I could use some help deciding on which water filter to buy.

[bobby49]

Before you spend too much time deciding on a water filter, first you want to understand the risks in open water. Traditionally, backpackers were concerned about Giardia lamblia, which can make you sick, but it isn't going to kill you (you may feel like you want to die!). Any good filter should be able to handle that. Then there are organic wastes and chemical pollutants, and often they need to be treated with chemicals such as chlorine or iodine. So, you need to understand the risks of the specific area where you operate. Boiling water will mitigate many risks, but that uses a lot of fuel.

Years ago I was on foot in the Mount Everest region of Nepal. Some people were actually drinking the water in the rivers, even though they were downstream from villages that had no sanitation. By the end of the trip, I was the only Westerner in my group who had not gotten sick from the water.

[Rockyroad]

I've been using the Peak series filter for two full years now. It just died on my last trip.

I find it performs better than Sawyer Mini with regard to flow rate but worse than a Sawyer Squeeze...

Thanks for the detailed comparison. Very informative.

I've been using a steripen for over 10 years (much easier than the MSR pump before that) but was interested in a mini filter for international travel and potentially replacing my steripen if it ever dies. So far no issues at all with the steripen.

I did end up purchasing the Lifestraw Peak Solo for an Asia trip. Nothing to report yet except that not all plastic bottles fit. I must have tried about 5-6 different bottles until I found one with matching threads.So not all bottles use the same threads as Smartwater.

[Schleppy]

I did end up purchasing the Lifestraw Peak Solo for an Asia trip. Nothing to report yet except that not all plastic bottles fit. I must have tried about 5-6 different bottles until I found one with matching threads.So not all bottles use the same threads as Smartwater.

Good to know. I'd have just assumed those threads were relatively universal. I've used it with Smartwater bottles, a Coke bottle, some Sawyer bags, an and a BeFree soft bottle (with adapter). I also usually set up a gravity system in camp using the peak with two 2L Platy bottles and a Sawyer coupler.

The Steripen looks great and I have friends who love them. I've just never come around to trying one. The only time I've heard complaints about them is when one must drink poopy water. It may be safe, but still tastes like cow dung.

Three filters have catastrophically failed on me in the field, and the Peak Solo is one of them. One of the rubbery string filaments inside busted and was hanging out. Exact same thing happened with a BeFree filter. Lastly, a Sawyer Squeeze cracked at the threads.

People allegedly go five years with a Sawyer Squeeze, so I might just be too hard on filters or back flush too aggressively. Not sure, but it's why I carry a couple of small dropper bottles with Aquamira A/B as a back up. Enough to treat 1 gallon or a bit more if it's not too suspect. I also keep 5ml of bleach in my kit for other reasons which could be used in a pinch. Never needed that though.

[Wandering Daisy]

For emergency cases, the chlorine tablets weigh less because they do not need bottles. I almost exclusively use chlorine tablets.

[Wandering Daisy]

Evidently there is algae out there now that is very toxic. Does anyone know what is needed to treat that water, or if it is treatable at all? Also, is it easily recognizable so one can avoid it?

As for chlorine tablets, it takes 4 hours to totally treat the water that includes killing viruses. Viruses are more of a problem with urban water, not water in the wilderness. If giardia is your main concern, then half hour is enough, however the water will taste strongly of chlorine. Exposing partially treated water to air seems to dissipate the chlorine taste a bit. Sometimes I really need a drink before 4 hours are up, so I will take a sip or two and put up with the taste. I do not think it is healthy to regularly drink chlorine treated water before it neutralizes. I have heard that vitamin-C will neutralize, but not sure if that was for iodine treated water or chlorine.

One advantage of any filter is that the water usually tastes better. Taste is not considered a water-treatment requirement in municipal supplies. Interestingly, runoff from cattle grazing is less likely to be harmful than horse grazing. I am always very careful where horses are used to be sure there are no upstream sources of contamination. Be careful on trail switchbacks.

[rayfound]

This video series was interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... adz7uM5hEi

Does a nice job detailing various log-reduction claims and certifications from various filters, also details other sterilization methods.

[Schleppy]

This video series was interesting:
Does a nice job detailing various log-reduction claims and certifications from various filters, also details other sterilization methods.

Wow. Great series. Thanks.

Evidently there is algae out there now that is very toxic. Does anyone know what is needed to treat that water, or if it is treatable at all? Also, is it easily recognizable so one can avoid it?

Evidently activated carbon is the way to go for treatment. The stuff that makes you sick is the chemical produced by the bacteria that thrive in the algae, so basically it requires something to get chemicals out. I know Hydroblu and Lifestraw make carbon filters that screw onto the various standard Sawyer style filters, and Platypus has something for inline use. No personal experience though.
Part 5 of the series @rayfound references also gets pretty deep into carbon filters.

I’m not sure how to recognize it. Sounds like it’s only a problem with significant amounts blue-green algae.
Here’s a video I found informative. At 19:40, he references a lake basin that I think many people on this forum will be familiar with.
https://youtu.be/iewOm6BNPs0

As for chlorine tablets, it takes 4 hours to totally treat the water that includes killing viruses. Viruses are more of a problem with urban water, not water in the wilderness. If giardia is your main concern, then half hour is enough, however the water will taste strongly of chlorine. Exposing partially treated water to air seems to dissipate the chlorine taste a bit. Sometimes I really need a drink before 4 hours are up, so I will take a sip or two and put up with the taste. I do not think it is healthy to regularly drink chlorine treated water before it neutralizes. I have heard that vitamin-C will neutralize, but not sure if that was for iodine treated water or chlorine.

Here’s a blot post regarding the practical application of Aquamira (chlorine dioxide) for field use. More or less coincides with your application of tablets.
https://andrewskurka.com/aquamira-why-w ... we-use-it/

[wildhiker]

@Schleppy - thanks for the link to the video on cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) toxic blooms in wilderness lakes. Very informative. And yikes! I've camped very close to the two lakes in the Hoover Wilderness 20 Lakes Basin that he mentions where this toxic algae has been found. Fortunately, I didn't drink from those two lakes. While watching this video, one of the Youtube recommendations on the right was a short video from the Michigan Department of Environment that describes how to recognize these toxic algae blooms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Es9IqHECaE
Basically, if the stuff we call algae in the lake or stream holds together as stringy material when you try to pull it out with a stick, then it is NOT cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria mats break up into little particles when disturbed with a stick (don't use your hands!).
-Phil

[Schleppy]

Very helpful. Thanks @wildhiker. It's hard to tell how much concern is warranted, but I'm happy to know more about what to look for. If you had drank from one of those Hoover lakes but from clear part of it, would you have been ok? I don't know. I suppose like most things, it's all just risk mitigation and not elimination.

I guess there's nothing algae about it, huh? I thought the bacteria fed on the algae but it's just photosynthetic bacteria with a deceptive common name– due to it's appearance no doubt. The term "algae bloom" would be more appropriately substituted with "bacterial colonial aggregate." But if it quacks like a duck...

....a video I found informative. At 19:40, he references a lake basin that I think many people on this forum will be familiar with.
https://youtu.be/iewOm6BNPs0

The Hoover wilderness basin mention is at 6:40. My mistake.