I'm getting ready for my trip and the only thing I don have is a water purifier. What do you use? I'll use it a few time a year, so I don't want to spend 100 buck on one, but I also don't what to get sick.
Thanks,
Paul
What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 07:34AM | Registered: 12 years ago Posts: 37 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 07:39AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 923 |
May 08, 2012 08:22AM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 12:34PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 140 |
May 08, 2012 01:39PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
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KC
Recently bought the Sawyer 3-way inline filter. Have yet to use it though. What makes it a POS, chick-on? The reviews are what convinced me it was a good idea. I found the pen to be a pain.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 02:16PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 140 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 08:28PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 79 |
May 08, 2012 09:32PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
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mtc
in an effort to save weight, i use an old 1L platy with the top cut off as a "scoop" to gather water and then stir with the pen before pouring into my "goodwater" platys. you know, those 1L rigid nalgene bottles weigh over 6 oz!!!!! while a 2L "soft" platy or evernew weighs under 2oz ---- that's twice the capacity and a 1/4 pound savings!!! i'm just sayin'....
May 08, 2012 01:05PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
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chick-on
and I bought this and it somehow gets all rave reviews but I think it's a POS:
http://www.rei.com/product/801824/sawyer-3-way-inline-water-filter
I've also had and used for many years the MSR waterworks/miniworks type of
filters.
I'm 110% sold on the Steripen. Love it.
Whatever you do don't buy the PRO of Katadyn. You don't need that extra gunk.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 08:16PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 79 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 08:34AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 152 |
May 08, 2012 08:49AM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 1,351 |
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Ataim
I'm getting ready for my trip and the only thing I don have is a water purifier. What do you use? I'll use it a few time a year, so I don't want to spend 100 buck on one, but I also don't what to get sick.
May 08, 2012 12:50PM | Admin Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 17,096 |
May 08, 2012 01:29PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
May 08, 2012 01:35PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
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Hitech
I use the sawyer inline filter, but I use it as a gravity filter, not inline with a hydration pack. I can filter a liter of water in 1 minute, faster than a pump. I've never had good luck with the steripen, but it wasn't an opti. I also want to filter out "floaties" so...
I filtered 20 gallons of silty water without the sawyer even slowing. It works well for me.
May 08, 2012 01:41PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 02:18PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 140 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 03:40PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 73 |
May 08, 2012 06:17PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 1,351 |
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edg
As would I! I'm hoping to replace/supplement my old MSR Miniworks with the Steripen Adventurer Opti to save on weight, but I've seen a lot of people also suggesting the Sawyer.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 06:38PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 73 |
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ttilley
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edg
As would I! I'm hoping to replace/supplement my old MSR Miniworks with the Steripen Adventurer Opti to save on weight, but I've seen a lot of people also suggesting the Sawyer.
I didn't buy the SteriPen until the Opti came out because I'd seen complaints that it wasn't working with water that had few suspended particulates, such as fresh snowmelt in the Sierra. For the Opti they reworked the sensor, I bought it, and have been a very happy customer.
Never tried the Sawyer so I can't compare. The MSR is a nice filter and is easily field-cleanable.
May 09, 2012 10:55AM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
May 09, 2012 11:16AM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
May 09, 2012 04:14PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
May 09, 2012 07:00PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 07:25PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 1,736 |
May 09, 2012 10:44PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
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Hitech
Sorry it was titled. First time using the video on the phone. It wasn't tilted on the phone.I was scrambling and am lucky to get it done. And utah?!?
May 21, 2012 07:47AM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
May 09, 2012 04:32PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
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Hitech
Here is mine. It took longer than I said, about 1 min 45 sec.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 05:06PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 1,736 |
Is that electric? What is making the water flow?Quote
plawrence
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Hitech
Here is mine. It took longer than I said, about 1 min 45 sec.
Thanks for the video!
Just a heads-up. I see it's now on YouTube. On this forum, if you click on the video icon () above the text input box, you can paste your YouTube video URL in the popup dialog box and it will show inside your message like this:
May 14, 2012 08:25PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
May 08, 2012 10:28PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
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Hitech
I will give it a try. We are leaving Wed afternoon for a camping trip with the family but I will try, especially since this is the first chance I have to give back. My first backpacking trip into Yosemite wouldn't have happened without some solid advice from here.
Besides, the camera on my phone should be good enough for this, and I don't need to edit it...
May 08, 2012 11:39PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
May 09, 2012 06:30AM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
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plawrence
Yeah, the flow out of your Sawyer water filter is way too slow. I presume you had already tried backflushing it just to see if had gotten clogged somehow. And as I already had mentioned these Sawyer membrane filters can be damaged if the temperature goes below freezing.
For whatever reason, your filter definitely is defective.
.
May 09, 2012 07:12PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
June 08, 2012 09:09AM | Moderator Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
June 08, 2012 09:58AM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 254 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 07:01PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 1,736 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 08:50PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 285 |
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hotrod4x5
I have this one. Works well, but I cannot speak to its longevity, because although I have had it 7 or 8 years, I haven't used it that much and I have the older, white version. http://www.rei.com/product/617913/msr-sweetwater-water-filter
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 20, 2012 10:59PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 50 |
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ryanmj
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hotrod4x5
I have this one. Works well, but I cannot speak to its longevity, because although I have had it 7 or 8 years, I haven't used it that much and I have the older, white version. http://www.rei.com/product/617913/msr-sweetwater-water-filter
this gets my vote, had mine for years as well
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 07:43PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 141 |
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Ataim
I'm getting ready for my trip and the only thing I don have is a water purifier. What do you use? I'll use it a few time a year, so I don't want to spend 100 buck on one, but I also don't what to get sick.
Thanks,
Paul
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 09:21PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 201 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 12:24AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 60 |
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KatyAnderson
I read this article on Giardia in the Sierras in 2004.
Seldom treated any Sierra water after that. Lived to tell the tale. YMMV.
May 09, 2012 06:34AM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 06:41AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 923 |
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KatyAnderson
I read this article on Giardia in the Sierras in 2004.
Seldom treated any Sierra water after that. Lived to tell the tale. YMMV.
May 09, 2012 08:16AM | Admin Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 17,096 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 09:22AM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 1,736 |
I would guess that the vast majority of those rescues took place at much lower elevations than the article talks about.Quote
AlmostThere
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KatyAnderson
I read this article on Giardia in the Sierras in 2004.
Seldom treated any Sierra water after that. Lived to tell the tale. YMMV.
that's nice.
I know 20+ people who would tell you research ain't the whole picture. They lived to tell the tale of giardia and how awful it is.
The swiftwater rescue team in my county have ALL had it, and you can't really blame kitchen habits of backpackers for their cases. They don't backpack. They do water rescue and recovery in mountain streams and rivers up and down the central Sierra, tho. Quite a growing number of the hikers and backpackers I know personally have told me their tales of woe and vomit.
You may very well be one of the 50% who carry it and never have symptoms. Bully for you, I'd rather be hiking than in the doctor's office or the hospital, so I filter consistently.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 09:33AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 60 |
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AlmostThere
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KatyAnderson
I read this article on Giardia in the Sierras in 2004.
Seldom treated any Sierra water after that. Lived to tell the tale. YMMV.
that's nice.
I know 20+ people who would tell you research ain't the whole picture. They lived to tell the tale of giardia and how awful it is.
The swiftwater rescue team in my county have ALL had it, and you can't really blame kitchen habits of backpackers for their cases. They don't backpack. They do water rescue and recovery in mountain streams and rivers up and down the central Sierra, tho. Quite a growing number of the hikers and backpackers I know personally have told me their tales of woe and vomit.
You may very well be one of the 50% who carry it and never have symptoms. Bully for you, I'd rather be hiking than in the doctor's office or the hospital, so I filter consistently.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 12, 2012 05:45PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 141 |
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SteveC
Unfortunately, it is people repeating tales like that of the swiftwater rescue people that continue the whole water filter hype. It is far more likely that they got some tainted food somewhere, or someone didn't clean up properly before handling their food.
I don't care if people do want to use filters or treat their water -- it is their money, their time, and their extra weight. But I DO mind when stories like this get repeated without ANY evidence to back them up.
May 09, 2012 10:02AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
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AlmostThere
Quote
KatyAnderson
I read this article on Giardia in the Sierras in 2004.
Seldom treated any Sierra water after that. Lived to tell the tale. YMMV.
that's nice.
I know 20+ people who would tell you research ain't the whole picture. They lived to tell the tale of giardia and how awful it is.
The swiftwater rescue team in my county have ALL had it, and you can't really blame kitchen habits of backpackers for their cases. They don't backpack. They do water rescue and recovery in mountain streams and rivers up and down the central Sierra, tho. Quite a growing number of the hikers and backpackers I know personally have told me their tales of woe and vomit.
You may very well be one of the 50% who carry it and never have symptoms. Bully for you, I'd rather be hiking than in the doctor's office or the hospital, so I filter consistently.
May 11, 2012 01:58PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 424 |
May 08, 2012 08:08PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,374 |
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Ataim
I'm getting ready for my trip and the only thing I don have is a water purifier. What do you use? I'll use it a few time a year, so I don't want to spend 100 buck on one, but I also don't what to get sick.
Thanks,
Paul
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 09:06PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 923 |
May 08, 2012 10:12PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,374 |
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AlmostThere
The chemical packaged with the MSR Sweetwater is just for the viruses that might be in the water, so doesn't have to be at all effective against the other stuff, which the filter gets. Bleach works for viruses and not for much else.
Iodine is risky stuff - it's not terribly effective against giardia, and not at all against crypto - and there are health risks associated with repeated usage. Not for pregnant ladies and it has been known to cause allergic reactions that result in the victim not being able to eat sea food or table salt due to iodine traces.
the four hour time for crypto is also dependent on other variables - clarity of the water, and temperature of the water. Micropur specifies this in a chart I've seen posted on the websites of some vendors.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 05:42AM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 1,736 |
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Robert Derlet of UC Davis has done extensive testing, and has found serious levels of E coli as high as 7600 feet, but none higher.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 06:43AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 923 |
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y_p_w
I'm pretty sure that bleach is effective against bacteria. The residual chlorine (or chloramine) in municipal water is supposed to reduce bacteria - especially where they might grow in the distribution system. I even remember old phone books used to contain emergency procedures, which included how to make questionable water potable. It recommended ordinary household bleach to kill bacteria and viruses, although it was something like a teaspoon per gallon. Bleach should work against giardia full strength or even diluted, but a few drops in a liter of water isn't going to do it. Frankly bleach can be extremely effective at the full strength of maybe Clorox bleach, but then again who would be crazy enough to drink it?
May 09, 2012 07:01AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,374 |
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AlmostThere
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y_p_w
I'm pretty sure that bleach is effective against bacteria. The residual chlorine (or chloramine) in municipal water is supposed to reduce bacteria - especially where they might grow in the distribution system. I even remember old phone books used to contain emergency procedures, which included how to make questionable water potable. It recommended ordinary household bleach to kill bacteria and viruses, although it was something like a teaspoon per gallon. Bleach should work against giardia full strength or even diluted, but a few drops in a liter of water isn't going to do it. Frankly bleach can be extremely effective at the full strength of maybe Clorox bleach, but then again who would be crazy enough to drink it?
The CDC disagrees with you. It's not effective against giardia and there are no real guidelines for how much of it to use for any of the backcountry critters.
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The most readily available effective disinfectant is probably bleach diluted 1:32 in water which required less than one minute of contact to kill Giardia cysts in one study. Organic matter such as dirt or stool is protective to the cyst so on a concrete surface basic cleaning should be effected prior to disinfection. Animals should be thoroughly bathed before being reintroduced into a “clean” area. A properly chlorinated swimming pool should not be able to become contaminated. As for areas with lawn or plants, decontamination will not be possible without killing the plants and allowing the area to dry out in direct sunlight.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 08, 2012 09:41PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 1,736 |
I also paid around $45 for mine. Shame to see it is now $90!Quote
y_p_w
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Ataim
I'm getting ready for my trip and the only thing I don have is a water purifier. What do you use? I'll use it a few time a year, so I don't want to spend 100 buck on one, but I also don't what to get sick.
Thanks,
Paul
I've got a filter that I bought cheap a few years ago, but I never had a chance to use it in the field. It was an MSR Sweetwater, and it was something like $45 on sale at REI. The "purifier" drops they sell for it is just ordinary bleach, although the concentration may be different than household bleach. The only thing that the bleach would get that the filter doesn't would be viruses.
Other than that, for a few times a year others mentioned tablets. You'll just have to put up with the taste, which isn't that bad. I found that the chlorine dioxide tabs tasted better after my bottle had been sitting in the sun. They'd sit overnight in the dark long enough for the 4 hour time to kill cryptosporidium, but once done the stuff would break down in the sunlight. Then there are the two part iodine tabs. The second part is a taste neutralizer, which I understand is just vitamin C.
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 09, 2012 10:20AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 187 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 11, 2012 06:42PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 68 |
May 14, 2012 09:05PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 305 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 18, 2012 08:14PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 923 |
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dqniel
I think UV is the way to go. Chemical has a hard time with parasites (because of the lack of penetration through the "shells"and physical has a hard time with viruses and smaller bacteria. Just make sure the UV is used in water that is pre-filtered or naturally low turbidity and that the retention time is long enough (follow the instructions.)
I've done a lot of water analysis and studies of water pathogens during my studies at school, and crypto and giardia (especially crypto) are the main ones that are difficult to kill. That said, I think the chances of them being in water sources at high elevation, especially if the stream is moving and exposed to sunlight, is pretty slim. I'm obsessive though, so I sterilize anyway.
May 18, 2012 08:47PM | Moderator Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
May 18, 2012 08:49PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 1,351 |
May 18, 2012 10:26PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
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chick-on
Pa lease... well... lemme do the math... hmm... since Aug of last year..
1 2 3... 29 backpacking trips... used the Steripen every time...
worked every time... hmm... looks good to this bird.
mwa mwa mwa
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 19, 2012 07:20AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 923 |
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plawrence
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chick-on
Pa lease... well... lemme do the math... hmm... since Aug of last year..
1 2 3... 29 backpacking trips... used the Steripen every time...
worked every time... hmm... looks good to this bird.
mwa mwa mwa
You have to admit though, before you got the "Opti" version of the SteriPEN Adventurer, you thought SteriPENs stunk too.
.
May 19, 2012 09:17PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
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AlmostThere
"But it worked the last 59 times I used it."
Seriously, when it comes to having things like clean water and reliable navigation, I just can't bring myself to trust anything battery driven. Guess you have to be out looking for three days for some dude who had a GPS and cell phone to develop that suspicion.
I do know folks who use steri-pens, fortunately for them there are always filter users nearby...
Re: What water purifier to buy? July 14, 2012 02:20PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 103 |
July 14, 2012 05:41PM | Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 1,351 |
May 19, 2012 07:56AM | Moderator Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 7,421 |
Yes, and when Tom said to get the Opti I did and am happy with it.Quote
plawrence
You have to admit though, before you got the "Opti" version of the SteriPEN Adventurer, you thought SteriPENs stunk too.
May 18, 2012 09:20AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,374 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 18, 2012 09:39AM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 864 |
May 18, 2012 09:43AM | Admin Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 17,096 |
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basilbop
...and, they have the Steripen Opti for $65: http://www.rei.com/product/799003/steripen-adventurer-opti-water-purifier.
May 18, 2012 09:58AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 4,173 |
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eeek
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basilbop
...and, they have the Steripen Opti for $65: http://www.rei.com/product/799003/steripen-adventurer-opti-water-purifier.
How does that differ from the Steripen Adventurer Opti Water Purifier 2012?
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 20, 2012 09:42AM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 96 |
Re: What water purifier to buy? May 21, 2012 05:32AM | Registered: 12 years ago Posts: 37 |