So, there's a few options in their product line up. What's the hot ticket, buy once, get everything you need, w/o getting a bunch of junk you don't, kit? There's just the filters, two bag kits in 4l and 2l (gravity jobs?), the squeeze filter kit, the point zero two purifier, the point one inline filter w/ quick connect, etc..etc..


I guess product two cover two scenarios - filter water for a group and/or solo needs.

thanks,
BM

I'm loving the Squeeze kit right now. Three ounces gets you a water bottle and a filter. The nozzle can be removed and a hose attached to use it as a gravity filter. Add a big Platypus to the intake end and you'd have yourself a fast gravity filter.

How much water stuff do you already own? You can buy just the cartridge (SP122), which has the quick-connect fittings, and craft your own system from existing bits. You'll need a raw water bag and hose and if going out for an extended time, a clean water bag with quick connect and stout enough to use for backflushing. Gravity is the way to go for groups.

The bottle filter (SP149) can be adapted to gravity, again with a raw water bag, and is the easiest to use on the trail. Finally, it's looking like the Squeeze can be adapted to gravity as well; for soloing the existing kit is quite adequate.

Among them, the very simplest option is the SP122.

Cheers,

Actually, I don't currently own any water filtration gear. I've always camped at campgrounds that had drinking water on tap, or packed all my water with me..

Now that I've been looking more, the squeeze kit seems to be the easiest complete setup...

thanks,
BM

Squeeze filter with back-up bags! Those raw water bags are more fragile than they should be. Still, you can cycle a lot of water through the filter, and either set up for gravity feed, or as a squeeze system, you can handle groups as well.

Ive had some experience using sawyer 3-way inline water filter.

HERE: http://www.rei.com/product/801824/sawyer-3-way-inline-water-filter

it filters down to .1 microns which is more than enough to filter out all bacteria.

I keep mine attached to my hose on my platypus hydration pouch. All i do is fill the platypus with water and sip on the hose and it filters as you drink. The flow rate is excellent and NO pumping.

I also use it as a gravity filter. just remove the hose mouthpiece and gravity takes hold. Filtered enough water for 4 people in just a few minutes.


the filter only weighs 2 ounces, advertised, however when i weighed mine it was 3.70 oz, but I think it was because the filter had a little water still in it from when i used it previously.

Its not a ceramic filter so its not nearly as fragile.

I dig it! saved my butt from stanky buggy debri-filled water loads of times, i even bring it for simple day trips since its so light.

No carbon filter, but so far everything that has come through the .1 micron has had better flavor than what comes out of my faucet at home.

Overall:

How it can be used:

-drink through a straw straight from source.
-drink through hydration tube/bladder
-Gravity filter from hydration bladder
-connect faucet adapter to filter from faucet


weighs 2oz

not a brittle ceramic filter

easy to clean




the only downside is that i wish it wasn't so bulky, but it is still smaller than any hand pump filter or other gravity filter I have come across.

Edited by surfingdwedge on 11/01/2011 16:54:15 MDT.

Vote #2 for the Sawyer inline. I have it hacked into the tube of a Dromedary Lite with hydration kit. It's already set up in a way that can be used as a gravity filter. For linger trips, the Drom will be the raw bag.

UM -- Walmart has a suck bottle version. The filter can also be used in-line. The filter life is much lower than the other in-line filters they sell.

hi,

i just picked up the gravity filter kit with two reservoirs. it includes a hose to use as a hydration pack, but no bite valve. the tube is a narrower diameter than the one other bite valve i have (osprey hydrapak). i am wondering if the osprey design is unusually large or if sawyer's is smaller than normal diameter.

it would also be great if it had an additional length of hose with some quick release adapters installed. as is, the hydration pack option is not usable, which is disappointing on a bit a kit costing over $100. is there somewhere to get more of the male/female quick release hose adapters?

I have the SP122 and also wanted extra male and female quick connectors and found the best place to buy them was from :
U.S. Plastic, Lima, Ohio

Female Connector
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23885&catid=926&clickid=partnumber&partnumber=60464

Male Connector part number: 60466

I also bought the 90 degree connector part number: 64666

That web page will list all the connectors that fit 1/4" hose for the SP122.

BTW..... the hose that is used on the SP122 is food grade and also available from U.S. Plastic.

1/4" hose part number: 57220 (same hose that came stock on my SP122)

If you decide to buy from U.S. Plastic .. keep the merchandise total purchase $24.99 or less, shipping should be $4.99. The reason::: shipping cost jumps out of site the minute you hit $25.00 .. I played with it and shipping jumped to $9.40 just by adding .01 to the mercnadise total ... ridiculous

Hope this helps .. I spent a lot of time trying to find this info in 2009 when I bought my SP122. I have rigged my SP122 just about every way I could think of .. the extra connectors worked out perfectly.

Edited by petenoton on 11/07/2011 18:42:38 MST.