Purification

[Gwhtbushcraft]

I am after a water purifier to use on the move (not a millbank bag) but do not Know what to get. My budget is about £50; can anyone recommend me a purifier? I have looked at the katadyn mini and the msr mini works does any one have any experience on either of these filters.
Thanks
George

P.S I will probably import from the states

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

I forgot to add I need one that doesn’t make the water to taste of chemicals

 

[leon-b]

do you really need one ?? wouldnt a millbank bag and boiling suffice ??
leon

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

do you really need one ?? wouldnt a millbank bag and boiling suffice ??
leon

Thanks Leon but I am doing a trip where I will need to filter on the go and will not have a chance to boil. I will take a millbank bag as well for use at base camp.

 

[Geuf]

I had some experience with the WaterWorks® EX Microfilter . It worked quite fine. But it had a downside of clogging really fast. We used it mainly at boggy and peat lakes with lots of nasty stuff in it.
I havent actually got any reference material, since thats the only type and place I ever used it.

 

[bikething]

this thread might help...click me

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

I had some experience with the WaterWorks® EX Microfilter . It worked quite fine. But it had a downside of clogging really fast. We used it mainly at boggy and peat lakes with lots of nasty stuff in it.
I havent actually got any reference material, since thats the only type and place I ever used it.

I am tempted by this filter. Does it remove viruses? The water will be fairly clear anyway so clogging would not be a problem

this thread might help...click me

Thank you there’s some interesting stuff on there but really I need someone who has experienced them and can tell me how good a job they do.

:You_Rock_

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

Does anyone have any info on the katadyn?

 

[Ahjno]

Does anyone have any info on the katadyn?

Drop PC2K a line if he doesn't respond in this thread, he knows a fair amount about filters etc. (also wrote an article for Outdoor-Magazine recently).

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

Thankyou i will do that

 

[leon-1]

Does anyone have any info on the katadyn?

Which Katadyn??

I have the mini and it's a good filter, it is not however a purifier (neither are the pocket or exped filters), so if you have not the time to boil, then chemical purification is going to be the way to go.

That I am aware of all of the Katadyn silver impregnated ceramic filters will filter down to 0.2 micron.
The mini Kat has a filter life of approximately 7,000 liters and the pocket filter an approximate life of 50,000 liters. flow rates are 0.5 litre and 1 litre a minute for the mini and the pocket filter respectively.

For both you can get replacement filters and both are field cleanable. Maintenance is a doddle.

If you are looking at just drinking on the move then a Katadyn bottle may be worth looking into, they make them in 2 sizes and although I have only ever used one once they have been highly recommended to me before now.

I would go into the benefits of the exped model, but I think it may be a bit overkill and I think the cost may seem prohibitive (especially if you have a £50 budget).

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

So the katadyn mini is not actually a purifyer then? Is the miniworks?

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

Any info on the miniworks?

 

[tetra_neon]

I'd recommend the AquaStar UV http://www.uvaquastar.com/

lightweight, fast, foolproof and within your price range.

Some long term use reviews here:
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Water%20Treatment/Ultraviolet/AquaStar%20Plus%20Water%20Purifier/

I've used one on a long weekend trip and I was really impressed. I'm thinking about hiking in Spain over the summer, so i'll get my own at some point. Doesn't really sit well with the beardy bushcrafty ethos, but its just more convenient than anything else i've seen.

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

another to add to the comparison chart.
Anything on the miniworks?

 

[littlebiglane]

I think I have done the whole thing with purifiers and filters. Spent and wasted far too much money. I have used most on the market. If your water is fairly clear then I would use a Millbank and this http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Water Treatment/Chemical Treatment/AquaMira Water Treatment/

Available in plenty of places including Cotswold Outdoors. Does not taste of chlorine. In fact it can improve the taste of 'earthy' water. At about a tenner it will save you 40 quid and much space and weight in your pack.

 

[leon-1]

another to add to the comparison chart.
Anything on the miniworks?

Last time I checked the miniworks was a filter not a purifier. You can chlorinate (or whatever chemical treatment you wish to use) before or after filtering the water. The mini works has a faster flow rate than the Katadyn Mini, but the cartridge life is only approx 2,000 liters.

They are without a doubt one of the best filters you can buy, they are popular with pretty much anyone who has ever used one and some units in the forces are issued with variants of it.

Pre Macs are one of the few that sterilise and filter water at the same time, there is a residual taste from the iodine base though and to be honest I think they are very expensive for what they are. But as mentioned before don't write of the Katadyn Bottle as they are both filter and steriliser (purifier).

If you are going to get the use out of it then go with either the Katadyn or the MSR, if you are not going to be using it after the one trip look at a pre mac.

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

Thanks im glad i asked. Does anyone know of a pump that filters an purifies the water without an after taste? If i nuked the water before filtering it would the katadyn remove the taste? All suggestions welcome.
George

 

[leon-1]

Thanks im glad i asked. Does anyone know of a pump that filters an purifies the water without an after taste? If i nuked the water before filtering it would the katadyn remove the taste? All suggestions welcome.
George

The miniworks can be bought with a activated carbon filter that removes the taste of chlorination.

I tend to use a little vitamin c added to the water and that masks the taste quite effectively.

I cannot think about too many other options that you have, I had a thought about one other purifier (it is a filter, but they class it as a purifier) try doing a search for First Need Deluxe. I think the company that sells them are called General Ecology. They are EPA certified, but I personally have no experience of them so I cannot comment on how effective they are.

They have a phenomenal flow rate (1.7 liters per minute), but they are limited by their capacity, which is about 125 gallons. IIRC they cost about £50, but don't quote me on that. They are not brilliantly well known in this country, but once again thye have got a very good reputation.

I hope this helps,

Leon

Oh well couldn't resist tracking them down, here's a link

 

[Purity]

I forgot to add I need one that doesn’t make the water to taste of chemicals

Hi George

Firstly a 'Filter' no matter how small the mesh is exactly that and will not purify your water. You will need to use a chemical treatment as well. My personal advice is to use an Iodine based one as they are more effective than Chlorine over a greater range of water conditions and Ph ranges.(There are other reasons why I would make this chioce but this one is probably good enough as a generallity) Some have suggested boiling after filtration which is OK provided you reach a rolling boil for several minutes but also remember there is no protection from recontamination from your container/reservoir etc so don't expect it to keep.

A Purifier generally incorporates filtration and purification but provides a one process solution. However it will generally leave a small biocide residual in the water for safety but less than from using a tablet or tincture for treatment.

NB To give you rule of thumb on filtration - if you think of cyst as a football and bacteria as a tennis ball then a virus would be a pin head. There have been over 200 waterborne viruses identified last time I checked it out and a good few are potentially very nasty.

If you really can't take the taste you can either use a post filter just before drinking the water or there are tablets available which will mask/remove the flavour. I don't use them personally but I am sure others on this thread can advise from experience and I see that some advice has already appeared on that one.

My last piece of advice is to spend wisely and know exactly what you are getting for your money. If you are not sure about a particular product contact the manufacturers direct but be very specific about any worries you might have. If they are confident about their products and want your business they will go out of their way to provide you with an equally specific reply not just a brochure.