Water filter in tough area

[dunns7]

Looking for a recommendation, if there are any for a filter to use out of a stock tank/mud hole. The area we want to pack into is very limited on water supply but there are some stock tanks albeit with stagnant water. This will be our first trip into the area and is there a filter that I can truly rely on?

Thank you!

 

[huntinrod]

My sawyer has allowed me many a drink from stock tanks and puddles

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[PantherCity]

I've drank out of stock tanks with my sawyer squeeze and no problems.

 

[oldgoat]

I haven't used it in such, but the katadyn hiker pro has dual filters to handle water like you mention according to literature that comes with it

 

[weedwacker42]

This is supposed to be the "end all, be all" of water purification. The video on the MSR site is pretty wild watching them drink from some dirty South American (or somewhere) river. People bathing and washing clothes upstream while they pump downstream! A little heavy and spendy, but beats Montezuma's revenge I suppose.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/camping/hydration/water-purification%7C/pc/104795280/c/545005980/sc/104324580/msr-174-guardian-8482-portable-water-purifier/2233316.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fwater-purification%2F_%2FN-1114562%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104324580

 

[COlineman78]

With standing water that has the chance of being contaminated with the livestock feces you will need to be concerned with viruses on top of bacteria. As such a simple water filter (Sawyer) will not be sufficient; a purifier or steripen would be required. You will need to decide if this is enough of a possibility that you want to worry about it. This is the main difference between a "purifier" and a "filter" and the differentiation between the 2 rarely needs to be considered for wilderness applications in North America, however in your case you may need to. A disadvantage of going with a purifier over a filter is that they usually don't last nearly as long. I love my Sawyer, but I personally may hesitate to use it in this case without knowing any more about the area. The MSR Guardian seems 100% bulletproof but it comes at a price. A Steripen along with a pre-filter with some MSR aqua-tabs or AquaMira as a backup would be the more affordable solution.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/water-treatment-backcountry.html

 

[GotDraw?]

This may be your solution if you use a gravity filter.

It will pre-filter almost all silt, etc... This is what I use.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/show...your-water-filters-clean&highlight=dudadiesel

 

[GotDraw?]

With standing water that has the chance of being contaminated with the livestock feces you will need to be concerned with viruses on top of bacteria. As such a simple water filter (Sawyer) will not be sufficient; a purifier or steripen would be required. You will need to decide if this is enough of a possibility that you want to worry about it. This is the main difference between a "purifier" and a "filter" and the differentiation between the 2 rarely needs to be considered for wilderness applications in North America, however in your case you may need to. A disadvantage of going with a purifier over a filter is that they usually don't last nearly as long. I love my Sawyer, but I personally may hesitate to use it in this case without knowing any more about the area. The MSR Guardian seems 100% bulletproof but it comes at a price. A Steripen along with a pre-filter with some MSR aqua-tabs or AquaMira as a backup would be the more affordable solution.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/water-treatment-backcountry.html

Actually... FYI- Sawyer DOES make a gravity filter that handles viruses. Sawyer "Complete" I believe.

JL

 

[COlineman78]

Actually... FYI- Sawyer DOES make a gravity filter that handles viruses. Sawyer "Complete" I believe.

JL

This is only applicable for the newest version on the Sawyer site as it has a 0.02 micron membrane to physically remove most viruses, however the version on the REI website only says 0.1 micron. From what I can find of the viruses listed on the REI page, only Hepatitis A has a smaller cross section than 0.02 microns, but several have cross sections less than the standard 0.1 micron sawyer filter size. Geigerrig also makes an inline virus filter, but at $60 for 100 gallons it may be a little limited.

 

[Tbob]

Anyone ever use the Aqua mira drops. No bad taste and I believe they say they purify water.. So maybe quick filter the water and then add the Aqua mira drops and good to go?

 

[LandYacht]

This is why I often lug my 16 oz First Need purifier. I know I can carry my Sawyer, but sometimes that only water I find looks like soup and I just get scared with a filter alone.

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[BroodBuster]

Why not filter and then boil? Seems to be the easy answer and the only method to be 100% sure it's safe to drink.

 

[twall13]

This is why I often lug my 16 oz First Need purifier. I know I can carry my Sawyer, but sometimes that only water I find looks like soup and I just get scared with a filter alone.

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+1 on this. The first needs takes care of everything. It was interesting on my last trip to compare the color of the water after it was filtered from my brothers Katadyn (yellow water) and my First Needs XLE (clear water). It's heavy and the filters won't last add long as a ceramic but it works well and sure beats the price of the MSR Guardian. It also pumps pretty fast, though I've never run a timed test. Good luck.

 

[LandYacht]

+1 on this. The first needs takes care of everything. It was interesting on my last trip to compare the color of the water after it was filtered from my brothers Katadyn (yellow water) and my First Needs XLE (clear water). It's heavy and the filters won't last add long as a ceramic but it works well and sure beats the price of the MSR Guardian. It also pumps pretty fast, though I've never run a timed test. Good luck.

Ome more thing that makes me lean towards my First Need is that I can get water from the tiniest of depressions.

Sheep hunting I used it to collect the rain water from the rock depressions. Saved me a ton of walking down to any running water to use the squeeze bag.

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