Water Filters for Springs/Low water

[rkratky]

I was wondering if anyone had any input on the best water filter for use in springs and streams with very low water? The area we hunt doesn't have easily accessible creeks, but does have a small spring nearby. There's about 2" of water depth in spots so it is very difficult to use sawyer squeeze or gravity type systems. I have used a friends pump filter before but it is pretty slow. Is a pump filter the best way to go, any recommendations? Thanks.

 

[EdP]

Take along a 1 gallon ziplock freezer bag to use with a pump filter. A small plastic or aluminum pan can also help. Gather water in the bag and pump it from there. I do this from a spring that I can only get an inch or so of depth from after scooping out mud and slime and making a gravel dam. It still works fine. Either fill the bag directly from the flow or fill the bag from the pan and go to pumping. Pumping from the bag also helps keep debris out of your filter.

 

[Walkstoomuch]

I’ve used a plastic bottle chopped down to scoop and pour into my katadyn squeeze style filter

 

[Jbehredt]

I’ve used a water bottle with the top cut off as a scoop for a few years. My sawyer and an evernew bag nest inside.

 

[Dos Perros]

I use a titanium cup to scoop and pour into a CNOC bag I use with a Sawyer Squeeze.

If money is no object sure a pump would work, but I'd bet the gravity system would be more cost and weight efficient, but also slower.

 

[EdP]

I prefer to keep my water storage bag (CNOC type) for filtered water only. The upside is I don't have to pump from it to fill a water bottle at camp. The downside is I have filtered the water that will be used in cooking and does not really need to be filtered because it will be boiled.

 

[coleman]

Couple good options mentioned already. Another option for very shallow water holes is a 250ml or 500ml plastic syringe. A little less disturbance in Those really shallow spots.