17 replies to this topic

[scrooks298]

Hey guys! I don't know if this belongs in Survival or 3rd-Line Gear, but it will probably just ride in my Pack so I will put it into 3rd-Line Gear. I may buy a High-Tech Personal Water Filter in the Future and am torn between the Combat Medical Systems Seldon Waterstick and the Cascade Designs USMC Issue MSR MIOX Water Filter. If you have any experience with these Products, some feedback would be appreciated. Also, If anyone has any other other ideas, feel free to chime in. Just to let you know, I already have the Aquamira Straws and want something bigger, but not a Pump. Are Steri-Pens any good? Thank You. P.S. Has anyone had any experience with the USMC Issue MSR In-Line Microfilters?

[jinx667]

I have stopped carrying a filter in the field when hiking/camping and I carry Aquamira drops and use a bandana to filter out the gross stuff.  The drops kill everything and quickly.  Is is the lightest weight set up I could reasonably use.  Worked for me for 6 days straight in the Sierras last year.

[Archangel1]

What is the stability (expiration date) of the drops? The tablets claim 2 years.

[CaptMilkbone]

SAWYER! No chems, NO pumping, NO batteries and NO problems. Tons of options depending on what your going to do and good for One Million Gallons!
http://www.sawyer.com/water.html

[ALPHA MIKE]

I'm with Jinx on aquamira tablets and a bandana. I also carry iodine tincture.

Check out Life Straw.

[Reaper Zero Eight]

I may be a bit institutionalized but I carry iodine tablets... Sure they taste a little bad but they've worked for me on some water I'm not proud to say I've drank... Also camelbak makes a neat water purification set. It all fits in one bottle but downside you have to charge it with a USB. They claim it will last 8000 cycles or something like that. I haven't tested battery life but its a nice addition to the hurricane kit just in case.

[LongHaul]

I've used pumps and iodine tablets. I like the iodine tablets because you can scoop up water and get going again quickly with no need to set up equipment or stop. After two 25 day trips through the wilds of Alaska using only iodine tabs I can say that I'm a fan. Also, if you drink the iodine treated water through a hydration system (straw) instead of a bottle you can barely taste the iodine. I think most of the "taste" is really the smell. They're light, fast, cheap and effective. Pumps are better if you don't mind the weight and are filtering for a group that might be finicky about the taste. I've never used an electronic purifier, so I can't really comment on how well they work. My concerns with any battery powered electronics would be reliability and battery life.

[Geist]

I've got a Sawyer inline that I have attached to my source bag that I really like, the flow is nice and its low maintenance.

[mangeface]

I've been looking at that Sawyer since it was posted here. Very temping...

[Armitage12]

A friend just completed 10 days on the Appalachian Trail with two others, and the Steri-pen with bandana and Nalgene bottle worked very well for him. He heartily recommended it to me,

[ty26]

I keep a Life straw in my get home bag and bug out bag.Filters out just about everything and is cheap from Amazon.

[jinx667]

Since my original post here, I have switched to a Sawyer Squeeze and I really do like it.

[wearethesound]

i've been looking into the sawyer system for the past couple of weeks, seems like a really good alternative to chems. i like that you can fiil your bag and filter it when needed or filter it and fill up everyones bottles. the only thing im not sure about is the durability of the bags? anyone know how durable they are?

looking at the sawyer mini http://www.amazon.co...2?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for my EDC bag and one for each family members BOBs, and the sawyer onepoint http://www.amazon.co...rds=sawyer mini
for my BOB since it can be used for a variety of applications and be used to filter water for the whole family. thoughts?

[Willasan]

I have the Sawyer Point One right now and have used it backpacking and in the field a few times. I am a huge fan of it so far. I had read some reviews of the bag breaking, but it appears to me people were squeezing the bag too hard and popping a seam. If you keep the filter properly back-cleaned with supplied syringe, you don't need to squeeze much at all. The bags aren't going to be easy to puncture in any normal situation. If the bags do happen to break, the threads on the filter are compatible with most plastic (I've tested a 2L Sprite bottle and it does work) and soft water bottles (Platypus), so it wouldn't be hard to find a field-expedient replacement. For the price, I can't recommend them enough.

[SteveSOS]

I still carry a katadyn pocket. Probably the best filter ive ever used. Its heavy though usually have a miox in the pack or steripen as well. Its a great filter if you are using it for relief work or the like in places that have truly stagnant water. Im looking at the sawyer stuff going to order a bunch of it and see if its worth a crap. Thus far though MSR and Katadyn have been trusted names in military and civilian excursions globally.

[mikejulietpapa]

I love the Sawyer Squeeze system and don't really have any complaints about it. They also recently came out with a Mini version but I haven't tried it out yet. 

[B3dlam]

I have a steri-pen they are awesome but only work on clear water not with anything cloudy or muddy.  Also the battery life is so so.  If its just for you it should be fine but trying to purify for 4-5 guys drained the battery in a day and a half or so.  I would say get a steri-pen carry some spare batteries and a bottle of the tablets just in case thats what I do and it works well for me.  Some sort of drink flavoring either liquid or powdered is great when usuing chemical purification. 

 

Also ensure you know and understand the diffrence between a filter and a purifier.  Many filters don't remove viruses which can be transmitted in the water.  If you only plan to use it in backcountry streams a filter is sufficent if you plan on a more WROL SHTF sorta thing you want a purifier as there is more of a risk of sewage contamination.

 

Check out: http://www.rei.com/l...ackcountry.html

[Krono34]

I'm gonna try the Sawyer Squeeze, I'm always looking for lightweight stuff- typically I have used a Katadyn for camping... Usually for work I just drop the Iodine and call it good. I carry a couple collapsible Nalgenes in the ruck for resupply and they have worked out well