Scrap Yard Knife Company

Water purification/filtration

Posted By: imaginefj

Water purification/filtration - 01/20/12 08:46 AM

Well I have a few thousand calories stored away and need to get a few thousand more. But, what I am really lacking on is water.

What is the best filter out there? I let my fingers do some walking and it seems like you have to use a chemical treatment and a filter on everything.

Sooo if you have to use the chemical treatment why would you bother with the filter? Or bother with the better filters?

My life happens to be one of my major priorities so I don't have a problem spending some dough.
Posted By: MonkeyBomb

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/20/12 08:54 AM

Boiling works wonders for any biological concerns.

I have a couple filters. I use a Katdyn Hiker and I also have a Sweetwater Guardian.
Posted By: Sar5

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/20/12 10:05 AM

Image, are you talking about for bob or camping or your home retreat?

As mb said boiling is great if you have fuel,ie gas, wood etc.

I'm looking into a big berkley filter system for my buddies cabin.
It uses filters but is highly recommended when you look into them.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/20/12 10:07 AM

Imagin, I have had the same thoughts. From what limited research I have done (and PLEASE don't depend on what I have done), the ones with the greatest filtering/purifying abilities (meaning they have the smallest pore size filters) are the First Need XL and the Sawyer filters.

Here are a couple links for ya.

http://www.sawyer.com/products.htm

http://generalecology.com/category/portable/product/first_need_xl_portable_water_purifier-new

These links should help lead you to more reviews from actual users, not from the manufacturers websites.

And yes, the Katdyn filters, specifically the Hiker gets a lot of good press.
Posted By: imaginefj

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/20/12 08:31 PM

Well I was thinking about something for home and pack alike if there is such a beast. Having a simple gravity set up in addtion might be nice. 2 is 1 and 1 is none.
Posted By: damon

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/30/12 06:55 AM

I have had a first need purifier (pump/gravity feed) for the last 9 or so years. It is BY FAR the best pump style I have used (and the only small pump purifier that I know of). I also have a MSR MIOX and have used several MSR and Katdyn ceramic filters. A buddy of mine has a Berky and to be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by it. About the only role for such a unit is at a stationary location like Sar5 speaks of, otherwise, waaaaaaay too slow (as in .5hr to do less than a pint) heavy, and bulky for anything BOB related IMO.

Boiling (or distilling even better for heavy metals) is about the best/most simplistic option, but is fuel heavy (may or may not be an issue for each AO, and distilling is even more time and fuel consuming).

Bleach can also be used, is cheap (think a few drops per liter) but losses some punch after about a year of storage

Iodine is also always an option and if you go with the tincture, you get a two-fer for an unbeatable low price and KISS factor.

As you said, two is one. Grab a purifier and a pump of some kind, and next time you are at WalMart pick up a small bottle of iodine for $1, have a metal pot for boiling and you will have your basses far more than covered.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/30/12 07:12 AM

Good post damon, thank you.
Posted By: Mastiff

Re: Water purification/filtration - 02/27/12 11:59 PM

Anyone ever try the Livesaver bottle? They're fairly expensive, but if their claims are true, the expense may be worth it.
Posted By: Evil Spock

Re: Water purification/filtration - 02/28/12 12:11 PM

You might want to consider the Sawyer gravity filters. These are claimed to be effective for filtering over a million gallons. To clean them you just occasionally feed pressurized water through it backwards. Only downside is that I think they drop that claim if you let it get outside of a certain temperature range (like below freezing).

http://www.moontrail.com/sawyer-point-zero-two-purifier.php

http://www.moontrail.com/sawyer-sp194.php
Posted By: coyotebc

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/06/13 11:46 AM

bump
Most people around here that depend on well water will use a mechanical filter of some sort plus a UV filter
Our municipality does free monthly water test to homeowners with wells that bring in a sample
Posted By: sumoj275

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/07/13 10:21 PM

Grab a couple of the straw filters for throwing in the vehicle and bag, not the best but a lot better than nothing.
Posted By: DogTired

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/14/13 01:19 AM

We have a ceramic filter for our shelter-in-place needs with a creek running out behind the house. We've got a katydin (sp?) portable filter in out BOB. I've got iodine tabs and a cup, plastic sheeting, and plastic tubing to make a solar still in my personal survival kit.
Posted By: imaginefj

Re: Water purification/filtration - 01/15/13 09:07 AM

Quote
You might want to consider the Sawyer gravity filters. These are claimed to be effective for filtering over a million gallons. To clean them you just occasionally feed pressurized water through it backwards. Only downside is that I think they drop that claim if you let it get outside of a certain temperature range (like below freezing).

http://www.moontrail.com/sawyer-point-zero-two-purifier.php

http://www.moontrail.com/sawyer-sp194.php

Dang, that sounds too good to be true.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 07/27/13 06:41 PM

Was reading up on the LIFESTRAW today and came across this information. It helps me understand some of the technicalities that I didn't before.

LifeStraw® - Acronyms/Definitions

Aging water: Water passed through the filter with determined known PH-TOC-total dissolved solids and turbidity to measure the filter’s resistance to clogging, flow-rate and lifetime.

CDC: Centers for Disease Control, USA.

CFU: Colony-Forming Unit (CFU) is a measure of viable bacterial numbers. It allows users to assess the degree of contamination in samples of water.

Challenge water: Water passed through the filter for microbiological efficacy tests. In this water, disinfectant is completely removed and residue level should be non-detectable. This is to ensure that there is no interference from residual chlorine (most tap water is chlorinated) on the contaminants introduced in the water and give a more accurate measure of the filter’s microbiological efficacy.

Environmental Protection Agency: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or USEPA) is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and safeguarding the natural environment, namely air, water, and land.

Log reduction: -”LOG” stands for the logarithm function: 1, 2, 3 and 4 LOG reductions correspond to 90%, 99%, 99.9% and 99.99% reduction respectively, and so on.

LRV: Log Reduction Value.

Ms2: A virus which is easily cultivated in laboratories and used to measure viral reduction efficacy of the filter.

NSF International: The Public Health and Safety Company™, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization based in the United States, is the world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety.

NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units. Turbidity refers to how clear the water is. The greater the amount of total suspended solids (TSS) in the water, the murkier it appears and the higher the measured turbidity.

PFU: Plaque-Forming Unit (PFU) is a measure of viable numbers of viruses in the water.

Point-of-use interventions: For those who have access to sufficient quantities of water but whose water is of poor microbiological quality, an alternative is to treat water at the household or other point of use. Such a household treatment may minimise recontamination in the home, a well-known cause of water quality degradation. Interventions used in the studies include: filtration (ceramic), solar disinfection, chlorination, flocculation/disinfection and improved storage.

RR: Rate of reduction.

RTC: Randomized Control Trial.

TOC: Total organic carbon: material in the water derived from decaying vegetation, bacterial growth, and metabolic activities of living organisms or chemicals.

TTC: Thermo Tolerant Coliforms

Turbidity: Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles (suspended solids) that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in the air.

AND I found this as well.
(The below info is for the larger lifestraw FAMILY filter)
Microbiological Performance

Intervention Bacteria Virus Protozoan cyst Meets Environmental Protection Agency protocol
LifeStraw® Family Minimum 99.9999% Minimum 99.99% Minimum 99.9% Yes
Boiling 99.9999% 99.99% 99.9% Yes
Flocculation disinfection (Pur) 99.9999% 99.99% 99.9% Yes
Chlorination Depends upon the contact time and quantity of variable chlorine No
Bio sand filter 90%-99% 50%-90% 99.9% No
Ceramic filter >99% Low 99.9% No
Solar Distillation 99.999% 99.99% 50%-99% Unclear

Physical Performance

Intervention Water treatment capacity
Flow rate/processing time Factors affecting performance Impact on water taste/appearance Repeat intervention required
LifeStraw® Family 18,000 litres Average 9 litres/hour Safe storage if water not consumed directly Neutral for taste; positive for appearance No
Boiling Not applicable 20 minutes (includes heating water to 100°C, 1 min boiling, cooling) Boiling temperature and safe storage Neutral or negative for taste; neutral for appearance Yes
Flocculation disinfection
10 litres 30 minutes Exposure time, chemical concentration in mix Negative for taste; positive for appearance Yes

Chlorination (dilute NaOCl2)
1000 litres 30 minutes contact time after preparation and dosing Exposure time, turbidity, chlorine demand Negative Yes
Bio sand filter Up to 50 litres/day 0.1/0.3 metre/hour (when the average depth of sand filter is 0.7 metres) Proper construction, operation, and maintenance Neutral for taste; positive for appearance No
Ceramic filter 5000-10,000 litres 1-3 litres/hour Pore size and consistency; bacteriostatis; maintenance Neutral for taste; positive for appearance No
Solar Distillation
1-2 litre per bottle average 6 hours Sunlight, turbidity, dissolved solids Neutral for taste and appearance No
Posted By: gunfixrjoe

Re: Water purification/filtration - 07/27/13 07:43 PM

A good, high quality filter is indispensible. Sawyers products are top notch. As already stated, 2 is 1, 1 is none. I prefer more than 2 options. The best I've come across for the highest filtration ability is the HydroPack. It will work even if you threw it in a well used Portapotty. Its slow, and single use, but it is highly effective and adds electrolytes.
Posted By: gunfixrjoe

Re: Water purification/filtration - 07/27/13 07:50 PM

A good, high quality filter is indispensible. Sawyers products are top notch. As already stated, 2 is 1, 1 is none. I prefer more than 2 options. The best I've come across for the highest filtration ability is the HydroPack. It will work even if you threw it in a well used Portapotty. Its slow, and single use, but it is highly effective and adds electrolytes.
Posted By: gunfixrjoe

Re: Water purification/filtration - 07/27/13 07:50 PM

sorry double post
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 07/31/13 08:55 PM

The filters I have are:

Aquamira Frontier - suck through small filter

Berkey Sports Bottle - 22oz bottle with 160 refills of prefiltered water

Katadyn Hiker - midrange pump filter

Katadyn Pocket - top of the line pump filter (13000 gallons)

I also use a stainless canteen cup for boiling, and Katadyn water purfication tablets.

For stationary needs: bleach.
Posted By: Private Klink

Re: Water purification/filtration - 07/31/13 09:00 PM

Looks like you have it covered pretty well Gary! smile
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/01/13 06:32 AM

Gary, what is your take on the First Need XLE and the life straw listed above?
Posted By: greaser

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/01/13 04:19 PM

I personally have only used the GI issue tablets which made the water safe but very unpleasant. I have been looking at this system lately.

http://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/big-berkey.html
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/01/13 06:13 PM

We had a Big Berkey when we lived in town and had municipal water because you can add PF-2 post filters that remove fluoride. We sold the Berkey when we moved out of town and have well water (the whole house has a filtration system now).

Be careful with USGI tabs that are based upon iodine. It can create thyroid problems if used often.
Posted By: greaser

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/03/13 02:53 AM

Trust my arc I only used them in the service lol we have well water also but even that can become contaminated was my train of thought.
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/04/13 12:53 AM

The Berkey is a great filter, but its not a purifier. It'll remove cysts, and so forth but cannot treat water for viruses, etc.

For a well I recommend a three step filtration system:

Sediment filtration followed by activated charcoal and then UV light.

If a viral issue is a concern the fourth step would be chlorination.
Posted By: greaser

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/04/13 01:15 AM

I have a UV light set up for my saltwater aquarium I wonder how well it would work.
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/04/13 03:01 PM

That is a GREAT question. I don't know the answer.

I recently worked on a project for a large / well known national youth oriented gym type organization that involved a swimming pool. The facility originally was designed for chlorination, but due to the deterioration the chlorine was causing (structure, doors, etc) they switched to a UV system. The cost was staggering, but again we're talking about filtering an Olympic sized pool's water (that has kids swimming and peeing in it).

Chlorination will remain the only cost effective, low tech purification option. A gallon of UNSCENTED bleach is about two dollars. It only takes 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water so the cost per gallon is literally nothing. However, bleach won't kill all the nasty stuff in water, and it has a shelf life. Bleach starts losing its efficacy quickly so rotate your storage and learn about its diminishing potency so you can increase the bleach-to-water ratio in a protracted emergency.

http://water.epa.gov/drink/emerprep/emergencydisinfection.cfm

Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/04/13 03:02 PM

For water storage, I always recommend two gallons a day per person.

This allows for 64 ounces of drinking and 64 ounces of cooking along with 1 gallon for hygiene.
Posted By: greaser

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/04/13 11:41 PM

Wow I didnt know bleach went bad, good to know. Living in the land of 10,000 lakes I have never been big on water storage but I do like to have ways of purifying.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:06 AM

Greaser, you can buy "Powder" Pool shock and make your own to use for water purification. I don't exactly remember where but it was talked about sometime last year I think it was. Probably in one of Architect's threads.
Posted By: greaser

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:33 AM

Hmmmm I will have to wait for him to chime in that sounds like a great solution(lol) for that issue.
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:46 AM

"Pool Shock" is calcium hypoclorite. IIRC the 50% strength ratio is 1 pound to 5,000 gallons.

Be careful with it - its flammable / explosive (the dust under compression can KB) and a corrosive. It also degrades under heat, and can be unstable.

greaser,
Household bleach loses 50% of its strength after six months at 75F storage.

Pool Shock will last longer because its a concentrated solid (not a diluted liquid like bleach).

EDIT: Bleach is Sodium Hypochlorite. There is one molecular difference between the two products. The main difference is the concentration of the purifying properties and shelf life.

Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:48 AM

I just checked my Clorox. Its Sodium Hypoclorite. The same info applies.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:51 AM

Quote
Household bleach loses 50% of the CH (calcium hypoclorite) strength after six months at 75F storage.


I thought it was a lot faster than that. So I am guessing that after 6 months you would just use twice as much bleach?
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:52 AM

Then again, that might be getting into the danger zone. I'm no chemist and have no idea what I am talking about.
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:56 AM

Randy,

Theoretically, yes. However, storage temp will determine the rate of degradation and therefore "strength". The concern being over-consumption of bleach or under-purifcation of water.

I'd error on the side of drinking too much bleach.

A proper solution would be to over-chlorinate your potable water and then run the "purified" water through a Berkey filter (to remove the bleach).
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:58 AM

NOTE:

I'm not a chemist or doctor. I do not play a chemist or doctor on TV and therefore am not rendering chemical or medical advice.

My comments are not educational. They are opinions. As such: Reader and viewer discretion is advised.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 12:59 AM

I agree that it would be better to run the risk of consuming to much bleach as to ingest some nasty critters that can make you sick for days. That is why I like the first need XLE water PURIFER. It even works on virus. And yes I know, I should also use bleach, yes.
Posted By: greaser

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 01:04 AM

I assume you can get it at pool stores/ web sites then. would it react like fertilizer and aluminum dust when shot?
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 01:21 AM

You can get it at Wally world as well greaser. There are formulas for making your own solution to use to kill waterborne critters.
Posted By: greaser

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 01:22 AM

Cool I will keep an eye out next time I make it there.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 01:29 AM

Here's a link to one site on how to use it. I'll get a couple others and post them here as well.
http://readynutrition.com/resources...ypochlorite-to-disinfect-water_19062010/


I found this on AR15.com
You can use granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water.
Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately ¼ ounce) for each two gallons of water, or 5 milliliters (approximately 7 grams) per 7.5 liters of water. The mixture will produce a stock chlorine solution of approximately 500 milligrams per liter, since the calcium hypochlorite has available chlorine equal to 70 percent of its weight. To disinfect water, add the chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water or (approximately ½ liter to 50 liters of water) to be disinfected. To remove any objectionable chlorine odor, aerate the disinfected water by pouring it back and forth from one clean container to another.


And here's one more
Calcium Hypochlorite / Pool Shock Water Treatment:
I did a bunch of research on this and thought I'd share it here (and save it here for my memory because this is the second time I've had to research this). While everything here is true to the best of my knowledge, I provide references so that you may seek out the original source and decide for yourself. Using any of this information is at your own risk and by continuing to read you agree to assume all responsibility and absolve me for any harm which may result from use of this information.

Intro:
Calcium Hypochlorite (I’ll call it CH for simplicity) is a powdered chlorine compound that has several advantages over household bleach. CH has a shelf-life of 2+ years [2] compared to 6 months for household bleach [1]. CH is cheaper, and more concentrated than bleach. However this does make it more dangerous.

Basic Instructions [11]:
To use the CH, start with the cleanest, clearest water you can get (filter or leave in a still container for a day and use a ladle to pull off the top).
Mix a heaping ½ tsp with 1 gallon of water to make a general disinfecting solution that is good for cleaning, sanitizing and hand-washing.
Then add 2.5 tablespoons of this solution to 1 gallon dirty water and let sit for 30 minutes to make potable (drinking) water.
If the water doesn’t smell faintly of chlorine after 30 minutes, add another tablespoon and wait 30 more minutes. Repeat until the water smells of chlorine.
To reduce the chlorine taste, pour the water back and forth between two containers for a few minutes, or sit the open container in direct sunlight for a few hours.

Where to get it:
The cheapest and most readily available source of CH is HTH Shock and Swim Poll Shock which is sold in 1 lb bags at wal-mart, home depot and elsewhere. They cost $3. Now, I know what you’re thinking “OMG I’m not drinking pool chemicals”, that was my first reaction. But the manufacturer even has EPA approval for using the product for the regular treatment of potable water wells and cisterns as well as emergency treatment of household drinking water [7-8]. This is a bit weaker than “pure” HC, so you will need to increase the amount used in the above formulas by 25-30%, but as the correct amount varies a bit anyways, this is no big deal, remember the smell test. 1 lb of this will make 100 gallons of cleaning solution and treat 100,000 gallons of drinking water. Now that’s some serious water treatment.
If you choose to use a product other than "HTH Shock and Swim" (not SUPER shock and swim), make sure it is EPA approved for use in drinking water. Reference #7 is a good place to start, I wouldn't use anything not on that list, but don't stop at the list, get that EPA number and google it. Go to the actual EPA documents (similar to reference 8 but for your product) and make sure it approved for emergency drinking water treatment.
Image

Safety [5]:
Always read the MSDS before using any chemicals, this stuff is DANGEROUS. Eye protection is a must when handling CH. Gloves and a dust mask are not essential, but it's stupid not to use them, it's less than a dollar and might save you thousands in medical bills. Handle the powder in a well-ventilated area without wind. When dealing with corrosive chemicals it is always a good practice to have a 5 gallon bucket or sink full of water nearby to submerge your head, body or arms in case of an emergency.
When mixing CH add the CH to the water not vice-versa. It is important to go from dry to weak solution (less than 20% chlorine by weight) as fast as possible. If you only add a small amount of water to the CH it will release hazardous amounts of gaseous chlorine. If you feel a strong burning or stinging in your eyes, throat or lungs at any point, evacuate to fresh air immediately, chlorine can be deadly and was in fact used as a chemical warfare agent in WWI.
CH is a fire hazard when heated or mixed with certain organic compounds which will not be mentioned. Basically, don't let this stuff touch anything but plastic, glass and stainless steel and you'll be good to go.

Storage:
This stuff is dangerous, follow storage guidelines carefully.
keep away from children and pets and only store the minimum you might need (seriously a pound or two goes a long way). Store the powder in a cool, dark place (temperature and sunlight speed decomposition and can cause the material to combust or release chlorine gas over 125 F). Keep dry and in an airtight container (water or even high humidity will cause the release of chlorine gas).
At room temperature in a dry dark place, the storage life is over two years, the product can be kept for longer, but more will have to be used for the same results (the decomposed product is calcium carbonate, i.e. tums). Keep away from food, medicine and valuables because even in a sealed container, some gaseous chlorine will permeate and may ruin these items.
Polyethylene (LDPE or HDPE) containers are the preferred method of storage, as this is what the manufacturer’s packages are made of [3]. Nalgene makes HDPE containers that are available at most sporting goods stores (the squeezable Nalgene, look for HDPE, LDPE or UVPE marked on the bottom). Polycarbonate/lexan (i.e. the hard nalgenes) and PVC are not suitable for CH storage. PET, the material used for clear soda bottles is suitable if on a budget, but choose the thickest bottles possible [4]. Ideally you want to minimize the airspace in the container as chlorine gas will build up in that space and may overwhelm you when you open it.
I personally store 1 lb sacks of HTH shock-n-swim in 1 liter HDPE Nalgene bottles. With some work the sack can be put in the bottle without opening it, providing a double layer of protection. The first time I purchased some I put it in an old glass food jar thinking the rubber coating would keep the lid from rusting out… it didn’t even last a year.
Image

More detailed info [8-12]:
The amount of chlorine required varies because minerals and organic compounds in the water will use up the HC before “free” chlorine can be released to attack waterborne pathogens. You can only smell the free chlorine, so if you can’t smell the chlorine, then you don’t have any free chlorine available. “pure” HC is about 70% free chlorine (700k ppm).
Household bleach is 5% free chlorine (50k ppm).
0.1%-1% free chlorine (1-10k ppm) for serious disinfecting and bleaching laundry.
OSHA & the EPA allows restaurants to clean dishes and prep surfaces with 200 ppm chlorine solution without rinsing afterwards.
Waste water is treated at 60 ppm.
Water that is clean, clear and soft (rainwater with a bit of bird poop) will require about 0.5 ppm chlorine to be drinkable.
Water that is clean, clear and hard (clean running streams, springs, wells) will require about 1 ppm chlorine to be drinkable.
Water hard with limited algae growth (lakes, cisterns) will require about 2 ppm chlorine to be drinkable.
Water with significant turbidity or organics (muddy, heavy algae) should be filtered through a sand filter if at all possible before being treated, but some directions allow for concentrations as high as 20 ppm for drinking water (I'd definitely let this sit out in the sun for a few hours and aerate the crap out of it).
Instructions seem to vary quite a bit and there is some tolerance for error, but most sources seem to agree that the smell test is the threshold for having the right amount of chlorine.
Posted By: Andy the Aussie

Re: Water purification/filtration - 08/05/13 09:20 PM

I have a Kataden Vaio filter for walking around (me and the best mate have the same gear so we keep a stock of spares between us which helps), thus far I am really happy with it. Some places I hunt have eitehr NO drinking water (as in NONE) or clean running water that is free of most nasties. I grew up drinking right out of the creeks here so anything I was going to catch I should have had now... :-)

When I run the filter I try to put the water through a "milbag filter" first though this is not always practical. I have milbags in my cars along with tablets as a back up to the system, the millbag will remove most solids and the tabs make it safe (though not nice) to drink.

back ups to the back ups with water, espectailly out here.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/14/13 08:21 AM

OK, question. What do you experts think of these filters/purifiers.

LifeStraw Family 1.0- says it filters down to 0.02 micron

First Need XL Elite- says it filters down to 0.1 micron normal and 0.4 absolute.

Anyone have any experience with these? It will be for a home/vehicle kit so I'm not worried about size/weight.

Yes I realize that the lifestraw family filters to a greater degree, but would you really need that level or would the First Need be sufficient?
Posted By: coyotebc

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/22/13 02:22 AM

Randy
I just bought two lifestraws (1 for my brother)
We plan to put them in our day packs
I figured for $20 I had to get one

Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/23/13 01:46 AM

Thanks Bill.
Posted By: coyotebc

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/23/13 06:34 PM

Randy
I am doing an overnight sasquatch trip mid December
If I have time AND remember I will do a mini review
But no promises
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/23/13 09:21 PM

Thanks Bill. That would be nice. IF you see Bigfoot, I hope he's friendly!
Posted By: coyotebc

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/24/13 08:38 PM

Randy
The lifestraws I bought are good for 264 gallons and filter down to 0.2 microns
Not sure if the lifestraw family 1.0 uses a different type of filter material
Originally Posted by SkunkHunter
OK, question. What do you experts think of these filters/purifiers.

LifeStraw Family 1.0- says it filters down to 0.02 micron

First Need XL Elite- says it filters down to 0.1 micron normal and 0.4 absolute.

Anyone have any experience with these? It will be for a home/vehicle kit so I'm not worried about size/weight.

Yes I realize that the lifestraw family filters to a greater degree, but would you really need that level or would the First Need be sufficient?
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/24/13 08:50 PM

The lifestraw 1.0 is billed as a "Family" filtration device. It has a 2lit "bucket" with a prefilter you pour water into and it is gravity fed down to the actual filter by a long tube.

Here is the site where you can read about the lifestraw and lifestraw family 1.0.

http://eartheasy.com/lifestraw-family-1-0
Posted By: coyotebc

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/25/13 12:52 AM

I knew the difference Randy that is why I pointed out that what I may be reviewing is a different model
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 11/25/13 01:01 AM

Yeah I knew you knew there was a difference. I am actually thinking about both.

How are you and Pauline doing, has she heard any more about her hearing? How's the girls?
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 05/28/14 07:57 PM

I wound up getting a Sawyer mini filter. Supposed to be good for 100K GALLONS!

I am also thinking about getting a Berky sport bottle filter and rigging it up to remove heavy metals and offensive tastes from the water if need be. The bag I found to hold my filter, the bag and back flushing device and rubber straw still has room for the Berky filter as well!
Posted By: Endeavour Morse

Re: Water purification/filtration - 05/28/14 08:15 PM

I have a Berkey Sports Bottle. Its a nice way to carry extra (unfiltered) water that can be used later.
Posted By: Ishikawa

Re: Water purification/filtration - 05/29/14 01:43 AM

Sat next to one of the owners of Sawyer on my way down to Colombia a couple weeks ago. Seems like a good product. I want to get one.
Posted By: JarheadJournalist

Re: Water purification/filtration - 05/29/14 04:08 AM

All four humanitarian/disaster relief missions I have been a part of we flew/shipped in tons of bleach. We handed it out in places like Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines etc .. you get the picture, 3rd world places. We gave them a 5 gallon bucket and told them to fill it with water and add a cap of bleach and let it sit for a few hours. It seemed to work well as none of the locals we gave it to were coming down with the parasites and other ickys as other villages farther away. We also advised them to boil the water when they could instead of the bleach, but fuel was scarce, so I don't many did.

In other places, missions my friends were on like the tsunami in Japan where the water was contaminated not infected, they gave them buckets with holes in the bottom and showed them how to make filters by filling it with layers of different size rocks, pebbles and sand.

We are regularly issued Aquamira Frontier Pro straw like filters, but I have never had to use them. I just grab a fresh bottle of water for the pallet. wink


We all had Aquamira Frontier Pro straw like filters issued.
Posted By: SkunkHunter

Re: Water purification/filtration - 05/29/14 05:09 AM

Yeah I want to get a couple of those Aquamira filters too.
Posted By: RN

Re: Water purification/filtration - 05/29/14 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Ishikawa
Sat next to one of the owners of Sawyer on my way down to Colombia a couple weeks ago. Seems like a good product. I want to get one.


Where were you off to Max? you going on a regular basis? If so, could I mooch a little coffee please? smile You would be a hero to my wife!
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