Water filtration, what's your limit?

[MandRroofing]

I'm fairly new to elk hunting , going on my six season . In recent years I have discovered an area which I would consider the closest thing to a honey hole so far. It's way high and very little water. I do know of a few watering holes that are in the area which makes this place so great , but they're pretty murky LOL. Would you say this is okay to filter water out of? Is there a limit you have to help dirty the water is? I do setup a Spy Camp in the area and this would be the closest place for water. Thanks everyone

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[MesaHorseCo.]

ive filtered some pretty bad looking water. I wouldnt worry about it. One negative is that really murkey water is often slower to filter, weather with a pump or sawyer mini type. Drink it youll be fine.

 

[armyjoe]

Aron and I were up hunting one year and ran out of water. The place we normal go was dry, weird year. So we filled up in a wallow hole. Smelled like piss and ass but it was water and kept us going. No stomach or other issues. Filters will keep you alive even if the water tastes like piss haha

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[MandRroofing]

Lol awsome guys that makes feel a lot better.last year when I was up there I skipped this water and went way further to get other water this water will be way closer and keep my morale up I'm sure

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[FlyGuy]

Bring drops or tablets with you as a backup. I've had trouble with a pump filter breaking in water like this.

 

[oldgoat]

Pre-filter it with a coffee filter on your intake, take a good wad of them along because they clog up too. Other thing you can do is get one of those cloth water pails and let the water settle overnight and then filter from there.

 

[RoJo]

If murky is the only issue, go for it, no problem.

 

[MtnHunter]

I haven't had a problem filtering out of holes like that, but do be careful when pumping. I broke a pump once when pushing harder to get the water through a semi-clogged filter. It was a good thing it was literally the last pump of the last fill-upI would need the rest of the trip!

 

[Laelkhunter]

Flowing water (stream) is obviously a better choice, but not always available. As mentioned several times, murky water will be drinkable after getting it to finally filter through a partially clogged filter. I would also use a purification tab or two just to be safe if you can wait for them to treat the water after you filter it.

 

[Brendan]

If it really bothers you - pre filter through a coffee filter and pump into a nalgene. Then double treat with aquamira or a steripen as a backup. Only time I felt I had to do that was when I had to fill up in a damn cow pasture...

 

[oldgoat]

And pump slooooow!

 

[MandRroofing]

Do you guys think a platypus is good enough for this kind of situation? I have a platypus gravity fed filter

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[ChrisS]

Do you guys think a platypus is good enough for this kind of situation? I have a platypus gravity fed filter

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Yeah, just be sure to keep the filter from freezing and backflush a lot. I haven't had to use mine in really muddy water, but you can fill the dirty bag and let it sit for a while and it should settle out some. You could also use a bandanna as a prefilter when you're filling the dirty bag.

 

[xziang]

I like the idea of letting the water sit for a while to filter the clean water off the top but that might take a bunch of time. I always keep some coffee filters like previously mentioned around to 'pre filter' the water before pumping.

Hope the year pans out for you!

 

[chindits]

Skip filters, they are extra weight, they clog, and they freeze. All you need is aquamira drops, a T-shirt, and a scoop cup or pot. I usually have lots of good water in the high country so I can fill a water bottle on a stream crossing, trickle, or cliff seep and add aquamira drops without having to stop any longer than it takes to fill a water bottle. In shitty desert potholes or stockponds I will fill my pot with water and let it stand as I add the drops in the bottle and take my T-shirt off. Filter the chunks out of the water in the pot as you pour it through your T-shirt stretched over the water bottle top. Stop pouring before you get to all the sediment in the bottom of the pan. Simple, light, fast, effective. By the way, I hate the taste of the tablets and they take too much time. The drops are quicker and I don't really notice the taste. I haven't used filters for 10 years or more and I don't miss them.

 

[Transition Wild]

I used my katadyn filter this past weekend in a small water hole that had elk droppings in it. The water was a bit discolored but I drank it and had no issues. I wanted to try this while shed hunting to see if I could get away with it on a week hunt. All is fine and and never had any issues!

 

[the big Mao]

let the water settle in a container before you pump, use a prefilter, and it should be fine. If you saw the sewers we had to use for water in Viet Nam, you'd barf. Iodine tablets...if someone "purified" our water with those in elk camp, I'd shoot the guy myself!!

 

[njdoxie]

Aron and I were up hunting one year and ran out of water. The place we normal go was dry, weird year. So we filled up in a wallow hole. Smelled like piss and ass but it was water and kept us going. No stomach or other issues. Filters will keep you alive even if the water tastes like piss haha

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That is funny, water that taste like piss and ass, as long as I'm not drinking it.....glad I camp near a clear rushing stream.