View Full Version : Water filters
What are some of the options for water filters?
I kind of like the idea of filtering from one container to the other, maybe hung from a tree, or set up on a pack while walking.
What filters are for sale that can do this?
Please start from the beginning, I don't know much about this stuff.
Skylark, I saw some of those drip filters on my thru hike. But they did not last far. I think that you will find that when you need water, you need it now. Why would you want to walk up to a stream, load up with water in a drip filter, and carry it away waiting for the water to filter? No, you will want to walk up to the stream, filter some water, drink it, look at the guide book and see how far to the next water, and carry only what you will need. Many times that will be none, as the next water is only one hour up the trail! On my thru hike I replaced my filter with the one that worked. A katadin hiker 11 oz. Should have no problem making the whole trip with it and several hikes after.
greentick
01-20-2006, 20:54
What are some of the options for water filters?
I kind of like the idea of filtering from one container to the other, maybe hung from a tree, or set up on a pack while walking.
What filters are for sale that can do this?
Please start from the beginning, I don't know much about this stuff.
I second the recommendation for a katadyn hiker. You can even hook it to the hose on a bladder so you dont have to remove the bladder from your pack to fill it. When reading reviews on the HIKER one guy even just put the output hose in his mouth and filtered right to his belly. Not bad if water is plentiful. Check out the katadyn website for the gravity filters etc.
I've got a Katadyn Hiker, and I have no complaints. However, I offer one caution - it's essentially a paper filter, and the maker says you should treat the filtered water anyway.
I admit that I don't always do that, but if I get an intestinal parasite, I promise to take full responsibility.
How does the Katadyn hiker work?
TwoForty
01-21-2006, 14:17
I've got a Katadyn Hiker, and I have no complaints. However, I offer one caution - it's essentially a paper filter, and the maker says you should treat the filtered water anyway.
I admit that I don't always do that, but if I get an intestinal parasite, I promise to take full responsibility.
I was under the impression it would filter out parasites. I've drank from some nasty water and I haven't had anything bad happen with it yet.
I know it won't stop viruses, but you probably won't find those if you stay in the states.
I secons the HIKER though. I love it.
orangebug
01-21-2006, 14:39
The Hiker will filter out cysts and parasites, as well as bacteria. Of course, this is a high percentage cleared and not sterile water on the outflow side. It does not remove viral particles, but these are not a significant risk in the US.
Of course, there is good reason to question the need / benefit for any filter or water treatment on the AT. Many other risks for fecal/oral contamination - the most common source of diarrhea - abound.
i love this filter:cool: neo
http://www.ula-equipment.com/amigo.htm
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=6565&catid=member&imageuser=3462
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=6564&catid=member&imageuser=3462
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=6563&catid=member&imageuser=3462
Skylark, How does the Katadyn work?
FAST!:D
That is why I threw out my "light weight" filter and bought what the other hikers had and were happy with.
How does the Katadyn hiker work?
How does the Katadyn hiker work?
I couldn't think of an answer except for " it filters water ". But I found this link that might help. Don't let the talk about charcoal throw you, just substitute "filter medium".
http://www.aquasanastore.com/water-faq_a07.html
I was wrong about the Katadyn Hiker being a paper filter, it's actually "glassfiber", whoever she is. But they still recommend using bleach to treat the filtered water. My old SweetWater filter, which was called a purifier and used a ceramic cartridge, was recommended to be used with bleach too.
Green Bean
01-21-2006, 23:09
i love my Katadyn hiker. Just pump and your on your way ~GB
hammock engineer
01-22-2006, 00:54
Anyone have experience with the First Need water Purifier?
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=38866
I have been thinking about that one. I want to purify my water. This one removes cysts, "bacteria, viruses, parasites, microbes" It purifies water without using any chemicals.
Hikes in Rain
01-22-2006, 11:21
Been using a First Need for years. A little bulky and heavy, and slow to filter (tiny, tiny filter holes to force water through!), but the peace of mind it provides me, after having suffered through Giardia once, outweighs its backdraws.
DrewNC2005
01-22-2006, 11:24
Why has no one mentioned the MSR Miox? I have always heard good things about it - is there a flaw in it that I'm not seeing? True, it's not a "filter," but an option, right?
Why has no one mentioned the MSR Miox? I have always heard good things about it - is there a flaw in it that I'm not seeing? True, it's not a "filter," but an option, right?
its a chemical treatment:cool: neo
http://www.msrcorp.com/filters/miox.asp
I go with the First Need Deluxe Purifier. Reasons given in my earlier post:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=154834&postcount=16
Lumberjack
01-22-2006, 16:01
First need....
I definitely recommend the first need purifier because it's a true purifier and not just a filter. So 99% or better of all viruses, cysts, bacteria, tastes, odors and other nasties are removed and the filter life is great compared to the lighterweight models.
Also, other hikers are amazed at how fast it purifies when you all go down to the stream together in the morning. You can check generalecology.com for all the specs, but I can tell you it's an impressive purifier. It's worth the couple extra ounces to drink Poland Spring your entire hike.
orangebug
01-22-2006, 16:43
Okay, purifier fans.
Explain just what is the reason to kill viral particles?
They tell a story about a man staning in the middle of Times Square, banging a drum and screaming. The police asked him what he thought he was doing. "Of course, I'm keeping tigers and lions away!"
There haven't been tigers or lions ever in Times Square, replied the officer as he prepared to call Belleview.
"See what a good job I'm doing" replied the drum banger.
Viral particles in North America are much like Lions and Tigers in Time Square.
My vote is for the sweetwater. It might be like the drummer in times square, I'll agree about being safe than sorry though.
I use the old Pur Hiker, which, I think, is now the Katahdin Hiker. You do not, in addition to filtering, need to chemically treat the water along the AT. The Katahdin people recommend that you do if in a third world country, iodine to kill virus'. I believe you can get an iodine attachment if you do need one. As far as the filter goes make sure you read the instructions for use, especially the part about still water vs running water and the collection of water. I did occasionally use a coffee filter, as a pre-filter, when the water had a lot of cooties in it.
Hikes In Rain and JJB are probably right. If you think about the discomfort mild food poisoning causes, imagine how a parasite is going to make you feel.
Thank god for the drummer in Times Square. He's doing a great job keeping us safe from tigers and lions, I just wish he would drive away the Disney and giant Toys R Us stores, and bring back just a few of the hookers and porn theatres. It's just not the same without them.
I disagree with Ridge. Although I take chances, like most people do, I wouldn't tell anybody to skimp on water treatment. It's something they should decide for themselves. After all, they are going to pay the piper, not me.
Filtering will take care of the parasites. I'm sure some people both filter and then chemically treat the water, I've just never seen it done on the AT. I always filter my water and recommend that everyone does. But, I think its a waste to do both when on the AT.
hammock engineer
01-23-2006, 02:03
Okay, purifier fans.
Explain just what is the reason to kill viral particles?
They tell a story about a man staning in the middle of Times Square, banging a drum and screaming. The police asked him what he thought he was doing. "Of course, I'm keeping tigers and lions away!"
There haven't been tigers or lions ever in Times Square, replied the officer as he prepared to call Belleview.
"See what a good job I'm doing" replied the drum banger.
Viral particles in North America are much like Lions and Tigers in Time Square.
Not treating water is not an option to me. This is an issue that is as personal a choice as a pack or shelter. So to each their own choice.
Thanks for the info on the purifer. It is the one I am going to go with. I think the piece of mind alone is worth the weight.
orangebug
01-23-2006, 07:57
Marketing to fear wins again.
sleepwalker
01-23-2006, 09:55
Marketing to fear wins again.
Orangebug,
Tests by the EPA and NYS Dept ENCON showed a frighteningly frequent occurance of cryptosporidia in rural water sources. True, the risk of contracting this baddie at the levels found are pretty slim, but why risk it? It could kill you quickly. The following I pulled off a gastroenteritis site. Waterborne viruses are nothing like lions and tigers. We can see lions and tigers, some viruses have NEVER been discovered but are there nonetheless.
Consider caliciviruses, which infect both humans and animals. The human caliciviruses are divided into two generaﾗNoroviruses and Sapporo viruses. Noroviruses are smallﾗ27-30 nanometers (nm) or 0.027-0.03 micronsﾗsingle-stranded, nucleic acid (RNA) viruses often associated with waterborne infections. Overall, caliciviruses are believed to be the primary cause of viral gastroenteritis in the world1,2, and are common causes of food and waterborne diseases. Many people, including physicians, havenﾒt even heard of these specific agents due in part to the fact methods studying caliciviruses have only recently been developed.
Also problematic is that waterborne caliciviruses are known by many names including noroviruses, Norwalk viruses, Norwalk-like viruses, SRSVs (small round structured viruses), among others. Distinct virus strains are named after the region from which they were initially isolated following an outbreak of disease. Norwalk virus is the prototype agent of the waterborne noroviruses and was first identified in 1972 after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in Norwalk, Ohio, occurring throughout 1968.
Marketing to fear wins again.
From what I've heard, beaver fever wouldn't kill you, but you will probably wish it did. Makes sense to treat water from questionable sources.
Footslogger
01-23-2006, 10:32
I once heard a story ...a joke actually, that involved a demonstration of the dangers of drinking alcohol. During an open session at an AA meeting the moderator took the top off of a bottle of whiskey and dropped a worm in it. The worm sank slowly and before it hit the bottom of the bottle it was dead and shrivelled up. The moderator asked it this meant anything to anyone in the room. A hand went up in the back row and the following answer was given ..."If you drink good whiskey you'll never have worms"
Just thought I'd throw this in. Carried JD with me on my thru in 2003 and used AquaMira whenever I doubted the water source. Never had a problem. Oh yeah ...and I never got worms either.
'Slogger
hammock engineer
01-23-2006, 11:21
I think this is why I usually only read the first page or 2 of posts. After that they usually get off topic.
After reading WB for the last few months I think that there are a few issues that people can never agree on.
Down/synethic
water treatment/no treatment
type of shelter
NOBO/SOBO
pack weight
type of footwear
Seems like everytime someone asks a question about one of these, the the thread goes off topic after 1 to 2 pages.
Just my observation.
TN_Hiker
01-23-2006, 12:47
Nice to see I'm not the only one still using a First Need filter. Yes it's bulky and a little heavier but it has served me well over the years. Does anyone still carry the replacement filters?
you don't need to treat the water (most places). i guess that means that it doesn't matter what you use. one should work just as well as another.
Hikes in Rain
01-23-2006, 12:55
Nice to see I'm not the only one still using a First Need filter. Yes it's bulky and a little heavier but it has served me well over the years. Does anyone still carry the replacement filters?
Several places, it seems like:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=first+need+filter+replacement&btnG=Google+Search
Marketing to fear wins again.
I AGREE. For my first 15 years of hiking/backpacking I never filtered or treated. I started when going out of the USA to hike. I have never treated, only filtered. I have boiled water on several occasions. The only reason I carried a filter on my thru-hike was because of the uncertainty of water sources in areas I wasn't familiar with. I still don't carry a filter when doing day/weekend trips in the mountains around home. Outdoor Equipment Co's will do their best to sell you anything and everything they can because of the bottom line. This reminds me of the new thru-hikers I met at Springer several years ago that had "Personalized Fire Extinguishers" attached to their pack, I had to inquire WHY did they have them. They must have had 50+ lb packs.
SideWedge
01-23-2006, 22:38
IMHO a filter is worth its weight in gold. I had giardia once - I never ever again want to go through that again. Its like hell...in your intestines. Even more important than filtering is watching for fecal/oral contamination, which is how I got my case. I've always used an MSR MiniWorks, but thats definitely really heavy (on the other hand, it is completely field maintanable and you can clean the filter when it gets really clogged).
orangebug
01-23-2006, 23:53
IMHO a filter is worth its weight in gold. ... Even more important than filtering is watching for fecal/oral contamination, which is how I got my case. ...Okay, given that there are many other, and much more likely ways, to get fecal oral contamination other than water along the AT, why bother with a filter? Has anyone anywhere found any statistics suggesting that there is any benefit to carrying any sort of water treatment?
Nice pictures of defecating birds in Backpacker Magazine help market to fear. It is your business what you carry in your backpack, but try to understand the benefits, and shortcomings, of your gear.
smokymtnsteve
01-23-2006, 23:59
Okay, given that there are many other, and much more likely ways, to get fecal oral contamination other than water along the AT, why bother with a filter? Has anyone anywhere found any statistics suggesting that there is any benefit to carrying any sort of water treatment?
Nice pictures of defecating birds in Backpacker Magazine help market to fear. It is your business what you carry in your backpack, but try to understand the benefits, and shortcomings, of your gear.
and even perhaps more interesting ways..:jump
but what do ya think OB...from a medical perspective...think I should carry a water filter, along with some alkyhol hand cleaner???
digger51
01-24-2006, 00:35
I have used the Hiker for several years and wouldn't change. The only time I had problems with it was filtering slimy pond scum and it clogged the prefilter. Once I started putting a paper coffee filter around the prefilter I never had any more problems. I even once had to pump water from the roadside puddle in Pa and had no ill effects.
orangebug
01-24-2006, 08:14
but what do ya think OB...from a medical perspective...think I should carry a water filter, along with some alkyhol hand cleaner???You may be a special case that a filter is a beneficial idea. But in general, I'd prefer the alcohol gel and no water treatment for my own hike.
I have the Katahdin Hiker Pro. It's a great filter. Very fast and has quick connect capability so it is a sinch to take apart and put together. It also very quickly attaches to my water bladder so I don't even have to take it out of my pack. (I like the idea of drinking straight from the output hose too!)
I believe it's a fiberglass filter, (unbreakable) and filters out most but does not get viruses. I don't think there's really a problem with viruses in the USA.
Grandma Dixie
01-29-2006, 16:31
I have the Katadyn Guide. It is essentially the same thing as the hiker, Although it a little bit heavier than the hiker but pumps about 4 times faster. (they both have .3 micron filters) If you REALLY want a dependable filter with a cartridge that will never, ever have to be replaced, Go with the Katadyn pocket. This has a .2 micron ceramic element (MAYBE glassfiber- I'm not sure. but it doesnt really matter) It has a 200,000 cartridge lifetime, as opposed to 200 gallons on the hiker and guide. It costs about $200. I found that the guide was the best for my uses (it was also on sale;)), but it may be different for you. Also, If I were you, i wouldnt even bother looking at MSR filters, as Katadyn is by far the superior. (and they have been around for longer)
I use the First Need Purifier. Wide mouth nalgene water bag attatches to the output so you don't need 2 hoses. Pumps water during both strokes. It is a little clumsy to operate but acceptable. The main reason I chose it was that it is the only non-chemical purifier on the market. Don't like the taste of iodine or chlorine, don't like to wait 30 minutes for the chemicals to kill stuff. Don't like drinking water with **** in it, even if it's sanitized.
If you're considering drinking the water straight from the source without treating or filtering, here's some (brief) cautionary tales:
I met Don in North Carolina. We called him "Giardiaman" because that's all he talked about. He claimed to have almost died on a moutaintop from diarrhea, etc. He was one of the ones who WISHED he could have expired. He didn't complete his thru hike.
Mark did get to Katahdin. His fortitude amazed me. He got the runs about midway thru his trek. I remember him rushing up to me one day in Pennsylvania. "Do you have any toilet paper?" he gasped. I laughed, thinking he was joking. "NO REALLY, DO YOU HAVE ANY TOILET PAPER?" he repeated, with a note of desperation in his voice. He still had the runs many months after summiting Katahdin.
I boiled my water much of the time, took my chances other times. And I got violently ill several times. Since switching to a filtration system that takes out viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. I've never since had a problem.
You may get away with drinking straight from the source. Some claim to (read below, they always chime in after posts like this one). But you've got to ask yourself: why would you want to put your trip of a lifetime at risk?
Thanks Hog,
Good to hear what a Past Thru-Hiker would recomend.
When we did our thru in '89 we filtered every drop of water we drank/cooked with through our Katadyne filter. In mid Ga, we met a couple from NJ, he kind of snickered at us for filtering our water. Gave us the "I've been hiking for 20 yrs, and I can smell bad water" speech. Apparently his girlfriend wasn't as adept at "smelling" bad water as a few days later, she was curled up in the fetal position at a road crossing waiting for someone to get her to a docter to give her something for her sever diarrhea and vomiting.
My wife, before we met/got married, had done from Springer to the Smokies and got Giardisis from failing to boil her water at one campsite a few days before Wesser. Thanks to some trail magic at Wesser, some one at the local campground just down the road rom NOC took her in, got her to a doctor and she was able to get back on the trail. I guess once bitten, twice shy. It was she whio insisted we carry and use a filter.
As a sidebar, about 2 years ago, she came down with the same symptoms, diarrhea, cramps, vomiting. She went to a doctor, gave her a few tests, nothing helped. When they finally took a stool sample, it was determined that she had Giardisis. The lab reported it to the health dept, they called wanted to know if we were on a private well, city water etc to find out if there was any contamination locally. When she told the inspector that she had had this years before, it was like, "Oh, never mind". They told her that once you've had Giardia, it never really goes away and that it can remain in you system for years and years and never bother you.
RLC_FLA
GAME->89
Lumberjack
02-02-2006, 13:10
Kinda odd that people will gripe about dogs/horses/people splashing and pooping in water sources and then argue that they dont need to filter...:eek:
sparky2000
02-02-2006, 13:31
The Smookies have got to be the most pooped spoiled in the upper mountains - again, because of horses.
LIhikers
02-02-2006, 20:05
The wife and I use MSR's Sweet Water filter. It pumps fast and easy, the cartridges last a long time and when the do need replacement they seem to be pretty easy to find.
The wife and I use MSR's Sweet Water filter. It pumps fast and easy, the cartridges last a long time and when the do need replacement they seem to be pretty easy to find.
Ditto! I love it - easy to use, not too heavy, and works like a dream....and not too expensive Sue