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phrankster
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 65 Location: Chandler
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Posted: 1/7/2003, 6:50 pm Post subject: Water filtration or treatment |
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I haven't seen this topic come up yet, so I thought I'd ask. I'm looking at purchasing a filtration system (PURHiker filter) but don't really know too much about the filtration systems out on the market yet. Does anyone have any advice, preference or suggestions on this topic? Reason being I ran out of water once in GC and wasn't a fun experience, but that's another story.
PS: I'd like to lend a thanks to Hoolie for putting me in touch with the folks that were setting up this site. I havent met you yet, but you're alright. |
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cactuscat
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 459 Location: Phoenix
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Posted: 1/7/2003, 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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I've got an MSR Mini, and I'm happy with it. |
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evenstar
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 5548 Location: SCW by way of CA
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Posted: 1/7/2003, 7:09 pm Post subject: Re: Water filtration or treatment |
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phrankster wrote: |
I'd like to lend a thanks to Hoolie for putting me in touch with the folks that were setting up this site. I havent met you yet, but you're alright. |
Phrankster, I'm afraid you've just violated one of the basic tenets of ArizonaHikers.com.....Don't encourage Hooli
But to get back on topic, (not one of my strong points ) I have the Pur hiker; haven't had a lot of chance to use it, but it came highly recommended on the old site and by the REI sales person I spoke to. Asked her what she used and she said owned several but used the Pur hiker most of the time. _________________ John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902 |
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dennisbench
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 275 Location: El Mirage
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Posted: 1/7/2003, 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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I also have the MSR Miniworks, and I love it. Although I have heard the PUR Hiker is faster I like the ease of use and ability to troubleshoot in the field(which I've never had to do..knock on wood) with the Mini. _________________ "In the first place you can't see anything from a car; you've got to get out of the goddamned contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees...When traces of blood begin to mark your trail you'll see something, maybe."
-Ed Abbey |
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Daddee I once was a slug.
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 2815 Location: Mesa, AZ
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Posted: 1/7/2003, 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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I have the MSR Miniworks as well. I love it. I've had to use it several times and it has always performed wonderfully. I used to work for REI as well, and I found that I preferred the ceramic filter of the MSR to the fiberglass or spun filters of the PUR systems. The life of the ceramic filter is quite a bit longer, and is much easier to clean and maintain in the long run.
PUR probably has the better reputation (or at least more popular) but that is mainly a marketing thing. All PUR does is make filters and they sell them to home consumers as well as hikers. All MSR does is sell to Outdoor enthusiasts, and that almost exclusively through REI. At least - that is my take on the issue. _________________ "Only small minds want always to be right."
- Louis XIV
"...haven't you lived long enough to know that two men may honestly differ about a question and both be right?"
- Abraham Lincoln |
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Shawn I'll sell you map to Lost Dutchman mine!
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 2592 Location: Ahwatukee, AZ
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Posted: 1/7/2003, 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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I have a PUR Explorer, and a First Need Deluxe. Both are fine. They were touted as 'purifiers" but according to "Matt" at REI Tempe, there is no such thing other than in the minds of the manufacturers. Purifiers claim to remove viruses, filters do not. PUR sent their Explorer to the EPA and asked them to test it. EPA could not replicate PUR's results. So they took it off the market, but I see Popular has the cartidges yet. PUR has since sold the outdoor division to Katadyne.
Same goes for First Need, its touted as a purifier, but this has not been independently verified.
Most sources say there is very little need for a purifier in North America, unless you are winter hiking downstream from a feed lot. If you want to be real sure, use a filter / purifier and add some of the chemical bug killers. _________________ The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. |
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evenstar
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 5548 Location: SCW by way of CA
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 4:51 am Post subject: |
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When Patches and I were hiking Horton Creek trail last year I tested my PUR hiker for the first time in the creek, probably half a mile or so downstream from the spring. Drank the filtered water and told Patches, "This water's so clean this close to the spring it doesn't need filtering. Few minutes later we get up to the spring, lots of people around and a huge dog peeing in the creek Wonder how a filter handles that _________________ John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902 |
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maryphyl Grand Canyon Enchantress
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 669 Location: Flagstaff
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 8:21 am Post subject: |
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Being the lightweight fanatic that I am I don't take a filter. I drink a lot of water unfiltered. If I think there might be bugs in it I use iodine tabs followed with the ascorbic acid tabs that remove the bum taste. If the water is real ugly I filter it through my bandana to remove the big chunks and then boil it. I have never been sick which just goes to prove nothing much. _________________ Shikekeh hozhoogo naasha.
I walk in beauty. |
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Kristyn
Joined: 04 Jan 2003 Posts: 255 Location: Cottonwood Heights, UT
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 8:41 am Post subject: |
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evenstar wrote: |
Few minutes later we get up to the spring, lots of people around and a huge dog peeing in the creek Wonder how a filter handles that |
I hear pee is pretty sanitary! _________________ Formerly known as snow22_5150. |
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jmzblond J Me
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 1114 Location: Chandler, AZ
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 8:59 am Post subject: |
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I bought a PURhiker, but just got it Monday so haven't had a chance to use it yet. Then, over the w/e I saw a PURVoyageur that claims to be a purifier as well as a filter removing both bacteria and viruses. Anyone know anything about that?? _________________ Blond, James Blond... double "O", uh oh!!
"The romantic lifestyle of goats leaves a lot of time for digesting books" Charlotte La Chevre, (taken from "Conversations With A Goat" by Robert Shekter) |
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evenstar
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 5548 Location: SCW by way of CA
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 9:04 am Post subject: |
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Kristyn wrote: |
I hear pee is pretty sanitary! |
To borrow a favorite phrase of my daughter's from long, long ago when she was a teen:
Eeeeeuuuuuuu....yucky
I know when I was a teen (Ain't enough long, long, etc to put in from of how long ago that was) we used to camp on the Stanislaus, Eel and Trinity rivers and subsidiary creeks and never filtered or treated; just drank and never got sick; just not willing to press my luck like that anymore, so I'll filter away! _________________ John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902 |
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overrocked
Joined: 07 Jan 2003 Posts: 51 Location: phx, AZ
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 9:16 am Post subject: |
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I've used my MSR miniworks several times, but have a itty bitty bottle of potable aqua for backup, and can always boil after filtering through a bandana. Snow can also be pretty full of debris, so bandana really comes in handy for that too. I'd rather use the MSR for day hikes, and boil for backpacking. With the potable aqua for backup for either one. _________________ Your life is dyed the color of your imagination |
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Canyon Dweller
Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 712 Location: Denver, CO
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 10:30 am Post subject: |
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I think it really depends on what your needs are. The ceramic filters are heavier and are not advised for backpacking. the PUR ones, from my experience, are the ones that backpackers like cuz they are lighter. I come from the school that teaches, "Every Ounce counts." I try to eliminate every ounce that i can, so I prefer a lighter filter. From what I understand is that the ceramic ones get everything out and is the best quality, but unless you plan on going to Mexico you dont really need one. The Pur ones worked good for me and they are light. I quess you need to ask yourself if its for day use or backpacking use.
As far as tabs go, I have used them once and thay are nasty, we brought crystal light along with us to hide the iodine flavour.
I don't prefer to go that direction. _________________ Mountains are there to be climbed!
"Meaningless! Meaningless," says the teacher, "Utterly Meaningless, Everything is meaningless."-Ecclesiastes 1:2 |
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Nealz
Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 131 Location: Alpine, Arizona
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 11:02 am Post subject: |
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Canyon Dweller wrote: |
I come from the school that teaches, "Every Ounce counts." I try to eliminate every ounce that i can, so I prefer a lighter filter. |
Amen brother. I've been a gram geek from way back. I use either a PUR Hiker or Explorer and I'm happy with both of 'em. I've had the Explorer filter plug only once in a skanky stock trough, but I should have known better. Again, unless you're backpacking in Zimbabwe, purifying is overkill.
I tried the AquaMira Tablets once and liked 'em. No funky iodine aftertaste. They certainly are lighter than any filter. But there are drawbacks, such as waiting at least 20 minutes for them to work, longer with really cold water.
-Nealz |
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Canyon Dweller
Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 712 Location: Denver, CO
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Posted: 1/8/2003, 11:22 am Post subject: |
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Never heard of Aquamira Tablets. What are they? When we use the tablets, we have 2 bottles, one that is ready to go, and the other is just taken out of the stream and has the tabs just put in it. After the first bottle is empty then the other is ready, and we fill the empty bottle as soon as we come across a stream. We did this in the grand canyon one year and it was nice cuz there was no waiting to use the purier. We just put our bottles in the water, put a tab in it and went on our way. This was on a 12 mile day across the tonto trail. _________________ Mountains are there to be climbed!
"Meaningless! Meaningless," says the teacher, "Utterly Meaningless, Everything is meaningless."-Ecclesiastes 1:2 |
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