Water Purifier

[pickle]

What is the best Water Purifier to use

[bubonicplay]

Sawyer squeeze right now.

[RJ Lewis]

I stick to the really lighweight idea of Aqua Mira and either a reusable bandana or coffee filters that can then be used as campfire tinder in places where it's allowed. Or even reused as tp,once dried out. ;-)

[Bucho]

If you use a water bladder, I'd recommend the Sawyer 3-way.

18078

[turtle fast]

Now here the operative word "purifier" versus "filter" have different meanings in the filter world. A purifier will inactivate viruses where as a filter may not be able to get rid of the smaller viruses that could pass through the matrix. Purifiers will inactivate viruses by uv light, chemical, or in the case of the First Need Purifier by General Ecology uses a special activated charged matrix to capture smaller viruses. Filters like the Katadyin hiker (formally PUR hiker) do just that...filter items to a certain micron size and anything smaller passes through. Luckily in the US the smaller viruses are not much a problem.

[q-tip]

Steripen + Aqua Mira---great for drink on the spot and AM for purifying bladder at the end of the day....

[staehpj1]

If you are using the definition in turtle fast's post, then probably the answer is none. I guess it depends on where you will be traveling. In the US a filter is generally considered to be adequate. For that I like the Sawyer Squeeze. If traveling somewhere that you need additional protection from smaller viruses, folks seem to like the steripen.

[leaftye]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?89162-Best-Gear-Fallacy

[Drybones]

Bleach...3 drops per liter.

[Starchild]

Best advice try different ones, the leading choices seems to be (Not in any order)
- UV - Steripen
- Filter - Sawyer Squeeze filter
- Chemical - AquaMira
And there are simular variations (i.e. beach instead of AquaMira)

Look into the strengths and weakness of them all, if light weight travel is a goal I would also pay attention to how you would end up using each method, as the water weight you will carry far outweighs the weight of the purification method.

My choice is a steripen + iodine tabs as a backup. This is because how I hike I end up carrying much less water weight on my back and that far outweighs the weight of the steripen plus iodine backup. - YMMV

Peace

[Rasty]

Filters are great until they break, so carry a backup. Or just carry the backup instead. I switched to Aqua Mira recently after having a clogged filter.

[turtle fast]

I am an Aqua Mira user too just because the chlorine dioxide is just that effective and their are no worries about a malfunctioning mechanism on a filter. However, it is nice to be able to just filter and drink without having to wait for the chemicals to work. for these cases I use the General Ecology First Need Purifier...yeah its a little heavy, but its been around for awhile and has proven itself time and time again. If I were in another country I would use a combination filtration and chemical purification to inactivate all the viruses like polio or hepatitis.

[Del Q]

OK, so just for some early Holiday FUN!

Fall 2011, giardia, not sure how
Spring 2012 - decided to go with a water filter, broke on day 2, 8 days of unfiltered water in VA, no issues
Fall 2012 - Sawyer squeeze, all the CAREFULLY selected water bags (Evernew) and attachments.........

...........drum roll

Did not trust my gut and double check my pack, left the bag with this new gear at HOME

Friend gave me his Aqua Mira............

Spring 2013..............no tellin

[Many Moons]

I used a MSR micro pump this spring. Guess it is too heavy from the posts. I will look into the Sawyer. If you drop the AM in bladder does it taste bad(what I heard). The MSR micro was a pain to keep tip in water while pumped it. Can say that the filter when I cleaned it was nasty, would hate to drink that slime. Hike On!!!


Miller

[Rasty]

I used a MSR micro pump this spring. Guess it is too heavy from the posts. I will look into the Sawyer. If you drop the AM in bladder does it taste bad(what I heard). The MSR micro was a pain to keep tip in water while pumped it. Can say that the filter when I cleaned it was nasty, would hate to drink that slime. Hike On!!!


Miller

Aqua Mira is no worse than Raleigh Water, which is just Haw or Cape Fear river treated with Chlorine Dioxide which is the same as Aqua Mira.

[Bucho]

Spring 2012 - decided to go with a water filter, broke on day 2, 8 days of unfiltered water in VA, no issues


Which filter?

[Studlintsean]

I have always used the Katadyn Hiker Pro. I recently went on a short trip to SNP and the springs at both shelters we stayed at (Tom Floyd and gravel Springs) were both a trickle. Tom Floyd as most of you probably know has a pipe but gravel springs does not. In a case where a spring with no pipe is just barely flowing and there is a puddle smaller than a small dinner bowl, how do you use other options besides a pump? I have had issues pumping from such a small source of water let alone trying to dip your bottle/cup/etc.? I know some will say go to the next spring but let's say worst case and the next spring is too far or dry?

[Tom Murphy]

Now here the operative word "purifier" versus "filter" have different meanings in the filter world. A purifier will inactivate viruses where as a filter may not be able to get rid of the smaller viruses that could pass through the matrix. Purifiers will inactivate viruses by uv light, chemical, or in the case of the First Need Purifier by General Ecology uses a special activated charged matrix to capture smaller viruses. Filters like the Katadyin hiker (formally PUR hiker) do just that...filter items to a certain micron size and anything smaller passes through. Luckily in the US the smaller viruses are not much a problem.

+1

I use the First Need when I am have group with me.

Solo, I use a gravity filter and chemicals.

[Tor]

Using MSR Auto Gravity Filer system and love it...

[RED-DOG]

I use the Katahdan Hiker pro, i used Aqua-Mira on my thru-hike in 06 but i got sick on some really funky water at Black Swatara Spring in PA i got a Hiker Pro been useing it ever since and love it and i haven't been sick since either it's the hiker pro all the way for and love it.

[T-Rx]

Use a sawyer squeeze with aqua Mira backup. Sawyer is quick, easy to use and easy to clean.

[Bucho]

i used Aqua-Mira on my thru-hike in 06 but i got sick on some really funky water at Black Swatara Spring in PA Was the water cloudy or cold? In which case did you use 15 drops and wait 30mins?

[shelb]

I have a MSR Mini-Works and do not recommend it. I have had problems with it on two separate section hikes, and thankfully I had a back-up. I am thinking of switching to either the Katadin or Sawyer squeeze.

[Old Hiker]

MSR Sweetwater microfilter with siltstopper + chlorine tabs with neutralizer. I'm extremely paranoid about the water.

[cabbagehead]

According to the government, bleach isn't great against large eukaryotic pathogens. I recommend a small hollow fiber matrix filter with large pores to filter out large pathogens. Then kill the small stuff with a small amount of bleach. The small stuff must not have as tough a shell to protect them. This method could reduce bleach, reduce waiting time, and/or reduce the time it takes to use a steripen.

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/backcountry_water_treatment.html

[Nytro]

Aqua Mira, it cant get much lighter than that!

[Another Kevin]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?89162-Best-Gear-Fallacy

This.

Also, http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?94179-Bleach-for-water&p=1455615#post1455615