Person filtering water from Sawyer squeeze into Jetboil stove Photo credit: Josh Kirchner
Person filtering water from Sawyer squeeze into Jetboil stove Photo credit: Josh Kirchner

Sometimes the simplest water filter designs can be the best

This is probably my favorite way of filtering water, just because of the simplicity that it offers. When there is ample water available, I use a product called a Sawyer Squeeze. There is nothing fancy about this method. You fill up a bag with dirty water, screw on the filter, much like you would put a lid on a bottle, squeeze the water in the bag through the filter and into your bladder or bottle. That’s it. Easy, very lightweight (3 ounces), and effective. Another very similar filter is a gravity type system. It’s pretty much the same concept without the squeezing. You have a dirty bag that is filled with dirty water. There is a hose that is attached to the bottom of the bag that leads to a filter. With the natural force of gravity, the water flows through the filter into another hose (clean) and into your bladder or bottle. It is a slick and easy system. The one downside of both of these filters is that you cannot let them freeze with excess water inside of them. Doing this will cause the filter to crack and let contaminants through. An easy way to remedy this is to just shake the remaining water out of the filter and put it in your sleeping bag with you.

June 22, 2018

Written by: Josh Kirchner, full article on gohunt.com

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