Water purification

[AdventureMyk]

I'm new to the forum but far from new to camping/hiking and such. I did a lot of homework on the various water purification's available and ended up with the Platypus Gravityworks 4.0. I did add the carbon canister (about $11-12) just to get rid of any potential tastes but it turned out in east TN we didn't need it. So far it's been excellent for backpacking and kayak camping.

While out on the trail I have seen a couple people using life-straws but that is pretty limited in what it can do while being cheap (about $18-20). The Sawyer system has me curious for a back-up and it seems to be basically a very stripped down Platypus system. I have only run across a handful with the Sawyer and they seem happy save for having to add a few extra water bladders. I think even doing so it comes in cheaper than the Platypus.

Perk of the Platy? Especially when we are going to be a place we know water might be scarce you simply fill up and filter the first 4 liters then fill up the 'dirty bag', cap it off, and when you run out of the first four you filter out the balance. Yes it's more weight to carry but that method works very well for us.

Cons: Price. It's not the cheapest and not the overall lightest options but it's very compact (when empty) and easy to tuck away.

[tmountainnut]

I thought it would be convenient to add to this thread the most recent Trail Tip that I wrote up for issue 15

http://www.trailgroove.com/issue15.html?autoflip=11

[Bobo Uzala]

Nice write-ups by Aaron and Ted! I've been using a Katadyn Hiker for years - actually when the "Hiker" pump was still manufactured by PUR and they also had a larger "Guide" filter. I use an MSR Sweetwater SiltStopper as a prefilter and it works great. I think the SiltSopper can most likely be fit to any number of filters. It definitely prolongs filter life and a great way to help clarify gnarly water.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Bobo Uzala

[WanderAR]

Sawyer Squeeze mini for me. Simple, light, effective.

[AdventureMyk]

Ran across a camper not too long ago that used tablets and steri-pen. His big complaint? Everything they boiled up for food tasted crunchy. Neither of those methods filtered out the stuff floating in the water like the sand and such. Crunchy rice. Who knew?

Maybe at some point we will have one small lightweight system that does the best of all 3?