Water purifiers.

[creed_az_88]

So I'm in the market for a new water purifier. My question to all of you experienced backcountry hunters is, how important is it for your purifier to kill viruses? I am strongly considering an msr trail shot, which seems fairly new to the market. It appears to have everything I would want in a purifier except, like many other purifiers, it kills everything but viruses. What are you guys using?

[Lv2hnt]

I got to hunt with Randy a couple seasons ago --- he spends more time in a variety of DYI hunts than anyone else I know. He just threw this comparison up on YouTube about water filtration systems you can buy (good info):

[creed_az_88]

That's a good comparison. Those gravity feed systems kind of scare me here in the desert just because of the depth of water needed to dip a bag into. Im still wondering though, is it necessary to have a purifier that kills viruses. Like is there some nasty viruses hanging out in the dirt cattle tank or elk wallow that I might have to filter from that can ruin my hunt?

[oz31p]

I filter almost all of my backcountry water through a gravity sawyer from very dirt cow tanks. My set up rolls up in the bottom half of an old water bottle so I scoop with the water bottle half.

[HUNTnTAT2]

My Sawyer mini has done me very well while backpack hunting. I've only used it in a remote spring that is pretty deep. A pump style would probably be better for those puddles. All depends on what the country has to offer you. I always pack in at least a gallon and my bladder full just in case

[1denogean]

man its super scary doing that here, I knew a person that got a near death from getting water out of a cattle tank that's something I will never do

[creed_az_88]

Hey denogean did he filter the water first and still get sick?

[Jazz]

Katydyn Hiker Pro- which is just stellar.

 

As a backup, I have a Geigerrig hydration pack with a in-line virus filter.

[wildwoody]

I purchased one o of campfire.com and it uses inferred about $40.00

[brademan76]

I've used the hanging katadyn on an 8-day hunt in back country AK for 4 guys.The water we were starting with was seemingly very clean already, but the filter was pretty clogged by the end and was trickling through very slowly. I think it comes with a pump to push water back through the filter to clean it out, but we didn't bring it. Will in the future, though.

[dmoto]

I've been using a MSR Miniworks since 1999. Works great, never an illness or a breakdown of the pump. Just gotta keep the filter clean.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Me and my buddy have filtered some very questionable water out in the woods and never had any issues. I know of trail ultra runners who use only the life straw and run 200 miles through the woods and no issues. I don't see a need for virus. Use commun sense on water source, if there's anima scat all over don't use it. Or carry a steripen as well. We use msr sweetwater

[forepaw]

You should always disinfect water from backcountry sources. Filtration is just the first step (though some units do add a low level of chemical disinfection using a silver iodide compound which eventually becomes depleted). It is easy to do and provides a significantly increased level of protection that will allow you to keep hunting effectively. Just carry either fresh, unscented household bleach (add 5 drops from an eyedropper per gallon, let sit for 1/2 hr. before drinking) or use Iodine tablets from REI or wherever you shop for outdoor gear. Same deal, 1/2 hr. contact time and be sure and rinse the threads and cap of your containers with the treated water.

 

It is pretty hard to find a pristine water source these days. Polio, hepatitis, multiple types of enterovirus, and others, are still with us.

 

forepaw

[Curtis Reed]

i have a regular and mini sawyer squeeze. they are the bees knees when you replace the bags with nalgene bags

[n2horns]

Mini Sawyer with drops/tablets. I have a MSR dromedary lite that i fill with dirty water and table/drop treat first and carry while it treats, then filter that into another clean bag. There are a ton of water/filter threads on rokslide.