Water Filters

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Water Filters

Post by AlmostThere »

longri wrote:
overheadx2 wrote:One trip to the stream gave us enough water for cooking dinner and breakfast for seven.
Is this in the Sierra? If so I'm curious, why bother to filter water for cooking?
I filter water before putting it on the stove so I don't have to boil - just heat the water to the desired temp for drinking. If heating to rehydrate something, I boil it so don't filter it. The difference may be miniscule in terms of fuel efficiency but sometimes that matters.
User avatar
overheadx2
Topix Expert
Posts: 579
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:08 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: huntington beach

Re: Water Filters

Post by overheadx2 »

To be honest, I always thought that water needed to be boiled for ten min to be safe. Don't know where I got that from, but have always filtered water that wasn't going to go past a light boil. Usually I barely get a boil going for oatmeal, coffee, tea or couscous, so have always filtered. Thanks for the input.
User avatar
overheadx2
Topix Expert
Posts: 579
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:08 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: huntington beach

Re: Water Filters

Post by overheadx2 »

I just looked at the wilderness medicine site, and it stated that effective water treatment with boiling is 1 min for every thousand feet of elevation. That would put the boiling time at 10 min for most trips. That seems very fuel inefficient. Is that time different for cleaner Sierra water? Phil
User avatar
longri
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1082
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:13 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Water Filters

Post by longri »

overheadx2 wrote:I just looked at the wilderness medicine site, and it stated that effective water treatment with boiling is 1 min for every thousand feet of elevation. That would put the boiling time at 10 min for most trips. That seems very fuel inefficient. Is that time different for cleaner Sierra water? Phil
That's an older, conservative recommendation.

Pasteurization at 89°C takes only 1 second. This corresponds to the boiling temperature of water at an alititude of about 11,000 feet. There is a time-temperature curve for killing water-borne pathogens and the time it takes to actually heat the water to boiling should be included in this analysis. The bottom line is that at any Sierra elevation, simply achieving a boil is sufficient.
Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines: For Wilderness Emergency Care
William W. Forgey
2006

Methods of Water Disinfection

Heat

As in pasteurization, temperatures above 160°F (70°C) kill all enteric pathogens within thirty minutes, and 185°F (85°C) is effective within a few minutes. Thus, disinfection occurs during the time required to heat water from 140°F (60°C) to boiling temperature, so any water brought to a boil, even at high altitudes, is safe.
User avatar
overheadx2
Topix Expert
Posts: 579
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:08 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: huntington beach

Re: Water Filters

Post by overheadx2 »

Good to know, thanks.
User avatar
sheperd80
Topix Regular
Posts: 167
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 1:17 pm
Experience: N/A

Post by sheperd80 »

I decided to grab a sawyer squeeze at rei. Seems like a great sytem. I like how light and versatile it is. Taking it up today for a test drive so we'll see if it replaces my katadyn permanently.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
User avatar
austex
Topix Expert
Posts: 552
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 11:51 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Austin, Texas

Re: Water Filters

Post by austex »

I've used mine 3 trips this year and like it alot. The big issue is filling the "dirty" bag. The hole is small in the top and does not fill quickly. I use my cup to scoop water and fill it. It does it's job of filtering fast.
User avatar
sheperd80
Topix Regular
Posts: 167
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 1:17 pm
Experience: N/A

Post by sheperd80 »

I got to use my sawyer this weekend and love it. I think ill do a video review. It is hands down the most useful and versatile system ive ever seen or used. In my opinion it beats any pump, gravity system, uv, straw, filter bottle, etc.

Filling the bags in still water took me a sec to figure out. Blow into it so it opens, slightly squeeze the edges inward so it holds its open shape, submerge. It fills up just like a hard plastic bottle in seconds. Works great.

There are so many ways to use it im never going back! I could ramble for hours about this thing im totally sold.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
User avatar
ManOfTooManySports
Topix Regular
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:58 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Water Filters

Post by ManOfTooManySports »

This last trip we used a Sawyer with their 4 liter bag. It was a bit of a pain to fill if there wasn't water flowing off a rock. Then I got smart and realized that if used as a scoop the pot I was going to be cooking in anyway, all problems were solved. For one fill up we had to use cheesecloth as a filter, but that really wasn't a big deal.

What I really liked was that with two bags of water, we were done for the evening, for the morning, and for filling Camelbaks. Plus, it was as fast and easy as advertised (no really, I'm not a shill for Sawyer). We got quick releases with valves for the Camelbaks, which turned out to be a boon because for the first time we didn't have the bite valves getting squished and water running into our packs. Also, filling up the Camelbaks was ridiculously easy.

This was waaaaay better than pumping!
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Water Filters

Post by rlown »

what can i say.. from what i saw and your report.. :thumbsup:
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests