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mybackpackingblog
04-10-2011, 09:39
Hello! I have purchased a Katadyn Vario microfilter for water filtration on the trail. Now that I am focusing on going ultra light, I think it may have to go. It works great. I can pump two liters in one minute. Not sure why that should matter though. Its not like I am ever in a really big hurry on the trail to get water. So...for me...that's wasn't the selling point. I just liked it and bought it. I may use it with other scenarios. Like with the family or something. But for an ultra light pack...its too much...so would some of u veterens give me some idea of what u do? U would rather not filter pond or creek water through grass coal and dirt through a dirty sock. Im not looking for survival mode filtration. ;-) thanks in advance.

RayBan
04-10-2011, 10:16
Some only use chemicals (e.g., Aqua Mira, chlorine dioxide tablets, Polar Pure/iodine). Others use something like a Steripen or Frontier Pro, sometimes filtering out debris/etc. with a bandana. Still others use a very light weight pump like an MSR Hyperflow (now that the filter flow issues have been addressed).

I imagine others will have thoughts to share with you on the topic. A search among threads here and on backpackinglight.com will yield even more opinions.

mybackpackingblog
04-10-2011, 10:29
Some only use chemicals (e.g., Aqua Mira, chlorine dioxide tablets, Polar Pure/iodine). Others use something like a Steripen or Frontier Pro, sometimes filtering out debris/etc. with a bandana. Still others use a very light weight pump like an MSR Hyperflow (now that the filter flow issues have been addressed).

I imagine others will have thoughts to share with you on the topic. A search among threads here and on backpackinglight.com will yield even more opinions.

Honestly...I personally trust the manufactured water filtration systems better than the primitive ways (which I have learned to do for survival education) or the tablets. I just have more confidence in the pumps. However, pumps break and that big problem deep on the trail. So, I just want the next best thing. Nothing like having the flying trots out on the trail. I just want some method options that I can trust for ultra light backpacking. I will research the ones you mentioned. Thanks for commenting.

Jelly-Bean
04-10-2011, 11:32
Aqua Mira drops are the most widely suggested method of light weight water filteration. You can use a bandanna or coffee filters to filter the chunky stuff!

RayBan
04-10-2011, 11:36
Two other sources of information you might want to look at are http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/ (some of the reviews are a bit dated) and backpackinglight.com. The testing done is typically real-world/for extended periods by experieenced backpackers in myriad conditions and may give you a better idea of what you might want. Also, there are various gear sites allowing purchasers to post a review, e.g., Backcountry, BaseGear, REI and, of course, Amazon.

mybackpackingblog
04-10-2011, 17:38
Thanks for all the replies. I think i will try the Aqua Mira Drops for sure.

.ghost.
04-10-2011, 17:53
In case you are at all interested, Bill S over at trailspace did a wonderful 4-part series on all (or almost all) of the ins-and-outs of backcountry water treatment. If you have some time and are interested, check it out!
http://www.trailspace.com/articles/backcountry-water-treatment-part-1-hydration.html
That is part 1, links to the subsequent articles are found at the bottom of each article.

mybackpackingblog
04-10-2011, 18:56
In case you are at all interested, Bill S over at trailspace did a wonderful 4-part series on all (or almost all) of the ins-and-outs of backcountry water treatment. If you have some time and are interested, check it out!
http://www.trailspace.com/articles/backcountry-water-treatment-part-1-hydration.html
That is part 1, links to the subsequent articles are found at the bottom of each article.

Thanks alot...I wil go check it out...
Www.mybackpackingblog.org

Hooch
04-10-2011, 20:52
Drink it straight up from the stream, spring or creek. Use a bandana to filter out the chunks. :D

mybackpackingblog
04-10-2011, 21:03
Drink it straight up from the stream, spring or creek. Use a bandana to filter out the chunks. :D

Ha..nice..I'd rather enjoy my backpacking with the flying trots!. Like you signature by the way...

STICK
04-10-2011, 21:41
I love my Aqua Mira drops (http://sticksblog.com/gear/kitchen/my-water-system/). However, I have been reading a lot about the Frontier Pro being used as a gravity filter in conjunction with the AM drops and I wouldn't mind trying it out...you know, just to see...

garlic08
04-10-2011, 22:02
Many ultra lighters use Aqua Mira, and some of those (me) use AM only as a backup if the source is suspect. (The high mountain springs and snowmelt in the US are likely the best water on the planet--why mess with it?) Some use gravity filters, which are more reliable than mechanical pump filters. Many AT hikers start with a mechanical filter and the maintenance becomes more of an issue than the weight, so they switch to something simpler and usually lighter.

mybackpackingblog
04-14-2011, 10:04
Aqua Mira....man...I know, I know...less weight, less weight, less weight...but...geez that sounds like a lot of work...I can take my Katadyn Vario and pump 2 liters in one minute....now...if it breaks...well, then we have problem...maybe carry the AM for back up...The Vario weighs 18 oz....

sly dog
04-14-2011, 10:58
After looking at my filter insert after a week of filtering and seeing the color of what I filtered out I think I'll stick with a filter.

Spokes
04-14-2011, 11:23
I carried a pump filter for years and thought you'd have to pry it out of my "cold dead hands" but that was before thru-hiking. Didn't take long to ditch it and switch to AquaMira.

I never had any problems with floaties either. Guess it's all in the technique.

daddytwosticks
04-14-2011, 11:30
Using my old "Hiker Pro" filter was a PITA for me. Seemed like I needed three hands to get the process right. Hoses dragging all over in the dirt...filter holding water and being way heavier than the so called 13 ozs. I like simple things that don't break. Love my Aqua Mira. :)

mybackpackingblog
04-14-2011, 11:35
After looking at my filter insert after a week of filtering and seeing the color of what I filtered out I think I'll stick with a filter.

Yeah...I'm down with that...I'm having a hard time coming off my Katadyn Vario....she is a beast!

http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/ppgosnell/webpic.jpg

ScrapIron
04-14-2011, 13:06
I rarely purify water. I grew up in a polluted big city, right beside a huge car assembly plant. We swam in a creek that positively glowed from all the pollution. I probably swallowed 50 gallons of that water during my lifetime.
I have bugs in my gut that will attack any newly introduced pathogens, thereby preventing me from becoming sick. Whenever I got to Mexico or other places with questionable water, I just drink the water that the locals drink. Never had any problems.

protargol
04-14-2011, 13:11
I just got a MSR Hyperflow. Will be sharing between two people so can justify splurging on the 10 oz we'll be carrying for it.

mybackpackingblog
04-14-2011, 14:22
I rarely purify water. I grew up in a polluted big city, right beside a huge car assembly plant. We swam in a creek that positively glowed from all the pollution. I probably swallowed 50 gallons of that water during my lifetime.
I have bugs in my gut that will attack any newly introduced pathogens, thereby preventing me from becoming sick. Whenever I got to Mexico or other places with questionable water, I just drink the water that the locals drink. Never had any problems.

Well, I spent the first 8 years of my life beside the Passaic River in Paterson, NJ and I still ain't will to risk the flying trots 10 miles down the trail...that's just me...

ScrapIron
04-14-2011, 14:34
The flying trots are good for weight loss.

mybackpackingblog
04-14-2011, 15:42
The flying trots are good for weight loss.


Yes....yes they are...:eek:

Sickmont
04-14-2011, 15:51
The flying trots are good for weight loss.

And, if you dont clean up constantly, its also good way to get severe monkey butt too.

ScrapIron
04-14-2011, 16:22
And, if you dont clean up constantly, its also good way to get severe monkey butt too.

I heard that! Monkey Butt may be one of the most debilitating diseases known to man. :)

mybackpackingblog
04-14-2011, 16:24
ole monkey butt...yes...potentially...

Berserker
04-15-2011, 12:44
It depends on how long you are going to be out, and how much fiddle factor you mind dealing with. I’m a filterer (if that’s a word) that’s recently converted to the Steripen. I have also used Aqua Mira a good bit, and actually carry it as a backup in case of a Steripen failure.

Basically there’s two ways to get water from a source. Throw a hose in a pump it out (or a bag to collect dirty water if gravity filtering), or collect it in something for chemical or UV treatment. I guess there is the 3rd option of drinking straight from the source, but I’m apparently not a stud like a lot of folks on here :rolleyes: and don’t want to risk getting sick. The first one doesn’t have much of a fiddle factor if you have a decent filter. You just pull out your filter, sit by the source and pump away. The fiddle factor of the other one depends on your personal preferences. If you don’t mind scooping up water, treating and then drinking it then the factor is low. If you need to pre-filter or anything of that sort (i.e. it depends on how much small stuff you want out of the water) then it goes up a bit. And of course it also depends on what you use to treat too. The Steripen is pretty easy to use, but there is the potential of failure and need for batteries. Aqua Mira is easy to use, but there is the 5 minute wait time after mixing the parts and then the additional wait time after putting it in the water.

So you just need to figure out what you think will work best for you. As for pre-filtering for Aqua Mira or the Steripen I found where some dudes on BPL had made a cap for a Platy bag, and I made myself one (see photo). It works pretty darn good, and I don’t have to mess with bandanas and junk like that. I just put it on my dirty water container, pour water into my cook pot, and zap it with the Steripen.