Let's start with a photo to illustrate what we're doing here:
What you can see in the above photo is a Sawyer Mini filtration system hooked up inline on a Camelbak Stoaway 3 Litre (105oz) bladder.
This means that the bladder can be filled with dirty water, and the user can simply drink the filtered (clean) water from the bite valve as usual.
To make your own Universal Inline Water Filter Adapter you will need the following:
1) A water bladder with compatible "Quick Link" connectors (or you can buy one which doesn't and buy Camelbak's Quick Link Conversion Kit for a couple of quid)
2) A ~6" length of compatible pipe (comes with the Sawyer Mini, but you could also buy a spare Camelbak pipe - without connectors - for a couple of quid) which you will cut down to 2-3" lengths.
3) A Camelbak Quick Link Conversion Kit
Now here's how it's done:
First, take the ~6" length of pipe and cut it in half (in fact, you can cut it down so that it's just long enough for the insert length of the Quick Link connector plus about an inch, I'd say 2" as an absolute minimum).
Now, depending on the type of pipe you're using... you may want to boil the kettle, let it cool for about 30 seconds, drop your cut pipe lengths into a cup and pour the hot water over them. Let them soak for a minute or so, then remove each one (which should now be softer, and easier for the shunt on the reverse of each Quick Link connector to push into).
Insert (into just one end of each of the two pieces) one of the Quick Link Connectors.
You should now have two small pieces of pipe, each with one open end and a connector on the other (one being the male, the other a female).
These two pieces of pipe are your Universal Filter Adapter. If you have a filter like the Sawyer Mini, you want to take the male piece of pipe and attach it to the INPUT (uncapped) side of the filter. Take the female and attach it to the OUTPUT (capped) side of the filter. Clip the adapter's male connector into the bladder's female connector, then connect the bladder pipe's male connector into the adapter's female connector.
And now you have a super awesome inline filter on your bladder, congratulations!
Taking it a step further...
If you also buy a Camelbak HydroLink Adapter Kit, you can add the option to reverse-fill your bladder using your filter. This means that, rather than filling your bladder with dirty water, you can filter the dirty water externally, with the clean output piped directly into the bladder... avoiding the need to decontaminate the bladder.
If you look at the photograph at the top of this post, you'll notice that the bite valve (with its cap on) is connected up to a blue release connector which has a tap on it. This is the HydroLink Adapter.
To install the HydroLink adapter, you first want to pull the bite valve off the end of your bladder's pipe. With Camelbak bladders, just yank that thing off there!
Take exposed end of the pipe, and submerge about 4" of it in hot water (boiled kettle, poured into cup and allowed to cool for a minute or so) for about a minute.
Now take the female connector (the one with the tap on it) and push the shunt (with a slight twisting action) into the end of the pipe. To make the connection more solid, I recommend submerging this entire assembly (once fitted) into a cup of cold water to "stiffen" the pipe and contract it around the nodules on the shunt.
Fitting the male connector to the bite valve can be a bit more complicated. If you don't have a cap, then simply soak the bite valve in the boiled hot water exactly as you've done with the end of the pipe previously... then insert the shunt of the male connector into the pipe opening on the bite valve, and drench in cold water to make the connection more solid.
If your bite valve has a cap (and you wish to keep the cap), you will need to cut the collar off the base of the cap (where the pipe runs into the cap) using a sharp knife. Cut it right up to the base of the collar.
Now insert the bite valve through the inside of the cap (so the pipe opening is sticking through the hole where the pipe used to run). You might want to use a chopstick (or similar) to splay open the pipe section as it has a tendency to form a small fold (it's a tight fitting).
Now, while pressing down on the top of the bite valve as much as you can, wiggle the male connector's shunt into the base of the bite valve. This can be quite tricky, and might take you many attempts. Be patient/persistent and eventually you'll get it done.
Now take the entire capped bite valve assembly and submerge it in cold water for a good few minutes to ensure the connection is solid (wouldn't want that awkwardness coming apart on you and having to struggle through it all over again).
Okay, so assuming my instructions made sense (it's simple enough to figure out anyway) you will now have a bladder pipe with a tapped socket on the end, and a bite valve with a plug on it. I'm sure you can figure out how that bit works
Now, even though the Universal Filter Adapter already provides you with a small section of pipe with a male connector on it, you're going to want to use a separate short length of pipe, and the special filter connector provided as part of your HyrdoLink Adapter kit. That's because the male section of your Universal Filter Adapter is contaminated with dirty water once used as part of an inline filtration setup.
Reverse-filling your bladder
Unclip the bite valve section.
Take your special plug-fitted hose (for clean water) and attach it to the OUTPUT side of your filter.
Connect the filter up to whatever dirty source water it uses (for the Sawyer that would be either the provided dirty water bag, or any compatible bottle... other filters may simply provide pumps and pipes) and pump/squeeze/gravity-drop the dirty water through your filter, so that the clean water comes out through your pipe, into your bladder's pipe, and (inevitably) fills up your bladder.
I hope you find this information useful, and enjoy
What you can see in the above photo is a Sawyer Mini filtration system hooked up inline on a Camelbak Stoaway 3 Litre (105oz) bladder.
This means that the bladder can be filled with dirty water, and the user can simply drink the filtered (clean) water from the bite valve as usual.
To make your own Universal Inline Water Filter Adapter you will need the following:
1) A water bladder with compatible "Quick Link" connectors (or you can buy one which doesn't and buy Camelbak's Quick Link Conversion Kit for a couple of quid)
2) A ~6" length of compatible pipe (comes with the Sawyer Mini, but you could also buy a spare Camelbak pipe - without connectors - for a couple of quid) which you will cut down to 2-3" lengths.
3) A Camelbak Quick Link Conversion Kit
Now here's how it's done:
First, take the ~6" length of pipe and cut it in half (in fact, you can cut it down so that it's just long enough for the insert length of the Quick Link connector plus about an inch, I'd say 2" as an absolute minimum).
Now, depending on the type of pipe you're using... you may want to boil the kettle, let it cool for about 30 seconds, drop your cut pipe lengths into a cup and pour the hot water over them. Let them soak for a minute or so, then remove each one (which should now be softer, and easier for the shunt on the reverse of each Quick Link connector to push into).
Insert (into just one end of each of the two pieces) one of the Quick Link Connectors.
You should now have two small pieces of pipe, each with one open end and a connector on the other (one being the male, the other a female).
These two pieces of pipe are your Universal Filter Adapter. If you have a filter like the Sawyer Mini, you want to take the male piece of pipe and attach it to the INPUT (uncapped) side of the filter. Take the female and attach it to the OUTPUT (capped) side of the filter. Clip the adapter's male connector into the bladder's female connector, then connect the bladder pipe's male connector into the adapter's female connector.
And now you have a super awesome inline filter on your bladder, congratulations!
Taking it a step further...
If you also buy a Camelbak HydroLink Adapter Kit, you can add the option to reverse-fill your bladder using your filter. This means that, rather than filling your bladder with dirty water, you can filter the dirty water externally, with the clean output piped directly into the bladder... avoiding the need to decontaminate the bladder.
If you look at the photograph at the top of this post, you'll notice that the bite valve (with its cap on) is connected up to a blue release connector which has a tap on it. This is the HydroLink Adapter.
To install the HydroLink adapter, you first want to pull the bite valve off the end of your bladder's pipe. With Camelbak bladders, just yank that thing off there!
Take exposed end of the pipe, and submerge about 4" of it in hot water (boiled kettle, poured into cup and allowed to cool for a minute or so) for about a minute.
Now take the female connector (the one with the tap on it) and push the shunt (with a slight twisting action) into the end of the pipe. To make the connection more solid, I recommend submerging this entire assembly (once fitted) into a cup of cold water to "stiffen" the pipe and contract it around the nodules on the shunt.
Fitting the male connector to the bite valve can be a bit more complicated. If you don't have a cap, then simply soak the bite valve in the boiled hot water exactly as you've done with the end of the pipe previously... then insert the shunt of the male connector into the pipe opening on the bite valve, and drench in cold water to make the connection more solid.
If your bite valve has a cap (and you wish to keep the cap), you will need to cut the collar off the base of the cap (where the pipe runs into the cap) using a sharp knife. Cut it right up to the base of the collar.
Now insert the bite valve through the inside of the cap (so the pipe opening is sticking through the hole where the pipe used to run). You might want to use a chopstick (or similar) to splay open the pipe section as it has a tendency to form a small fold (it's a tight fitting).
Now, while pressing down on the top of the bite valve as much as you can, wiggle the male connector's shunt into the base of the bite valve. This can be quite tricky, and might take you many attempts. Be patient/persistent and eventually you'll get it done.
Now take the entire capped bite valve assembly and submerge it in cold water for a good few minutes to ensure the connection is solid (wouldn't want that awkwardness coming apart on you and having to struggle through it all over again).
Okay, so assuming my instructions made sense (it's simple enough to figure out anyway) you will now have a bladder pipe with a tapped socket on the end, and a bite valve with a plug on it. I'm sure you can figure out how that bit works
Now, even though the Universal Filter Adapter already provides you with a small section of pipe with a male connector on it, you're going to want to use a separate short length of pipe, and the special filter connector provided as part of your HyrdoLink Adapter kit. That's because the male section of your Universal Filter Adapter is contaminated with dirty water once used as part of an inline filtration setup.
Reverse-filling your bladder
Unclip the bite valve section.
Take your special plug-fitted hose (for clean water) and attach it to the OUTPUT side of your filter.
Connect the filter up to whatever dirty source water it uses (for the Sawyer that would be either the provided dirty water bag, or any compatible bottle... other filters may simply provide pumps and pipes) and pump/squeeze/gravity-drop the dirty water through your filter, so that the clean water comes out through your pipe, into your bladder's pipe, and (inevitably) fills up your bladder.
I hope you find this information useful, and enjoy
