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Mbirarariro
1
Mar 16, 2018
I’m interested I hearing some creative solutions folks have come up with where people have found a system that serves as both filtration while hiking (which reservoirs are you using for dirty water, which filter are you connecting to it, which hoses and mouth pieces), and filtering at camp. Ideally I’d love to have a reservoir i can fill and drink from along the way while hiking that can serve as a system at camp. Bonus points for being ultralight. What are you all using out there?
TheJackal3245
24
Mar 16, 2018
MbirarariroI was a CamelBak user for years because even my oldest never had a leak, but I got an Osprey bladder (made by Hydrapak) last year and the zip top and bite valve on it are so much better, in my experience. Halfway up the line is a quick disconnect, which makes filling very convenient because I use an MSR gravity filter and switch the hardware around on the tubes so it directly filters from bag to bag. You could also just purchase an extra quick disconnect, though. The MSR bag I bought is 4 liters, so it makes it super convenient for both on-trail filtering and having a "running tap" at camp for bottle/bladder filling, cooking, and sanitation. The Platypus system is far lighter, but I've heard mixed reviews on reliability with Platypus on all their systems, and the MSR bag is almost indestructible. I figured guaranteed reliability was worth the couple of ounces and bulk. The filter itself is MSR branded, but I think most of the filters of that type are about the same (except for some purifiers).
theanghv
66
Mar 16, 2018
MbirarariroI think the Katadyn BeFree is the current winner. The amount of water it can filter is way better than any other filters available as of now.
TheJackal3245
24
Mar 16, 2018
theanghvI agree the BeFree is excellent, and I'm actually looking at one as an alternate to my current system. Additionally, Sintax77 on YouTube has a great video on how to convert it to a gravity filter, and the BeFree system works with the larger Hydrapak bags, so it has a lot of flexibility. It was just coming on to the scene when I bought my MSR bag, and I might have gone the other way if I had known about it.
Mbirarariro, especially if you want a bag-to-bag system, though, I'd definitely recommend checking out that video and doing a gravity conversion with a quick disconnect that you can add to the tubing.
mjmiller
19
Mar 17, 2018
theanghvCapacity wise, its pretty much the ideal volume for most of us. The big thing is compatible connectivity to refill other storage devices. None of the currently available gravity filter systems are really plug and play and only a couple will tell you what they are compatible to. It would be great to see more universality so that people do not get locked into specific combinations of equipment. Failing that, a compatibility chart would be wonderful. As it is, I often backpack with a small group of people all of us who have upgraded our gear at various times and made our best choices with what was available to us at the time. Trying various combinations is how we figured out whose what is interchangeable with whose what else. Since we tend to go out mostly on multiple day hikes, we know for sure that equipment fails from time to time and knowing what can work with what often makes the difference between changing the way you do things a bit to work around whatever might have failed and being inconvenienced. Plastic degrades over time and that is one area where all the gravity filtration vendors could make some improvements. Would be nice if vendors offered additional discount priced clean and dirty water bags for purchase at the time you make your original purchase. Sooner or later, you are going to need them. I looked at the BeFree when I bought my last filter but ended up going with a Platypus. I felt it would hold up better long term even though I have Hydrapack bags. Would like to see a 3 L bag for them but am making due with what I am locked into. 2L and 4L systems are not compatible and bags are not interchangeable if anyone is considering getting one and upgrading to the larger capacity bag later. Everything is a different diameter and nothing is salvageable. Universal bottle mouth adaptors were also a reason for my choice although its an extra piece of equipment to carry, it meant that I did not have to switch out more of what I already had to get compatibility. Also I preferred the longer hoses on the Platypus system. Have been considering a Sawyer Mini-System as a back up system for day hikes principly as its light and compact and would be perfect if you needed to top off your water due to a bladder leak or lost bottle.
CazD
15
Mar 19, 2018
MbirarariroWhy bother with clean vs dirty reservoirs? I have an MSR trailshot micro that will fill any reservoir with clean filtered water at 1L/min. I use my cup to catch water and serve as a reservoir from tanked sources as I filter. Stock up on clean water from the get go unless of course you are on a tight timeframe and can't take a few minutes out to filter at the source. :)
Mbirarariro
1
May 15, 2018
TheJackal3245Thanks! I will take a look at the video!
Mbirarariro
1
May 15, 2018
mjmillerI agree that it's frustrating that things don't seem compatible and the options are overwhelming, which is why I wanted to post the discussion. Thanks for everyone's feedback!
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