Filter or purifier?

U

ukknifer

Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
424
Hi

I am torn between these 2: both rated very hi , I will put this in my bug out bag and also use it as a main filter for hiking camping

First one is a First Need XL Water Purifier
16 oz 120 $
Output 1.89 liters per minute
Field cleanable No, must change cartridge
Removes/Destroys Protozoa, bacteria and viruses

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Second is Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Filter
11 0z 80 $
Removes Protozoa and bacteria
Output 1 liters per minute
Field cleanable Yes
457598.jpg
 
just my thoughts but I think that will will be the best choice for what you are going to use it for.

RickJ
 
Define your mission. They may be entirely different. Hiking is one thing -the Hiker Pro probably is the best choice. It is the standard for backing/hiking/wilderness.

As a bug out bag, what is your plan? Where are you planning on bugging out too and for how long? The woods? Okay for how long? The city? A friends house? The reason I say this is because if you're going be anywhere near people then you need a filter and a purifier and you need something that will sustain a larger volume of water (for you, family, friends) and with water potentially more tainted and polluted. Also you need something that will not break and is low maintenance.

Anyway, the bug out needs a definitive plan with a back up plan or two. The hiking filter is a slam dunk. The bug out - you need a plan and build the gear around the plan.

Most people don't have a plan. They just throw a bunch of cool gear into a back pack and call it bug out. My work with refuges has proven this point. They have no idea where they're going, what their going to do and for how long. History has shown most who venture out into the woods don't last long and come back to urban or rural environments.
 
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Yes both the CR123 model and the AA model. Pros - no moving parts Cons - it relies on batteries and can fail at a mission critical moment which is true of any commerically made unit.

When I travel I always carry a Steripen with me and use it for all water consumption because I don't trust anyone's water that I haven't personally researched (and then I'm still skeptical). Fast and easy to use. I've put mine through the ringer. I travel in 35+ states delivering training and I've never been let down with my Steripen. But I also have multiple redundancy "just in case." I never put all my eggs in one basket on mission critical gear (which this is).

If you're going to use recharable then use the new Eneloop batteries for the AA unit. They are the only one's the tech's at Steripen recommend now. For the CR123 you need the 3.7 Volt batteries and the AW CR123 are the best.
 
mete said:
Anybody use Steripen ?
Click to expand...

Yes, but a big consideration is that it does not filter anything out, which is fine if are nearby a bunch of mountain streams, but sucks if you only have brackish water. I like for my water to be clear. Steripen has a couple of filters available that get the larger stuff out.

I personally use the MSR Hyperflow for most trips. It only weighs around 7 oz, is faster than every other portable filter I have seen (3L/minute vs .5-1L), and really easy to use. It will get out everything except chemicals and viruses. I'm usually not in areas where viruses are an issue, but if I am, I take a Steripen as well. I like the new Adventure Opti model with the LED sensor and CR123 batteries. If chemicals/taste/odors are an issue, like they are on the Georgia coast and in Florida, then I use an MSR Sweetwater (I actually have an old school Sweetwater from before when MSR bought them). The ceramic filter will remove chemicals as well as all of the other nastiness. The Sweetwater Purifier system includes chlorine dioxide, which will take care of the viruses as well.

The only time I use a Steripen by itself is when I am traveling in countries that do not have the best water treatment systems and I need to treat tap water. For situations like that, a Steripen is awesome and highly recommended. My wife and I went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon and we drank tap water the whole time with no ill effects. She did get a little sick one night when she drank a drink with ice in it (we didn't treat it), but that was it.
 
I've got a First Need and have had it for many years. I've gone through a few filters but can't give you any real guidelines for their longevity. I do know that you really must use the prefilter or you can jam up the main cartridge quick.

I was initially attracted to the fact that it destroys viruses, but hiking/backpacking/camping alongside folks who used PUR, iodine or Aqua-Mira drops, none of them got sick from any viruses hiking through much of the northeast US. The First Need is a bit bulky and a bit heavy so I dropped it for most of my hiking trips. I use Aqua Mira and it's done a great job and kept me healthy and happy that it takes up so little room.
 
Just to be clear, these are both filters, not a filter and a purifier. One just filters out more than the other. The whole "purifier" thing is pretty much just marketing.

I use the Katadyn Hiker PRO, then follow up with chemical disinfection. I prefer a multiple barrier approach to water disinfection.
 
Personally I like the msr mini works. Now urban I'd use the filter then boil or distill it. Msr is field sustainable to a point and is a nice size. About the same price as the katydin. That big one is to big for the kind of bob I have, it might be fine for a truck kit though.
 
I had a Hiker Pro type (made by PUR) and First Need aka First Fail also break. The MSR Mini Works never failed. Also it works well with wide mouth Nalgenes which screw into the bottom.
 
I have a MSR pump with a ceramic filter. It's a bit on the heavy side, but the filter lasts forever. I've had it for something like 5 years and still haven't had to replace the thing.
 
Ive got the MSR MiniWorks EX. Its a bit bulky, but its reliable and functions as it should. Most importantly for a backpacking filter, its a field-servicable without the need for any tools.

Its effective against protozoa, bacteria, particles and chemicals/toxins. And the carbon core removes bad tastes. I highly recommend the MiniWorks Ex


msr_miniworks_filter.jpg
 
I have the PUR Voyageur, but Katadyn doesn't sell the purifier cartridge for it, so it's got a Hiker Pro filter, now.
One of the things I never forgot from the manual with the purifier was that it would make the water safe to drink, but if downstream from a sewage treatment plant, you might want to cycle the water twice to improve the flavor(or something like that).
:barf:

I used the Voyageur in "purifier mode" for years. Got water from rivers, lakes, even ponds and streams in cow pastures a few times, and never had a complaint. I was uncomfortable using it just as a filter when I had to switch to the Katadyn cartridges recently, but its popularity gave me some reassurance. Having only used it a few times, I still pause for a second, and look at the filtered water before I drink it, with a 25 year old memory of puking my guts up(along with all the other common symptoms) from drinking completely untreated water out of a stream running through my mind. I have a hard time trusting anything, and feel like a guinea pig the first time, no matter how many people have used something before. Did the same thing with the Voyageur at first, with the old generic iodine tabs in Boy Scouts, the issue ones in the military, with Potable Aqua(the fact those are all the same thing didn't matter), and I'm sure I'll do it the first time I use one of my MicroPur tabs, too.
Guess a run-in with a nasty norovirus leaves quite an impression.
Wonder if anybody else does that. I could boil half my water away, and still be suspect of it.
 
I use the Hiker Pro, and would recommend it.

It's a great little filter - easy to use, and easy to service. It produces clear, clean-tasting water, and I have used it in some less-than-optimal situations without suffering any consequences. When the filter cartridge is fresh, you can quickly pump large amounts of water without much trouble. Over time and as the filter starts to wear, pumping can become a bit challenging.

If you opt for the Pro, be sure to toss an extra packet or two of activated charcoal in your pack or BOB.

All the best,

- Mike
 
kmm said:
Ive got the MSR MiniWorks EX. Its a bit bulky, but its reliable and functions as it should. Most importantly for a backpacking filter, its a field-servicable without the need for any tools.

Its effective against protozoa, bacteria, particles and chemicals/toxins. And the carbon core removes bad tastes. I highly recommend the MiniWorks Ex


msr_miniworks_filter.jpg
Click to expand...

I've used this unit (or the previous generation) for about 10 years now. I like the measuring gage (that crescent moon piece of plastic in the photo) that allows you to assess the filter element for functionality. When the gage is able to fit over the element then the filter has lost its integrity. You use a green scrubby pad to clean the filter element periodically making it easy to maintain in the field. I like how it screws directly onto of a standard wide mouth nalgene or bladder as well. Downsides, it is a bit bulky to carry and depending on what you are filtering it can clog pretty quickly. I only ever realized the stated flow rate when basically pumping treated tap water. The little foam pre-filter element is a piece of crap but becomes much more effective when you tie the foam and line in hanky. Another thing I hate about the foam pre-filter is that it floats your line and usually the worst water is right at the surface. You really want to get the inlet in the middle of the water column or at least a foot under the surface (depth permitting) and not to close to the sediment to get the cleanest water.

Still I like the unit. I'm intrigued with Storl's steri-pen post filtration concept.
 
Birdkiller said:
Personally I like the msr mini works. Now urban I'd use the filter then boil or distill it. Msr is field sustainable to a point and is a nice size. About the same price as the katydin. That big one is to big for the kind of bob I have, it might be fine for a truck kit though.
Click to expand...

thats the one i have. i have had it for years. only used it a few times. i pack my water ( i dont hike the many miles i used to)..
 
MSR MNiniWorks EX is the way to go. I've had mine for years and it never failed me. Easy to clean. Adjust the foam on the tube for depth. I also wrap a coffee filter around the end to help pre-filter. They now make a pre-filter you can add on the line.
 
Hmmm....nobody seems to like the 'first fail'....
I use that filter exclusively, have been doing so for about 8-9 years, and it has never given me anything but wonderful-tasting water. I change the filter every spring, though it's not really necessary because the filters will last a LONG time with proper maintenance. It's always in my pack when I need it, no wait, just pump and drink, and you can use it as a gravity filter too.

Granted, where I live and where I do most of my hiking/camping there is actually little need to filter the water from natural sources, but it gives a lot of peace of mind to know for certain that your water is safe and that you won't be squatting over a messy hole instead of enjoying your time in the woods...plus, I've used this filter to pump from really nasty, dirty sources when I couldn't find anything better, and have never had reason to complain about the end result.

So I say go for the first need.. FWIW

WF
 
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