Preferred water purification system

[Osprey]

I'm starting to get into backpack hunting early season Mule deer and would like to know what others like as far as water filter systems. The areas being hunted would primarily be Western WY, SW CO, and SE ID during Sept and sometimes Oct. There is a plethora of options out there with mixed reviews on anything under 100 bones it seems like. This would be used primarily on solo adventures for 7-14 day trips.

 

[Hunter6]

I use the sawyer mini filters. They are light weight and cheap. The only draw back is you can't let them freeze.


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[Cliff Gray]

steri-pen in places with water availability (get away with carrying a liter of water or so)

gravity filter setup otherwise. the new gravity filters are way faster than they use to be, just keep the silt out of the water before filtering (get it from deep running water if possible)

 

[ChrisS]

platy gravity filter and micropur tablets. If I know I have clear water available (e.g. clear flowing streams), those tablets are all I bring.

 

[Tbob]

For long base camp type hunts, I use a gravity filter. Super easy! If I'm more mobile and moving around I use Aqua Mira drops. Love them! Always gives me a good reason to take a five minute break every now and again too..

 

[mavmskyb8]

Aquamira Drops. Hands down the lightest, best system available. Google and read the reviews.
Good luck.

 

[Brightwhite]

Steripen and I never will go back to filters.

 

[lkwoolsey]

Ive used a lot of different filters, and the one I liked the most was the Platypus gravity filter. Super lightweight, even when bringing the two bladders it comes with (one for unfiltered and one for filtered water.) Yes, you can't let it freeze, but I have a little OR dry bag that I keep it in when not in use, and it just goes with me in my bivy at night to stop that. Never had any issues. It's super fast, very light, and I haven't gotten sick yet!

 

[ljalberta]

Steripen and I never will go back to filters.

Got a Steripen this year, and absolutely love it! I still carry drop/tabs for if I'm gonna stock up on camp water, but absolutely love the steripen for the nalgene. I should say, all the water I was drinking out of was clear, running, mountain streams, so I had no desire for a filter. No experience with it in stagnant/murky water.

 

[the0thermrt]

First Need XLE. It's pretty big and bulky compared to others but its a true purifier. I've sucked water out of camel troughs and have been fine.

 

[Frito]

Sawyer filters. I use the bigger one. I've never used anything else but I've done lots of water that way....way below treeline for me and many others and the experience has been nothing but good.

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

I've been drinking water out of creeks and springs all my life and I've never used a filter. At age 50 I probably won't start now. I've been sick a time or two over the years but I have no idea if it was from the water, something I ate or just a bug.

 

[Frito]

I've been drinking water out of creeks and springs all my life and I've never used a filter. At age 50 I probably won't start now. I've been sick a time or two over the years but I have no idea if it was from the water, something I ate or just a bug.

Probably no different than drinking from my mountain well. I'm not overly afraid of the water in the mountains, I just don't want to ruin my hunting trip over some beaver feaver.

 

[ChrisS]

Depends on where you are. There are a lot of domestic animals grazing on public lands and even though water looks clean, there may have been 500 sheep shitting in it upstream less than 24 hours ago.

 

[Frito]

Hydrate or die....but it never hurts to be safe.

 

[robie]

I used a Sawyer Mini this year and got Giardia. After that I will double up going forward.

Bad thing about the Sawyer's is you have no idea if it is busted until you get sick. I like the weight and the ease of use but man that sucked for a while.

I'm going to try a Steripen next season.

 

[Frito]

I used a Sawyer Mini this year and got Giardia. After that I will double up going forward.

Bad thing about the Sawyer's is you have no idea if it is busted until you get sick. I like the weight and the ease of use but man that sucked for a while.

I'm going to try a Steripen next season.

Dang, that sucks. I've had good luck with mine. I know a guy who knows everything, who said he would never use a filter in the mountains. He got it too, soon after. It was violent.

 

[PathFinder]

I've converted to MSR Aqua Tabs. The chlorine taste is pretty mild, I really don't mind it. I just fill my bladder and a 4 L platypus, put in the tabs, and I'm done. It doesn't break or freeze, costs next to nothing, weighs nothing, and takes up zero space.

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[BCSteel]

I never filtered any water for the first 31 years of my life and never once got sick. Now, if my wife is with me we usually use a Lifestraw Go, essentially a Lifestraw in a water bottle, and bring aquatabs as backup or if we need to carry more than the Go bottle holds. If I'm solo I still don't filter or treat.

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[Cant hit em]

Katadyn , i like how i can just pump straight into my bladder without taking it out of my pack , also like the fitting to pump straight to my Nalgene bottles


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