Water filter?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm looking for a good water filter.  So far I'm kind of partial to this one:

http://www.mec.ca/product/5001-239/msr-miniworks-ex-water-filter/?bc=

I really didn't want to spend a huge pile of money but I see some are kind of pricey.  In addition to filtering I was planning on boiling it as well since I'm likely going to be running my Bio Lite stove for a while anyway, just to recharge batteries.

I want to do a longer kayak trip this year and since there are going to be a few portages involved I'd rather not have to carry three days worth of water if I can avoid it.

The canal I'll be on is freshwater, spring fed from about a third of the way in. The rest of the trip is going to be small canal ways that are well known for lots of pollen and fairly heavy bacterial growth.  A couple of years ago I rubbed my eye with a wet hand and my eye swelled up and crusted over by the next morning.  :ahh:

Any suggestions?

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[AimlessWanderer]

I have the Travel Tap by Drinksafe Systems. It's a water bottle with purifier top rather than a pump. You can still use it for cooking/washing though, just squeeze the water through it. I chose this for simplicity and the fact that you're not carrying a pump AND water storage

[comis]

Sounds like the water was pretty polluted, I would take a good amount of antibacterial wipe to clean hands and imodium if I were you. 

I never own the squeeze system, but the pump system is pretty efficient system to process water for 1+ person, with reasonable effort(I have the MSR sweet water for a while now, although I haven't got the chance to use it enough).  I do use coffee filter to prefilter the water, and I was taught to treat the filter very carefully if I want to clean it, since the concentration of bacteria will be very high.

And as a backup, I always have an Aqua Mira Frontier filter(in my large wilderness emergency kit), in case I can't boil anything and it is good for treating about 20 gallons of water, and it will even clean up Crypto which most hand pumps fail to do.

[styx]

I'm partial to Sawyer mini. Light, can be used as an inline filter and a gravity filter (needs 2 platypus bags and some hoses) as well as the squeeze filter like advertised, has excellent pore size, not overly expensive. Only thing is that some have expressed it could use a prefilter when used in some conditions (me thinks that a bandanna would work, but there is also a hack online for that to be solved permanently)

http://www.amazon.ca/Sawyer-Products-SP128-Filtration-System/dp/B00FA2RLX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405785435&sr=8-1&keywords=sawyer+mini

[dks]

  If you take liquids the "Bear Grylls" way you will not need a filter.... you can use any poluted water you like.

 

 

[Millhouse]

Looks good. Katadyn stuff is also worth considering.

Depending upon how much you intend to use it, you may want to check the cost of replacement filters and factor that into your purchase decision.

[nate j]

I use LifeStraws in my emergency kits, though I haven't tried one in the field.  I see they now also offer the Go (combines original LifeStraw with a water bottle), and the Family (a bigger unit designed for longer-term use or a large camp).

http://www.buylifestraw.com/products

[detron]

I use LifeStraws in my emergency kits, though I haven't tried one in the field.  I see they now also offer the Go (combines original LifeStraw with a water bottle), and the Family (a bigger unit designed for longer-term use or a large camp).

http://www.buylifestraw.com/products

+1   have heard nothing but good things, and they are like $20 on Amazon.

[comis]

Looks good. Katadyn stuff is also worth considering.

Depending upon how much you intend to use it, you may want to check the cost of replacement filters and factor that into your purchase decision.

That's a good point, and some ceremic filter is actually serviceable and certainly will bring down cost.  One thing does come in mind is, some filter may not work so well under cold temperature, so be sure to check their review to see how well they do in cold weather.

I use LifeStraws in my emergency kits, though I haven't tried one in the field.  I see they now also offer the Go (combines original LifeStraw with a water bottle), and the Family (a bigger unit designed for longer-term use or a large camp).

http://www.buylifestraw.com/products

+1   have heard nothing but good things, and they are like $20 on Amazon.

I too do like Lifestraw, but my only real complain is the two ends of deeper blue colored tip fall off quite easily(I think I order 4-5 of them, and one of them arrived 'broken tip'), and the size is a little large to fit in any survival kit(unless it is in a bag).  Aqua mira Frontier filter on the other hand is a lot more portable.

[Nhoj]

My preference is a katadyn hiker pro. http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-water-filters-backcountry-series-products/katadyn-hiker-pro-microfilter/
I'm very into backpacking and have used one of these for years. It is easy to pump and works efficiently. The filter is also serviceable and won't clog like a ceramic filter. This seems good for you if the canals you drink from are dirty. (I live down the street from the Erie canal and that would make a public toilet look like a mountain spring) What I really like is there are quick release clips on the hoses that attach directly to my water bladder. There is also an attachment that fits onto water bottles. Katadyn's service is also great and any of their products that I've ever had broken they replaced no questions asked.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

My preference is a katadyn hiker pro. http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-water-filters-backcountry-series-products/katadyn-hiker-pro-microfilter/
I'm very into backpacking and have used one of these for years. It is easy to pump and works efficiently. The filter is also serviceable and won't clog like a ceramic filter. This seems good for you if the canals you drink from are dirty. (I live down the street from the Erie canal and that would make a public toilet look like a mountain spring) What I really like is there are quick release clips on the hoses that attach directly to my water bladder. There is also an attachment that fits onto water bottles. Katadyn's service is also great and any of their products that I've ever had broken they replaced no questions asked.

What he said! I've owned a Hiker Pro for years and it's been reliable and flawless. I pumped some pretty dirty water through it a few times and it never once so much as hiccuped. I've replaced the filter a couple of times, but other than that it's been bulletproof and filters excellently.

[TCC256]

Have you looked at the Sawyer Mini? It's very small and light, which would be a plus on portages.

[ironraven]

Sounds like the water was pretty polluted, I would take a good amount of antibacterial wipe to clean hands and imodium if I were you. 

Doesn't take much, giardia is pretty common in North America. Just have to get unlucky that one time. And runoff from a hundred year old mine is just as nasty now as it was then, but better hidden.

I have friends with the MSR Mini, they like it, I run a Katadyn Hiker Pro which I find very comperable. Ceramic is a little more prone to freeze damage and a little harder to work, but freezing a paper (or fiberglass) system isn't such a good idea either and the ceramics probably do have a longer life cycle. Eh, by your ticket, take your chances. Either way, carbon is a must have, IMO- again, heavy metals, petrochem or agchem contamination, it helps.