Katadyn Pocket
I know its on the very expensive side and a little heavy but is this the all around best filter going?
Sawyer Squeeze! 3-4 oz.
Billie Blazes
The best filter, like the best of almost anything, depends on what you need it for. If you're finding remains of incomplete cremations in your drinking source, then no it's not ideal, as it doesn't cover viruses. But if you need something that's field maintainable, extremely reliable and convenient enough to use that you will always use it, then yes.
Replacing a cartridge is extremely expensive, but it should take several years before you have to do that; I've only replaced one and I had abused it a bit with some glacier runoff. When I bought my first one the choice was easy as it was really the only thing on the market back then. When it came time to replace the cartridge, I had seen enough of other filters to want to keep mine. the filter has been sold with only minor modifications for several decades,which tells you something about how well it works.
It can freeze up, but it's no problem if you've pumped it dry sideways per directions and place it on top of pot on a stove(think double boiler) for a few seconds. Allways pump it dry sideways or you can crack the filter!!! I checked again, and I think this happened three times on the AT, but it was particularly cold that year and I was filtering next to ice and snow for weeks. I pumped from runoff on top of the ice on the trail, out of a small mud hole on a dirt road, bog water, glacier runoff and multiple questionable spots. Other than having to clean out the filter a lot when the water is thick with "extras", no issues.
The only other possible caution is that you shouldn't drop one as you can crack the filter. I carry mine on when flying and have had a few questions at the x-ray machine, but no issues. Also, if you need to filter from a spigot (such as with a cistern), use a ziploc bag to collect the water and then filter from the ziploc.
What Bati said. Highest quality, but weighs too much compared to products that will do the job, like the Katadyn Base Camp and MSR Hyperflow gravity systems. I like the gravity systems because they have no moving parts, no pumping required, and you only have to fill the bladder once to get a gallon or two of water. The Pocket Filter has been around since before many of the other pump systems were invented, so it was a reasonable system for backpackers in the 80s and 90s.
I am already shedding A LOT of weight in my pack, so I am going to opt for the pocket despite the weight, I just love all the good reviews on the quality of it and I want to invest in something thats going to perform well and last a lifetime.
http://www.botaofboulder.com/water-f...on-system-32oz
I use the bota bottle has worked fine for me never been sick have drank alot of Florida river and creek water. Light and functional.
If you can’t fix it with duct tape or a beer; it ain’t worth fixing
I don't know about all these portable breast pumps things. Seems like overkill to me. A lot of work too. You are primarily interested in filtering out the stuff that can be hard to kill. Like tapeworm eggs and Giardia cysts. If you suspect bacteria or virus problems, they can be killed either by heating, chemicals or UV. The Hiker's Friend Filter has never let me down and I've filtered and consumed some pretty nasty looking stuff.
No, in my opinion it's not the best filter going. I just finished my through hike with the sawyer 3 way. It's 0.1 Micron i.e. a better filter than what you're looking at. It will last longer than a ceramic filter, cost you around $50 and weigh under 2 oz.
If you're hiking on your own I'd recommend using it or the saywer sp121 inline so that you just put dirty water into your water bladder and it is filtered as you drink.
I use/like the katadyn Mybottle.
http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-...-white-splash/
To me it not all about the weight, though a 3oz. filter is hard to pass up. I own the Katadyn hiker pro and base camp. I like them both and they both work great. I use the Base Camp when I take the family so I can get more water for everyone and let gravity do it's part. I personally was looking for a way to cut down on my weight and overcome failures in the field when backpacking solo or without the family. I looked at the inline filters for my hydration pack and the bottles as options. I also looked at the Katadyn pocket filter as it is a tank without saying. However it comes at a weight and effort price.
I have settled on the Sawyer Squeeze system for now. It is lightweight and multi-functional. It just attaches to to whatever and you can hold it up and it will literally drain right out of the bag or just about any plain ole water bottle. You can even drink directly from the filter itself as it is fitted with a pop-up cap just like a water bottle itself. I picked it up for around $50. So far I must say I love this thing and it is a work horse. Only down fall I see so far is if you had to get water from a very poor source where you could not dip a bottle or bag into it and it requires a lot of pre-filtering. I think I would want to boil or bleach and do more than prefiltering to any source that this product has not worked with so far.
Billie Blazes
I met a German guy who said he likes this. I wouldn't recommend it for backpacking. It's been around for a while and has a 20 year warranty.
I've read 2 complaints about Sawer not honoring the 1 million gallon warranty.
David Smolinski
I have the Katadyn hiker pro. It's a great filter, but heavy.
I was a filter user years ago when I was a young'un.' Then I became a thru-hiker, had an epiphany, and became an AquaMira convert........ Hallelujah! Can I get an Amen!
Oh, but you asked about filters..... I'd get a Sawyer Squeeze.
Last edited by Spokes; 08-11-2012 at 22:23.
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
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