Recently a reader named Randy asked:
Q. What are the pros and cons of a water filtration system? I am thinking of purchasing one but it almost seems that I would be just hauling another piece of gear.
A. In my opinion, a water filter is one of you’re most important pieces of gear you can carry. Without water, your pretty much screwed; if you do find water, without proper filtration you still might be in trouble. There are some pretty nasty diseases that you can get from drinking untreated water; some can actually kill you.
Pros & Cons of carrying a water filter in your BOB, or hiking backpack:
Pros:
- The ability to treat any water you find in the wilderness.
- Safety – As I mentioned above, there are a lot of microorganisms in untreated water. Most modern hiking filters are designed to filter out these germs and some can even get rid of harmful chemicals and heavy metals.
- Faster than boiling water. If you’re on the go, a water filter is quicker and easier than having to stop, build a fire and boil water.
- Taste – A lot of people say that drinking filtered water tastes better than drinking boiled water.
- Boiling will do nothing to get rid of herbicides and pesticides, a good water filter can filter out these hazardous chemicals.
Cons:
- If you plan on being out for an extended period of time, even the best filters don’t last forever. A good canteen for boiling water will outlast most filters.
- Boiling water is the safest way to get rid of contaminants (except for chemicals), it’s also pretty much idiot proof. Filters, if not hooked up properly can fail to do the job.
Top Water Purifiers & Filters:
there are water filters out there that will last damn near forever, like the katadyn pocket and the katadyn combi. ceramic filters last long amounts of time and you just need to keep it from freezing and your be fine.
both rated for 13,000 gallons
that would be 1 gal. a day for 1 person for 35.6 years
that would be 1 gal.(per person) a day for 2 people for 17.8 years
that would be 1 gal.(per person) a day for 3 people for 11.8 years
that would be 1 gal.(per person) a day for 4 people for 8.9 years
that should be enough water for a kit
the combi can even have carbon filter as well to help with taste and chem.
Filter. Filter. Filter.
Ceramic, hands down as far as I’m concerned, is the way to go. HOWEVER, they are very breakable and must be cared for. I’ve used a Katydin Combi for years, and have gotten really lazy with it. I bought some food-grade silicone tubing to fit it, a 5 gal “dirty water” bag I hoist high into a tree, and a 5 gal “clean water” bag. … you can figure out the rest. I HATE pumping for an hour to get a day’s worth of water.
Also, if you have never partaken of water treated with iodine, DO NOT WAIT until you’re in the middle of nowhere to test it out. I’ve made that mistake. I was 2 miles from anywhere and had set up camp before I discovered I was allergic to Iodine.
Just a note about the filters:
Most do not filter out viruses. If you suspect contamination may be an issue, BOIL!
I thought about what I would do if I needed only one water filter for an indefinite period of time. After much consideration I went with a Sawyer inline gravity filter. No ‘cool factor’ and no pump action. However, it is rated at 1 million gallons and can be cleaned by back-washing (use clean or already-filtered water). It is super lightweight and takes up very little space in the pack. In a SHTF situation where you don’t know how long you’ll be in the suck, this could be important since you might not be able to obtain a replacement filter cartridge.