the filter and/or water somewhat warm. Although it will work if there's frost on the pumpkin in the morning provided it warms up during the day.
TimeOnTarget
Well-known member
I've had mine for a couple weeks, Tried it out quick with some rain barrel water. Seems to work great. Very easy to use.
Similar threads
