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  1. #1
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    Default Best water filter?

    I'd like to go with a pump type water filtration system. Anyone have any advice on choosing the right one?

  2. #2
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    In my early years I always preferred the Katadyn Hiker Pro pump filter. It was pretty much bombproof. But as a thru hiker, the pump got ditched (way too heavy) in favor of AquaMira drops.

    http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-...o-microfilter/
    Last edited by Spokes; 05-09-2012 at 14:41.

  3. #3

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    Why pump type? That's extra work and parts to break, I think. The Sawyer Squeeze is a most excellent filter that took care of me for 800 miles through Arizona this past month.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by mn_scout View Post
    Why pump type? That's extra work and parts to break, I think. The Sawyer Squeeze is a most excellent filter that took care of me for 800 miles through Arizona this past month.
    +1 for the Sawyer Squeeze (with the added bonus, in camp, you can set it up as a gravity filter).
    Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time -- Steven Wright

  5. #5

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    I have the platypus and love it. I can have it double as a "camelbak" too

  6. #6
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    Default

    I've had luck with my MSR Hyperflo...Faster and lighter than my old sweetwater. Pretty easy to service in the field...backwash it and you are good to go.

    Just checked out the Sawyer Squeeze...can you hook a hydration hose up to that?
    “Well, I'm walkin' down the line.
    I'm walkin' down the line!
    An' I'm walkin' down the line,
    my feet'll be a-flyin',
    to tell about my troubled mind.”
    - Bob Dylan

  7. #7

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    The Sawyer system was a Backpacker Editor pick for 2012. I love mine. 3 oz!

    "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
    From where shall my help come?
    My help comes from the LORD,
    Who made heaven and earth."
    -Psalm 121:1-2

  8. #8
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    Default

    +4 for the Sawyer Squeeze.

  9. #9
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    Default

    Why carry that extra volume? Go with a steropen. It works great and just tote it on your belt. Weighs a few ounces.

  10. #10
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobW View Post
    Just checked out the Sawyer Squeeze...can you hook a hydration hose up to that?
    REI sells adapters so you can connect the threaded fitting of the squeeze to tubing. Or you can buy the Sawyer three way. It looks like the same filter with quick connect fittings. Could probably be used as a squeeze, gravity, or an in-line hydration filter, depending on how much fiddling you want to do with the tubing.

    http://www.rei.com/product/837889/sa...er-connections

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Airman View Post
    Why carry that extra volume? Go with a steropen. It works great and just tote it on your belt. Weighs a few ounces.
    It weighs a few ounces more than the Sawyer, and also has quite a bit of volume too. Then there's the hassle with the batteries. No thanks.

  12. #12
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    Default

    I am looking up the Sawyer Squeeze now...

    How long does the filter last?
    Is it recommended to pre-filter or strain darker waters?

    Thanks!

  13. #13
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    Sawyer filters last virtually forever when backflushed occasionally. I've read that one person backwashes and thinks that works well enough.

    Pre-filtering isn't a bad idea with any filter, chemical treatment or UV. The Sawyer is pretty quick though, so you can probably use it for a while before it slows enough for you to need to backflush it, and doing it while in town is more than enough.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by leaftye View Post
    Sawyer filters last virtually forever when backflushed occasionally. I've read that one person backwashes and thinks that works well enough.

    Pre-filtering isn't a bad idea with any filter, chemical treatment or UV. The Sawyer is pretty quick though, so you can probably use it for a while before it slows enough for you to need to backflush it, and doing it while in town is more than enough.
    Thanks, I'm definitely going to look into this more. Yes, I would pre-filter to some degree depending on the water.
    (And I would buy extra bags as well.)

  15. #15
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    I replaced the bag with a 2 liter Evernew bag. If you want a bigger bladder, do not get a Platypus because the threads are different. I found that out the hard way on a trip. Fortunately the Sawyer uses the same threads as disposable water and soda bottles, and luckily I was using those on that trip.

    Using an Evernew bladder makes the weight advantage even better. It weighs about the same as the bladder that Sawyer provides, but is twice as big, so you can get rid of another bottle.

    If you bring two bladders or a disposable soda/water bottle, you might consider bringing a tornado tube. Supposedly you can replace the sippy top on the filter and use the tornado tube to attach it to a bottle or bladder. This makes filling those containers easier to do without leaks, and can be used to backflow the filter too. It's a little extra weight and bulk though. I've only read about this working, and I haven't tried it myself.

  16. #16

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    Soil and rock layers.

  17. #17
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    Velvet...so is this the TV reality show The Colony with a garbage can of layered charcoal and sand who then boiled? I like a water purifier rather than a filter which does not address viruses (which fortunately is not a huge problem in the USA) and use the General Ecology First Need Purifier. It has been around for a long time...check REI for it.

  18. #18
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    I've pretty sure coolman and Velvet Gooch are spammers and spambots, respectively. We may never know with Velvet if he never posts again because these spambots post, and then come back in a few days to edit their posts to include their spam, but you can't edit on this site unless you contribute, so Velvet's spambot won't be able to work here.

  19. #19
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    I didn't know this site had a spam problem - but last night around 2-3 am (EDT) this site got hit fairly hard as I've now seen more than 6 in my subscribed threads.

  20. #20
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    Default

    The Sawyer sounds awesome! Good price too!

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