What are the best water purifiers?

[ChrisCross]

Katadyn Pocket. All aluminum body is bulletproof and filters ~13k gallons per filter..

Sawyers are very interesting and filter 100K gallons but not sure it (filter body not element) would last that long. Still cheap an so far effective (.1 micron version).

[platoonDaddy]

Why is this filter restricted from shipping to Ca or Iowa?

Royal Berkey 3 Gal Water System (2 or 4 Ceramic Filters)

http://www.protherapysupplies.com/Sh...-Filter-System

[soulezoo]

That is strange... that model is on sale in a store near me now (Sacramento)

Why is this filter restricted from shipping to Ca or Iowa?

Royal Berkey 3 Gal Water System (2 or 4 Ceramic Filters)

http://www.protherapysupplies.com/Sh...-Filter-System

[platoonDaddy]

That is strange... that model is on sale in a store near me now (Sacramento)

Hopefully this is a legit site, I just purchased the 4 ceramic filter model.

[Outlander Systems]

If anyone is curious, the Sawyer Bottle and Lifestraw Go are both compatible with standard Nalgene Bottles/Klean Kanteen wide mouth bottles, Guyout Bottles, etc.

[HKGuns]

I double down first with the MSR ceramic and I then stir with a UV pen.

[trinydex]

http://www.berkeyproducts.com/filter-vs-purifier.html

Basically filter vs purifier is the degree to which the nastys are removed. Without going back and re reading the entire thread, I can't remember your intended use, but the First Need I mentioned is indeed a purifier, and in a backpackable/BOB size package. It's a touch heavy at about 1lb, which is why many backpackers do not carry it. But it is fully field cleanable including the ability to reverse the stream and backflush, and it purifies a crapload of water before elements need to be changed, so I like it the best.

You also have to consider that (at least in my area) a basic filter is all that is really needed. Pick your water source well in the Rockies and many times you really don't even have to treat.

Personally, for me, if I have to add chlorine/ iodine to water after I filter it, carrying a filter is a waste of time, money, and bag space. Years ago (Don't know if they still do it, but have heard from a rep that they do not) PUR filters had an iodine matrix the H2O ran through at the end of filtration. Seems kinda pointless to me, but it was done because they knew the filters were crap.

As far as pre filtering/screening goes, coffee filters do work good, and you can even wrap them around a device's prefilter to avoid cleaning that out so often. Personally I don't have to use the water with serious floaties in it very often. I typically fill a water bladder or three (Dromedary bag) from the source and carry it to camp, then stick the filter hose (prefilter removed) into the opening and pump from the comfort of camp rather than being hovered over a stream/lake/puddle.

ETA as others have said it does indeed matter where you are. Backpacking in Utah is hell on water filters. The Rockies, not so much. I hiked the AT in '97 and used the first need the whole way without changing the element, just the occasional backflush. It made New Jersey water drinkable, so there's that. But in Utah I typically try to find a spring or seep and I just drink it straight from the ground. After 20 years, knock on wood, I still haven't gotten sick, but I also don't drink from areas horse and cattle prowl. YMMV. I haven't seen a filter yet that will run more than 5 gallons or so of Utah river water without becoming a muddy mess.

i want to second what's said here.


there's filtering and there's purification. most filters, even the best ones, do not remove viruses due to pore size, although many can capture bacteria and other stuff that makes you sick like giardia and cryptosporidia. there are methods to actively get rid of viruses like uv light, iodine, chlorine.

it does depend on where you are, most of north america, you don't have to worry about viruses. so let the mission drive the gear.

i have one of these, but found out later it doesn't remove viruses. it's a decent a durable solution in north america. most expensive isn't always bestest.

http://www.rei.com/product/870243/ka...et-microfilter



there is apparently only one filter that does it all in one unit and that's the first need xle.

http://www.rei.com/product/851771/fi...water-purifier


if you decide to use iodine tablets a nice tip is that vitamin c neutralizes iodine. so after you have used the iodine to kill stuff in the water, you can dump an emergen c packet in there and have tasty water. keep in mind that iodine isn't effective at killing cryptosporidia. bleach must be left in water for over 10 minutes to kill cryptosporidia.