Group water filters

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lumpymike1

Joined
Sep 3, 2004
Messages
476
Hi All,

As I do more overnight and 2-3 day hikes with small groups (5-6) or my sons scout troop, I have been more curious about group water filters. Partialy because I always find myself filtering water for my son and I, and partialy because I think a bigger one would be a nice way of "smoothing it".

There are several possibilites out there, some of them quite low weight (the Katadyn seems about the same weight as my 1st need pump).

The three I have seen recently are the Katadyn Base camp water filter:
http://www.rei.com/product/737349
I am leaning towards this for simplicity and cost. My biggest worry? if you are not careful when filling the bag you might get questionable water running down the hose into your water bottle, but I think that is preventable. Wonder if you can back flush to clean the filter like with others?

Next up in price:
Platypus clean stream
http://www.rei.com/product/767563
A little heavier if you use both bags, not as large of a capacity as the Katadyn. Can backflush. Has some reported clogging problems.

Then Sawyer, a lot heavier and a lot more expensive.
http://www.rei.com/product/778046
Seems like a little more robust version of the Platypus.

Looks like MSR also makes one:
http://www.rei.com/product/768117
Smaller volume than the Katadyne, but it has the cap to reduce my fears of contamination. Also back flushable and a shade lighter.

So any expierences with them?
 
I've been looking at that Base Camp.

I have the Hiker and it uses the same filter so I could carry both and use the one when I get to camp so I could do something else while it's running thru.
 
MSR and Platypus have the same parent company (Cascade Designs), so their offerings are very similar other than the bladders.

I asked my rep when I placed my initial order about which one he would recommend, and he said the Platypus Clean Stream was his recommendation. It comes with two bladders instead of one, and they are marked "Clean" and "Dirty." Kind of hard to mess that one up. Also, the bladders are clear, so you can see what is going on a little bit better.
 
One more thought: Have you thought about a pump filter instead of one of the gravity ones? My personal recommendation would be the MSR Hyperflow. I realize that it requires more effort than the gravity ones, but it pumps 3L/minute vs 1L/minute on just about every other pump on the market. It also uses the same hollow fiber technology as the MSR and Platypus gravity filters, and only weighs 7.4 oz.
 
I already have a 1st need pump filter (it says it is a purifier but I am not sure how they back up that claim). It works great for 1-2 people, but I always seem to be fitlering water with it while at camp.
 
Pump filters are terrible for lots of people - gravity all the way.

My recommendation is to either DIY, or buy a silnylon drybag based filter, then add a Sawyer inline filter to the hose. It will be much lighter that way, and less expensive than many of the full on commercial versions.

I use an AquaSimple from Arrowhead equipment. There's a thread on hammockforums where a user posted pictures of his in action:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showpost.php?p=271156&postcount=64


The place to buy them is here

http://arrowheadequipment.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/1153086
 
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I've used a base camp for years. Slow, but sure, never a problem.

Clean water hose can be adapted to fit into your clean water container in a snug manner, never had a spill down the side, but I never tried to fill it while it was hanging.

Easier to just dunk it in the water, the walk to the tree to hang. By that time it was dry.
 
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