Lightest Water System so far...

[JoeK]

@Wrench dare I ask how it was getting in your GI system from the lathe/mill coolant?

 

[Sdbow]

Sawyer Micro Squeeze with a Cnoc vecto bag has been a reliable and lightweight setup for me.

This has been the best setup for me in areas where water is scarce. The cnoc is much easier to fill from very shallow creeks or puddles. I also carry a 3d printed adaptor that allows me to backflush from a 28mm threaded bottle.

 

[Wrench]

@Wrench dare I ask how it was getting in your GI system from the lathe/mill coolant?

Just the random splashes is my guess. Once we replaced the coolant and added skimmers I never had it again.

 

[txtransplant]

For hunting season I have a 32 oz Nalgene that is easily reachable that’s ready to drink. I have another 32 oz Nalgene in my pack, a bottle usually lasts 3-4 hours. When it’s done I have another in my pack that replaces it. I’ll tab the first bottle (water sources tend to be plentiful where I hunt), when bottle 2 is dry, bottle 1 is ready—rinse and repeat.

In the summer backpacking I’ll often use the same routine, but with 16 oz Nagenes (and a half of a tablet).

@mtwarden are you pre-filtering sediment out at all? How?

I was forced to try the old pour-through-a-handkerchief method this year when my filter wasn’t working. It was okay, I guess. Still a good amount of sediment in it after.

 

[Maverick1]

Lightest water system? Surprised no one has suggested dehydrated water or freeze dried water yet.

 

[Maverick1]

@mtwarden - have you ever weighed your Nalgene bottles?

 

[mtwarden]

@mtwarden are you pre-filtering sediment out at all? How?

I was forced to try the old pour-through-a-handkerchief method this year when my filter wasn’t working. It was okay, I guess. Still a good amount of sediment in it after.

Occasionally; most of the water here is pretty sediment free. Paper coffee filters do a pretty good job and obviously don’t weigh much.

@mtwarden - have you ever weighed your Nalgene bottles?

Yup—I only use the lighter HDPE ones, which are more rugged as well. 16 oz is 2.4 oz, 32 oz is 3.7 oz, the 48 oz is 5.2 oz

 

[Scoutfan]

I just carry 2 or 3 smart water bottles instead of nalgene bottles. A little piece of panty hose weighs nothing for the rare time pre-filtering is needed.

 

[mtnbound]

Using Chlorine Dioxide tablet products is probably the lightest option, but remember it takes 4 hours of contact time to kill Cryptosporidium and Giardia, so you need to plan accordingly; that's the biggest reason I prefer the Hydrapack or similar filter system.

 

[sargent]

My system is two thin Poland Spring 1 liter bottles (0.7 oz/each), one cheap 5 liter bladder off Amazon (2.2 oz), and Aquatabs (0.4 oz). Total weight is 4 ounces.

The tabs do make the water taste a little like pool water, but I usually add flavor to drinking water and don't add tabs to my cooking water. I try to save a few ounces of water for when I fill up. It stinks when you fill both liter bottles and are really thirsty, but have to wait for the tabs to work. I generally only wait one hour and have never gotten sick.

 

[fmyth]

I had a 6 month run of giardia. I was getting it from a coolant tank on one of the lathes.....but I didn't think to test that before I moved, switched to bottled water, spent a fortune on flagyl and probably destroyed my kidneys as well as anything you could sit on.

One day I thought the mill coolant smelled bad, tested the tanks and it was off the charts for coliform count.

I get pretty serious about never going there again.

Damn. I've only had giardia once and it was brutal. The flagyl killed the giardia but also screwed up my digestive system. 25 years later I still have issues with digesting certain foods that never bothered me prior to the flagyl.

 

[BBob]

Damn. I've only had giardia once and it was brutal. The flagyl killed the giardia but also screwed up my ability to digestive system. 25 years later I still have issues with digesting certain foods that never bothered me prior to the flagyl.

The Flagyl is as bad or worse for you than the bugs. I’ve had them twice. First time I was young and recovered fairly well. Second time I was much older. I did three rounds of Flagyl and it took years to get my gut back to somewhat normal. I lost 20lbs over 6 months off my already thin frame during that bout. No fun.

 

[Sdbow]

@mtwarden are you pre-filtering sediment out at all? How?

I was forced to try the old pour-through-a-handkerchief method this year when my filter wasn’t working. It was okay, I guess. Still a good amount of sediment in it after.

I use those tiny compressed towels, they’re also good for tinder or cleaning your hands, and weigh next to nothing. I rubber band one over the container I am using to collect dirty water and sweep it through the water.

 

[txtransplant]

Lots of good ideas here. Hadn’t considered coffee filters before.

I use those tiny compressed towels, they’re also good for tinder or cleaning your hands, and weigh next to nothing. I rubber band one over the container I am using to collect dirty water and sweep it through the water.

I’m not sure what towels you’re talking about?

 

[Sdbow]

Lots of good ideas here. Hadn’t considered coffee filters before.


I’m not sure what towels you’re talking about?

Looks like the moderators need to approve a link. But if you search “compressed towel” there are tons of options online that you’ll find, they’re about the size of 4 quarters stacked on top of each other. I don’t think any brand is better than any other but I prefer the ones that are individually wrapped. If they’re near any moisture they balloon in size and you can unfold them to about the size of a face towel.