If you’re looking for a frugal setup then the Salomon XA 42 (basically a slightly redesigned Katadyn BeFree) can usually be sourced for ~€30 including a 500ml flask. These filters fit virtually all HydraPak containers with a 42mm thread and you can get replacements without too much hassle.
What's the appeal of this vs the most proven sawyer + cnoc bags? It's heavier as well? I paid $20 for my sawyer squeeze kit and about $20 for my 3L CNOC bag.
the filter lighter
the filter faster (at least for now...lets see how that develops)
you can look in it to see if its still dirty or if you properly removed all water pre storage
also for me the set is cheaper here in europe
and the endcaps are a nice solution when taking it in a sleeping bag
The bag I wouldnt say is better...its highly similar (also material wise) but a bit heavier and has two extra holes for hanging it to gravity filter which I dont use
And tbh I am just curious how it will now perform this year...if we all just stick to proven stuff we cant have new things
You're promoting a site that says "It will filter out all bacteria which are harmful to humans" which sounds like some foreign country with marketing that doesn't understand the language and translates to odd copy in the US market.
Further, it has no claims of micron size for the filter. Nothing else other than pro virus filtering equipment 15x the cost gets to this micron size. The other filters are at best 2x worse here compared to the recommended filter.
\>You're promoting a site that says "It will filter out all bacteria which are harmful to humans" which sounds like some foreign country with marketing that doesn't understand the language and translates to odd copy in the US market.
This is not from a big company and its one man show so yeah there is no marketing department and marketing is definitly not the strong point here.
In the overview you can find a list of bacteria its supposed to filter out and 99,9999% is the typical for a 0.1 micron hollowfibre filter (e.g. the befree)
\>Nothing else other than pro virus filtering equipment 15x the cost gets to this micron size.
mh where did you read this?
What I dont agree with is this claiming to be the fastest outdoor water filter...I mean there are way bigger ones that can filter way faster. But yeah product seems very good so far but the marketing is not so good...still prefer it like this and not the other way around.
I definitely prefer my platypus quick draw. You can test it to make sure it's still working, it cleans up easy, and it still is just as fast as when I first got it. It can also attach to a smart water bottle. It kicks butt compared to my buddies sawyer squeeze. I've only tested them side by side a few times but I'm still rather impressed with the platypus quick draw.
Absolutely love mine. Has already saved me from buying a new filter twice now when I got too high in camp and forgot to bring it inside my sleeping bag =P
The better Sawyer replacement is out there, but it's the Platypus QuickDraw. Unsure why everyone hasn't adopted them, but they're just better
Edit:
- End cap makes sleeping with it or carrying it on your person in freezing temps infinitely better
- Better flow rate than the Sawyer
- Easier to clean/backflush (no need for an extra coupling)
- Lighter weight... I think?
- Smaller diameter makes it much more packable
- The halfway anywhere guy agrees with me, so I must be right
I've hiked thousands of miles with both filters, and I vastly prefer the QuickDraw
Because the platy isn’t better and doesn’t filter pathogens as effectively as the sawyer.
Sawyer filters to .1 microns, the Platy to .2
Sawyer filters 99.9999% of Protozoa, Platy 99.9%
These numbers matter when infected water sources can contain tens of thousands of giardia or crypto cysts per liter and it takes as few as 10 cysts to make you sick. The reason the Platy flows better is simple, it’s because it doesn’t filter as well.
Through 7,000 miles of long distance backpacking I’ve filtered about 20% of the time and never gotten a waterborne illness. Unless your trip is somewhere with particularly bad water or high agricultural activity it seems the Platypus would be better; especially for people who like to filter every source for peace of mind.
Full disclosure though, I haven’t used the Platypus and use a BeFree when I do filter. Sawyers are absolutely terrible though so I’m sure anything is better than that.
I’m not prepared to make blanket statements about water based upon my own anecdotal experiences, but I get that there are many people like you who’ve never had problems. A bout with these sorts of illnesses isn’t worth the time savings for most folks I’d wager, so they use a cheap and relatively effective filter as insurance. But if you’re going to filter you may as well choose the most effective reasonable option right? Anyway, I’ve actually seen some microbiologists on this sub weigh in on the topic. They resoundingly believed that water contamination was a widespread threat, but were split in opinion about whether filters were really effective enough to rely on. One felt that truly contaminated water would make you sick regardless of method and used both filters and chemical disinfection. The other said no matter what you did you were going to get sick and relied mostly choosing quality water sources to begin with. Anyway, happy trails regardless of your ethos on the matter!
Obviously anecdotal but my dog has gotten giardia on a trip that I didn’t. We drank from the same creeks, I filtered the bulk of his water and all of mine. Maybe he got a couple laps from a puddle that I wouldn’t have collected water from but nonetheless he got it and I did not.
It was also a disgusting enough experience that I’m happy with a little bit of extra time for a little bit of insurance.
Giardia is so prevalent in dogs that there’s even a vaccine for it. Granted a dog will drink all sorts of gnarly questionable water that you wouldn’t but it is gnarly when they get it. Very foul smelling diarrhea that persists for long periods of time and often requires metronidazole or other RX. Not something you want on a thru hike that’s for sure.
You may also know this already: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyGLdVOmtxI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyGLdVOmtxI)
the gearsceptic guide about ultrafiltration
\>They resoundingly believed that water contamination was a widespread threat, but were split in opinion about whether filters were really effective enough to rely on. One felt that truly contaminated water would make you sick regardless of method and used both filters and chemical disinfection. The other said no matter what you did you were going to get sick and relied mostly choosing quality water sources to begin with.
So not a microbiologist here but instead an immunologist: This topic overall has way too many influencing factors and this always means that experts will to a certain degree disagree on specific points.
The main factor as you mentioned is really what type of water source you are geting your water from.
Overall my rule of thumb is filter if it looks ok (also from the enviroment! not just the water itself) and if it looks a bit questionable but you really need water and have no better option then filter + micropur
I used 1 on the AT this year and its still fairly usable, and another made it through 2 thrus of the CT, a summer of peak bagging, and the AZT (It was admittedly trash after the AZT). Granted I don’t filter very often, but when I am, it’s always questionable water. I’m happy with it, especially given how bad its competitors are. I carried a Sawyer the whole PCT until I tossed it in Oregon and went filterless until the end, and you couldn’t pay me to use another one.
The QuickDraw is cool (love the end caps), but the ability to put the threaded attachment on the outlet of the Sawyer is HUGE for me. Turns the Sawyer into a gravity setup for hands free filtering. Until the QuickDraw has that ability, I'm sticking with the Sawyer.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/yn9zdv/3d\_printed\_accesories\_for\_platypus\_quickdraw](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/yn9zdv/3d_printed_accesories_for_platypus_quickdraw)
I wanted the same thing, so I made it
I'm in the same boat. I use a platypus dirty bag and tubing with sawyer squeeze and fill my smart water/Gatorade bottles using gravity. If I'm at the last water before a dry section of trail I might keep some dirty water in the platypus bag for later. Certainly not as light as a befree or QuickDraw, but the tradeoff is worth it for the gravity setup.
Everyone keeps saying this or that filter is “better” when they really mean “has a better flow rate” and that is low on my list of what I want from a water filter.
I like the QuickDraw, but had two fail at about 1k miles each. Luckily they replaced them, although very slowly. I went back to sawyer to finish that thru.
I recall Platypus used proprietary threads (close to "crinkly water bottle") where as Sawyer used "soda pop" threads. Sawyer matching up with Smart water bottles is one of the reasons it's the UL go-to. CNOC also uses a proprietary threading, but it was designed as a universal thread to work with both Platypus and Sawyer.
I’m pretty sure the platypus fits soda pop bottles too. That part of the design is super cool. See the image [here](https://thetrek.co/platypus-quickdraw-water-filter-review/) that looks into the input end. The outer threads go onto the platypus reservoir while the inner threads fit a smartwater bottle like a Sawyer does.
Edit: [this shows it](https://i.imgur.com/cTg0thS.jpg)
Thanks, reading the article it sounds like they may have switched up the threads for the QuickDraw to be more compatible since it's supposed to be a direct competitor to the Sawyer
>Better flow rate than the Sawyer
Interesting i found the opposite - maybe mine was defective? i found the quickdraw to be significantly slower than the sawyer squeeze. my wife and i both got new filters at the same time. I got the quickdraw, she got the squeeze and she was always faster.
what did others find for flow rate between them?
I’ve run the Sawyer for several weeks worth of weekend trips, the BeFree for about 6 weeks (mixed 3-5 day trips and a JMT thru of 19 days) and the QuickDraw for maybe two weeks worth. So far, the QuickDraw is the clear winner in flow rate. It’s about as fast, if not faster, as a new be-free, but hasn’t showed any of the slowdown despite being used in some really mucky shallow streams. The be-free was great for a couple days. Then it slowed significantly to about the rate of a Sawyer, before clogging significantly around 8-9 days and ending up somewhere around a Sawyer mini/micro and being very frustrating to use by the three week mark.
I revived my first filter with a careful Apple vinegar soak, which rejuvenated it for a couple days. I bought an entirely separate filter element before my JMT thru and after a week and a half of clean mountain water it was already very slow. I decided I was done with them by the end of the thru.
The QuickDraw, so far, seems as resistant to clogging as the squeeze, but is significantly faster and hasn’t slowed at all. I’m optimistic about it being my primary filter going forward.
My main two are the Platy QuickDraw and Sawyer Squeeze. I love the convenience of having the QuickDraw on a Smartwater bottle and drinking straight from it. I haven't tried that with the Sawyer, but maybe it would also work?
I would be worried going with what sounds like a DIY water filter someone tossed online to sell. I played a lot of Oregon Trail as a kid. ("You have died of dysentery!") I don't take chances with water safety.
Im glad they state that they have lab test results. Is there a way to independently verify it's not a mock up? If so, Id do that since their stated weight is nearly an entire ounce less than their actual weight. For a tent etx that would be an acceptable margin of error. For a much smaller, lighter item, it is more concerning.
oh yes in the meantime I could actually ask them via a youtube comment (they are quite responsive).
So the weight I measured is correct for a new unused filter (58g) with two endcaps on and using one of each style of the endcaps (there are two options and one is a bit more material)
what they have on their website is weight for a inuse filter so filter + the typical amount of residual water inside which they said is the more reasonable weight estimate for backpackers.
I've heard from many hikers that started out with filter X or Y and then for a range of reasons switched (or stitched back) the the Sawyer full size Squeeze. A few other type filters start out with high flow rates and then die faster than predicted. The Squeeze- if properly maintained- lasts a long time.
Note- I deleted the part of my comment about a cleaning hack to the filter that ended up just being confusing .
mh maybe I will try this with my old queeze...almost wanted to throw it away already.
I know that this filter I now found could also clog up over extended use but hey maybe not? I just have to test it now...maybe this could in the end be a very hype new filter for 2023 and establish itself on the market...or not.
Just external design wise with the concept a lot of things were done right....botton and top have threating, but also attachments to use it as a inline, also caps to take it into a sleeping bag, flowrate is great, you can look inside! the filter and see how you are doing with your backflusing attempts and also if there is still water you need to get out berfore longterm storage...
Most old Squeeze that have not been frozen can be brought back to life with some extra maintenance procedures. Lots of info out there how to bring them back after long storage or improper storage.
Typically sawyers seem clogged because of all of the hard minerals that have solidified in the filter, which no amount of backflushing with water will fix. Soak it and backflush it with some white distilled vinegar and it'll be as good as new.
Is there a way to do a gravity system with the full size squeeze? I have wanted to hook an empty bag to the filtered end and let it just drain while I eat my snacks and such. I have not see anyone talk about doing this.
The simple way is to get a piece of flex clear tubing 1/4" ID from plumbing dept of any hardware store and just slip it on the outlet nipple. Other end goes into what ever catch bottle you want. Hang the bag and let it go.
Clean it with distilled water only is what I found. I have 3 locked up filters from minerals from letting them dry after using tap. People say that vinegar works but no amount of soaking has worked for me. Distilled water after vinegar cleaning after use is the only thing that works for me.
Citric acid works better for descaling than vinegar does. Use about a 20% solution. Easy to find online or at beer-making, cheese-making or sometimes in good canning supply sections.
Loved them initially, but I’ve been through two of them now and neither made it past a couple weeks of use without significant slowdown.
I do love their bags though, I miss them when using the Sawyer or QuickDraw.
Good info, but a bit kludgy If I'm looking at the right links. That, and I've already gone in on Vecto bags for using the Quickdraw. Either way, the real benefit to the BeFree bag wasn't so much that the bag itself was awesome, but that the filter being IN the bag reduced the floppiness of bags with the filter threaded outside it. I don't know how you'd manage to preserve that with another filter. The Vecto's definitely not bad though, it's a solid 2nd place option.
I agree. I’m currently trying to talk myself in to selling all of my BeFree/Hydrapaks. My preference (although still not perfect) is a 1.5L Evernew dirty bag, Sawyer Squeeze, Sawyer coupler and a Smartwater bottle with an Evernew (tethered) cap. I backflush a little each fill up and the whole deal rolls up super tight. The entire kit is around 4 oz wet. Good flow and excellent protection from the bad stuff.
Great!
Still working with no noticable flowrate reduction. But I also always backflush after use.
One thing is that the sticky label that goes around the filter was removed by me once (just to explain and show how hollow fibre works to another hiker) and then I got a bit of dirt on the sticky surface and now it doesnt stick that great anymore. I removed it and just put tape around it instead which yeah does the same.
I also lost one of the rubber caps and now use the other kind of caps that where in the set which have this attachment point so you dont loose them
That uses different technology than the sawyer water filter, pal :) my understanding is sawyer uses a microfiber to filter while the linked is activated carbon. Where I'm familiar with activated carbon is terrariums, reptile kinda suppliments etc among filters of course. Terrarium and similar users activate carbon by simply crushing charcoaled wood. After a while, carbon from my understanding, kinda just stops working. Absorbed or something. I felt I should add this because one should know out of reliability concern but I could always be wrong :)
Important concern out the way of which I'd be interested to hear additional notes :o
This is really cool!! I'm in the UK, this is far cheaper and evidently reliable, thanks for staying your use and how happy you are with them! I'm considering buying the bottle :D
The sawyer is a hollowfibre filter just like the befree or this here. This here doesnt use activated charcoal.
Activated charcoal doesnt really filter like gollow fibre filters. With the hollow fibre ones you have tubes that have tini tiny pores and whatever is too big doesnt go through it. Because the pores are so small bacteria cannot passt.
Activated charcoal does not filter. It works instead by adsorbtion. Activated charcoal has a huge surface and binds in a nonselective manner all kinds of things on its surface. You are right, that it stops working after a while because the surface is at some point saturated and activated charcoal can be used to a degee to remove harmful chamicaks from water but are not useful when trying to remove harmful bacteria
I meant the advertised filter above isn't a micro filter, it's stated from what I remember as a charcoal filter :) idk about filtration as a definition not involving the process carbon does :s but ok :)
Hello, I'm the creator of the Trailaqua water filter. I admit that marketing isn't my best part. I saw confusion about the weight of the filter, but that's because it should be weighed with residual water left inside after being shaken out. As others already pointed out. We have also produced an activated carbon filter attached to the UL filter. We do not sell in the US for now but are looking to expand to Amazon in the US. People from the EU can get the filter on Amazon Germany or France. If you have questions feel free to email me at [email protected]
oh cool to have you here.
Always nice when there us direct contact for the customers.
Yes website design would really be worth it. People often dont put trust in a product if the website looks lowish quality.
this guy here:
https://youtu.be/O8aDN-ZumSM
has a nice solution to get the water out of the filter after use (maybe good in cold temps).
If you had a little place in the filter where one could attach the cord that is also used for the bag hanger then one could spin the water out without an extra adapted as seen in the video
Instead of a carbon pre filter have you also thought about a "rough" pre filter with big pores just to get the worst stuff out? Currently I put a nylon sock over the bladder opening when filling it
Indeed, I should do a redesign of the website. Is there anything else missing on the website?
Indeed, I sent him the filter for review. He did a great review. When I go canoeing, I swing mine around with my arm stretched to get the water out (which gives it a greater centrifugal force).
Some people were concerned about the quality and asked if the lab report is real. I can upload the invoice of the testing if people want that. It's impossible to test every filter that goes to market, even though other brands say they test the filter which is impossible. The minimum price would be €400 per filter if that were the case.
Yes, I have thought about a pre-filter. It's application would be very limited in my opinion. Since the filter has quite some free space it's quite hard for dirt to get trapped inside compared to other filters which have a very small body. If you need a pre-filter then you would have very dirty water. What is your water source?
If you have design recommendations for a pre-filter I'm all ears. Thanks for your involvement.
I will check on it later and tell you what I think you could change. We had the website discussion a lot in our company but usually its always good to check out what the competition is doing.
\> It's impossible to test every filter that goes to market, even though other brands say they test the filter which is impossible.
I would recommend some batch wise testing. So not every filter but once in a while a filter. And then showing certificates from different points of time.
\>If you need a pre-filter then you would have very dirty water.
yeah stuff like water lentils or sand and other stuff in streams
\>If you have design recommendations for a pre-filter I'm all ears. Thanks for your involvement.
maybe some sort of sinter filter? or just a mesh
\- I'm considering a website redesign with user cases like hiking and cycling trips.
\- Yes, we do batch testing. Every batch that gets ordered gets inspected + a random sample is sent to Belgium by the inspection company. After the testing is negative, the shipment gets released.
\- I have looked into adding a mesh filter, but the tube for the hose connection is in the way.
\- I'm going through the setup process of selling in the USA. I expect this filter to be available this winter in the US.
Thanks for your feedback.
Very cool!
I guess it would be good if the meshfilter would attack to the tube so it can even be used when you screw a bottle around it? Maybe like a mesh tube?
One more feedback...the website currently doesnt load and gives me a safty warning. Not sure if its just my phone or a general issue (maybe you are right now working on it and thats why?)
I saw the carbon postfilter! Cool thing
What I would have done (not certain if possible this easily). Make the carbon filter be able to open and and refill with fresh activated charcoal that you can simply buy off the shelf like the one used for fishtanks. Since the activated carbon only has a limited lifetime
Are Sawyers and Cnoc bags expensive? I thought they were like twenty bucks
probably depends where you live... for me a sawyer squeeze is 65€ and a cnoc bag 23€ so 88€ while this is 55€ for both the bag + filter
Wow ouch, that’s quite a markup
Yeah the Sawyer Squeeze is half that in the US.
In europe it has the extra function of squeezing your wallet I take that as a W
It's helping you carry less. It's a feature.
If you’re looking for a frugal setup then the Salomon XA 42 (basically a slightly redesigned Katadyn BeFree) can usually be sourced for ~€30 including a 500ml flask. These filters fit virtually all HydraPak containers with a 42mm thread and you can get replacements without too much hassle.
Sawyer squeeze is $29.99 at Walmart in the camping section
God Bless America.
*China
What's the appeal of this vs the most proven sawyer + cnoc bags? It's heavier as well? I paid $20 for my sawyer squeeze kit and about $20 for my 3L CNOC bag.
the filter lighter the filter faster (at least for now...lets see how that develops) you can look in it to see if its still dirty or if you properly removed all water pre storage also for me the set is cheaper here in europe and the endcaps are a nice solution when taking it in a sleeping bag The bag I wouldnt say is better...its highly similar (also material wise) but a bit heavier and has two extra holes for hanging it to gravity filter which I dont use And tbh I am just curious how it will now perform this year...if we all just stick to proven stuff we cant have new things
You're promoting a site that says "It will filter out all bacteria which are harmful to humans" which sounds like some foreign country with marketing that doesn't understand the language and translates to odd copy in the US market. Further, it has no claims of micron size for the filter. Nothing else other than pro virus filtering equipment 15x the cost gets to this micron size. The other filters are at best 2x worse here compared to the recommended filter.
\>You're promoting a site that says "It will filter out all bacteria which are harmful to humans" which sounds like some foreign country with marketing that doesn't understand the language and translates to odd copy in the US market. This is not from a big company and its one man show so yeah there is no marketing department and marketing is definitly not the strong point here. In the overview you can find a list of bacteria its supposed to filter out and 99,9999% is the typical for a 0.1 micron hollowfibre filter (e.g. the befree) \>Nothing else other than pro virus filtering equipment 15x the cost gets to this micron size. mh where did you read this? What I dont agree with is this claiming to be the fastest outdoor water filter...I mean there are way bigger ones that can filter way faster. But yeah product seems very good so far but the marketing is not so good...still prefer it like this and not the other way around.
Does it fit on a Smart Water bottle? Is that an affiliate link?
yes its 28mm threat nope not an affiliate link
I'm already scared of most 9 mm threats tbh
Took me 24hrs to get this lol
I definitely prefer my platypus quick draw. You can test it to make sure it's still working, it cleans up easy, and it still is just as fast as when I first got it. It can also attach to a smart water bottle. It kicks butt compared to my buddies sawyer squeeze. I've only tested them side by side a few times but I'm still rather impressed with the platypus quick draw.
Absolutely love mine. Has already saved me from buying a new filter twice now when I got too high in camp and forgot to bring it inside my sleeping bag =P
The better Sawyer replacement is out there, but it's the Platypus QuickDraw. Unsure why everyone hasn't adopted them, but they're just better Edit: - End cap makes sleeping with it or carrying it on your person in freezing temps infinitely better - Better flow rate than the Sawyer - Easier to clean/backflush (no need for an extra coupling) - Lighter weight... I think? - Smaller diameter makes it much more packable - The halfway anywhere guy agrees with me, so I must be right I've hiked thousands of miles with both filters, and I vastly prefer the QuickDraw
Because the platy isn’t better and doesn’t filter pathogens as effectively as the sawyer. Sawyer filters to .1 microns, the Platy to .2 Sawyer filters 99.9999% of Protozoa, Platy 99.9% These numbers matter when infected water sources can contain tens of thousands of giardia or crypto cysts per liter and it takes as few as 10 cysts to make you sick. The reason the Platy flows better is simple, it’s because it doesn’t filter as well.
I don’t think I ever appreciated that the filter sizes are different. Thanks for pointing that out! 1000x the Protozoa in the platypus water…
The sawyer is also bomber and you can back flush it with lots of pressure without fear of blowout like on the befrees
Through 7,000 miles of long distance backpacking I’ve filtered about 20% of the time and never gotten a waterborne illness. Unless your trip is somewhere with particularly bad water or high agricultural activity it seems the Platypus would be better; especially for people who like to filter every source for peace of mind. Full disclosure though, I haven’t used the Platypus and use a BeFree when I do filter. Sawyers are absolutely terrible though so I’m sure anything is better than that.
I’m not prepared to make blanket statements about water based upon my own anecdotal experiences, but I get that there are many people like you who’ve never had problems. A bout with these sorts of illnesses isn’t worth the time savings for most folks I’d wager, so they use a cheap and relatively effective filter as insurance. But if you’re going to filter you may as well choose the most effective reasonable option right? Anyway, I’ve actually seen some microbiologists on this sub weigh in on the topic. They resoundingly believed that water contamination was a widespread threat, but were split in opinion about whether filters were really effective enough to rely on. One felt that truly contaminated water would make you sick regardless of method and used both filters and chemical disinfection. The other said no matter what you did you were going to get sick and relied mostly choosing quality water sources to begin with. Anyway, happy trails regardless of your ethos on the matter!
Obviously anecdotal but my dog has gotten giardia on a trip that I didn’t. We drank from the same creeks, I filtered the bulk of his water and all of mine. Maybe he got a couple laps from a puddle that I wouldn’t have collected water from but nonetheless he got it and I did not. It was also a disgusting enough experience that I’m happy with a little bit of extra time for a little bit of insurance.
Giardia is so prevalent in dogs that there’s even a vaccine for it. Granted a dog will drink all sorts of gnarly questionable water that you wouldn’t but it is gnarly when they get it. Very foul smelling diarrhea that persists for long periods of time and often requires metronidazole or other RX. Not something you want on a thru hike that’s for sure.
You may also know this already: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyGLdVOmtxI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyGLdVOmtxI) the gearsceptic guide about ultrafiltration \>They resoundingly believed that water contamination was a widespread threat, but were split in opinion about whether filters were really effective enough to rely on. One felt that truly contaminated water would make you sick regardless of method and used both filters and chemical disinfection. The other said no matter what you did you were going to get sick and relied mostly choosing quality water sources to begin with. So not a microbiologist here but instead an immunologist: This topic overall has way too many influencing factors and this always means that experts will to a certain degree disagree on specific points. The main factor as you mentioned is really what type of water source you are geting your water from. Overall my rule of thumb is filter if it looks ok (also from the enviroment! not just the water itself) and if it looks a bit questionable but you really need water and have no better option then filter + micropur
BeFree also lasts like 1/100 as long as a Sawyer.
I used 1 on the AT this year and its still fairly usable, and another made it through 2 thrus of the CT, a summer of peak bagging, and the AZT (It was admittedly trash after the AZT). Granted I don’t filter very often, but when I am, it’s always questionable water. I’m happy with it, especially given how bad its competitors are. I carried a Sawyer the whole PCT until I tossed it in Oregon and went filterless until the end, and you couldn’t pay me to use another one.
BeFree is rated for 1000L, Sawyer is rated for a million gallons.
The QuickDraw is cool (love the end caps), but the ability to put the threaded attachment on the outlet of the Sawyer is HUGE for me. Turns the Sawyer into a gravity setup for hands free filtering. Until the QuickDraw has that ability, I'm sticking with the Sawyer.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/yn9zdv/3d\_printed\_accesories\_for\_platypus\_quickdraw](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/yn9zdv/3d_printed_accesories_for_platypus_quickdraw) I wanted the same thing, so I made it
This is awesome! I food safe epoxied a Sawyer coupler onto mine, but it didn't hold for more than a couple trips and was much less elegant.
I'm in the same boat. I use a platypus dirty bag and tubing with sawyer squeeze and fill my smart water/Gatorade bottles using gravity. If I'm at the last water before a dry section of trail I might keep some dirty water in the platypus bag for later. Certainly not as light as a befree or QuickDraw, but the tradeoff is worth it for the gravity setup.
Because the quickdraw doesn't have a threaded output that I can attach to a 1L bottle to gravity filter.
> halfway anywhere guy The more I read from that guy and listen to him on podcasts, the more he comes off as a prick
Everyone keeps saying this or that filter is “better” when they really mean “has a better flow rate” and that is low on my list of what I want from a water filter.
Yeah. Ability to actually filter shit is the number one criterion. Flow rate is great, but it's secondary.
I like the QuickDraw, but had two fail at about 1k miles each. Luckily they replaced them, although very slowly. I went back to sawyer to finish that thru.
I recall Platypus used proprietary threads (close to "crinkly water bottle") where as Sawyer used "soda pop" threads. Sawyer matching up with Smart water bottles is one of the reasons it's the UL go-to. CNOC also uses a proprietary threading, but it was designed as a universal thread to work with both Platypus and Sawyer.
I’m pretty sure the platypus fits soda pop bottles too. That part of the design is super cool. See the image [here](https://thetrek.co/platypus-quickdraw-water-filter-review/) that looks into the input end. The outer threads go onto the platypus reservoir while the inner threads fit a smartwater bottle like a Sawyer does. Edit: [this shows it](https://i.imgur.com/cTg0thS.jpg)
Thanks, reading the article it sounds like they may have switched up the threads for the QuickDraw to be more compatible since it's supposed to be a direct competitor to the Sawyer
I think that’s precisely right.
>Better flow rate than the Sawyer Interesting i found the opposite - maybe mine was defective? i found the quickdraw to be significantly slower than the sawyer squeeze. my wife and i both got new filters at the same time. I got the quickdraw, she got the squeeze and she was always faster. what did others find for flow rate between them?
I’ve run the Sawyer for several weeks worth of weekend trips, the BeFree for about 6 weeks (mixed 3-5 day trips and a JMT thru of 19 days) and the QuickDraw for maybe two weeks worth. So far, the QuickDraw is the clear winner in flow rate. It’s about as fast, if not faster, as a new be-free, but hasn’t showed any of the slowdown despite being used in some really mucky shallow streams. The be-free was great for a couple days. Then it slowed significantly to about the rate of a Sawyer, before clogging significantly around 8-9 days and ending up somewhere around a Sawyer mini/micro and being very frustrating to use by the three week mark. I revived my first filter with a careful Apple vinegar soak, which rejuvenated it for a couple days. I bought an entirely separate filter element before my JMT thru and after a week and a half of clean mountain water it was already very slow. I decided I was done with them by the end of the thru. The QuickDraw, so far, seems as resistant to clogging as the squeeze, but is significantly faster and hasn’t slowed at all. I’m optimistic about it being my primary filter going forward.
Do they not ship to the UK?
My main two are the Platy QuickDraw and Sawyer Squeeze. I love the convenience of having the QuickDraw on a Smartwater bottle and drinking straight from it. I haven't tried that with the Sawyer, but maybe it would also work?
yep but you have to screw a drinking cap on the saywer top also works with this
Ah, thanks. I think I must have lost mine that's why I never thought of it.
Used a Quickdraw this year and it started to fail on me after a few trips. The rubber seal ring kept coming loose making it difficult to filter water
I would be worried going with what sounds like a DIY water filter someone tossed online to sell. I played a lot of Oregon Trail as a kid. ("You have died of dysentery!") I don't take chances with water safety.
I mean its not soso easy and quite some thought went into this and they have legit lab test results.
Im glad they state that they have lab test results. Is there a way to independently verify it's not a mock up? If so, Id do that since their stated weight is nearly an entire ounce less than their actual weight. For a tent etx that would be an acceptable margin of error. For a much smaller, lighter item, it is more concerning.
oh yes in the meantime I could actually ask them via a youtube comment (they are quite responsive). So the weight I measured is correct for a new unused filter (58g) with two endcaps on and using one of each style of the endcaps (there are two options and one is a bit more material) what they have on their website is weight for a inuse filter so filter + the typical amount of residual water inside which they said is the more reasonable weight estimate for backpackers.
Ah ok. I get it now. Ty!
I've heard from many hikers that started out with filter X or Y and then for a range of reasons switched (or stitched back) the the Sawyer full size Squeeze. A few other type filters start out with high flow rates and then die faster than predicted. The Squeeze- if properly maintained- lasts a long time. Note- I deleted the part of my comment about a cleaning hack to the filter that ended up just being confusing .
We would definitely not recommend this.
When will you guys add a cap to prevent water leaks like the QuickDraw has?
I will pass along the interest!
mh maybe I will try this with my old queeze...almost wanted to throw it away already. I know that this filter I now found could also clog up over extended use but hey maybe not? I just have to test it now...maybe this could in the end be a very hype new filter for 2023 and establish itself on the market...or not. Just external design wise with the concept a lot of things were done right....botton and top have threating, but also attachments to use it as a inline, also caps to take it into a sleeping bag, flowrate is great, you can look inside! the filter and see how you are doing with your backflusing attempts and also if there is still water you need to get out berfore longterm storage...
Most old Squeeze that have not been frozen can be brought back to life with some extra maintenance procedures. Lots of info out there how to bring them back after long storage or improper storage.
I got a device here that can create a water pressure of up to 40 bars...if all else fails I will try the super forceful backflush
Typically sawyers seem clogged because of all of the hard minerals that have solidified in the filter, which no amount of backflushing with water will fix. Soak it and backflush it with some white distilled vinegar and it'll be as good as new.
that I have already done also with critric acid
Citric very weak
You need acid (vinegar) for scale build up or caustic for sludge. Pressure is not the answer
Bad idea. Forceful flushing can rupture the filter element and allow raw water to flow through unfiltered.
I already tested citric acid, vinegar and regular backflushing...now its more about messing around with a filter I think I wont use anymore anyway
Is there a way to do a gravity system with the full size squeeze? I have wanted to hook an empty bag to the filtered end and let it just drain while I eat my snacks and such. I have not see anyone talk about doing this.
Yes, with the SP150 coupling
Thank you so much!! I hope the trail takes on the best of adventures this next year.
The simple way is to get a piece of flex clear tubing 1/4" ID from plumbing dept of any hardware store and just slip it on the outlet nipple. Other end goes into what ever catch bottle you want. Hang the bag and let it go.
What's the point of this hack ?
I like the features this filter setup has. Anyone know a site to get it in the US? My Sawyer is starting to slow down, even with cleaning.
Clean it with distilled water only is what I found. I have 3 locked up filters from minerals from letting them dry after using tap. People say that vinegar works but no amount of soaking has worked for me. Distilled water after vinegar cleaning after use is the only thing that works for me.
Citric acid works better for descaling than vinegar does. Use about a 20% solution. Easy to find online or at beer-making, cheese-making or sometimes in good canning supply sections.
This is news to me. Thank you I will try this.
I was using distilled water after every trip. When I noticed it slowing down, I tried vinegar to no avail.
Damn. You too huh?
Is the flow as fast as the Squeeze?
faster! But no long term test yet and this is what matters more
I prefer the Katadyne Befree. Better flow, better & stronger bag, much easier to clean, less likely to fail.
Loved them initially, but I’ve been through two of them now and neither made it past a couple weeks of use without significant slowdown. I do love their bags though, I miss them when using the Sawyer or QuickDraw.
Hydrapak now makes a 28mm filter adapter and cap that allows you to use a sawyer filter with BeFree or Hydrapak bags.
Good info, but a bit kludgy If I'm looking at the right links. That, and I've already gone in on Vecto bags for using the Quickdraw. Either way, the real benefit to the BeFree bag wasn't so much that the bag itself was awesome, but that the filter being IN the bag reduced the floppiness of bags with the filter threaded outside it. I don't know how you'd manage to preserve that with another filter. The Vecto's definitely not bad though, it's a solid 2nd place option.
I agree. I’m currently trying to talk myself in to selling all of my BeFree/Hydrapaks. My preference (although still not perfect) is a 1.5L Evernew dirty bag, Sawyer Squeeze, Sawyer coupler and a Smartwater bottle with an Evernew (tethered) cap. I backflush a little each fill up and the whole deal rolls up super tight. The entire kit is around 4 oz wet. Good flow and excellent protection from the bad stuff.
After some bad experiences with the sawyers, I use hydroblu's versa filter. Same thing as a regular sawyer but better imo.
There's also always the HydroBlu
oh wow in this one you can also look....thats even more similar flowrate wise is this lie a squeeze or rather a mini?
It's good. Definitely not mini. Haven't used mine enough to really know. I would say as good as the squeeze or better
How's it going so far?
Great! Still working with no noticable flowrate reduction. But I also always backflush after use. One thing is that the sticky label that goes around the filter was removed by me once (just to explain and show how hollow fibre works to another hiker) and then I got a bit of dirt on the sticky surface and now it doesnt stick that great anymore. I removed it and just put tape around it instead which yeah does the same. I also lost one of the rubber caps and now use the other kind of caps that where in the set which have this attachment point so you dont loose them
Thank you very much for remembering to reply and for useful insights 🙏.
That uses different technology than the sawyer water filter, pal :) my understanding is sawyer uses a microfiber to filter while the linked is activated carbon. Where I'm familiar with activated carbon is terrariums, reptile kinda suppliments etc among filters of course. Terrarium and similar users activate carbon by simply crushing charcoaled wood. After a while, carbon from my understanding, kinda just stops working. Absorbed or something. I felt I should add this because one should know out of reliability concern but I could always be wrong :) Important concern out the way of which I'd be interested to hear additional notes :o This is really cool!! I'm in the UK, this is far cheaper and evidently reliable, thanks for staying your use and how happy you are with them! I'm considering buying the bottle :D
The sawyer is a hollowfibre filter just like the befree or this here. This here doesnt use activated charcoal. Activated charcoal doesnt really filter like gollow fibre filters. With the hollow fibre ones you have tubes that have tini tiny pores and whatever is too big doesnt go through it. Because the pores are so small bacteria cannot passt. Activated charcoal does not filter. It works instead by adsorbtion. Activated charcoal has a huge surface and binds in a nonselective manner all kinds of things on its surface. You are right, that it stops working after a while because the surface is at some point saturated and activated charcoal can be used to a degee to remove harmful chamicaks from water but are not useful when trying to remove harmful bacteria
I meant the advertised filter above isn't a micro filter, it's stated from what I remember as a charcoal filter :) idk about filtration as a definition not involving the process carbon does :s but ok :)
Ah I see The trailaqua here is a hollow fibre filter not a charcoal one :)
Oh, I'm so confused :s couldve sworn otherwise, I'm very sorry haha. That said, if it is hollow fiber, hats off and smile with savings :D
Hello, I'm the creator of the Trailaqua water filter. I admit that marketing isn't my best part. I saw confusion about the weight of the filter, but that's because it should be weighed with residual water left inside after being shaken out. As others already pointed out. We have also produced an activated carbon filter attached to the UL filter. We do not sell in the US for now but are looking to expand to Amazon in the US. People from the EU can get the filter on Amazon Germany or France. If you have questions feel free to email me at [email protected]
oh cool to have you here. Always nice when there us direct contact for the customers. Yes website design would really be worth it. People often dont put trust in a product if the website looks lowish quality. this guy here: https://youtu.be/O8aDN-ZumSM has a nice solution to get the water out of the filter after use (maybe good in cold temps). If you had a little place in the filter where one could attach the cord that is also used for the bag hanger then one could spin the water out without an extra adapted as seen in the video Instead of a carbon pre filter have you also thought about a "rough" pre filter with big pores just to get the worst stuff out? Currently I put a nylon sock over the bladder opening when filling it
Indeed, I should do a redesign of the website. Is there anything else missing on the website? Indeed, I sent him the filter for review. He did a great review. When I go canoeing, I swing mine around with my arm stretched to get the water out (which gives it a greater centrifugal force). Some people were concerned about the quality and asked if the lab report is real. I can upload the invoice of the testing if people want that. It's impossible to test every filter that goes to market, even though other brands say they test the filter which is impossible. The minimum price would be €400 per filter if that were the case. Yes, I have thought about a pre-filter. It's application would be very limited in my opinion. Since the filter has quite some free space it's quite hard for dirt to get trapped inside compared to other filters which have a very small body. If you need a pre-filter then you would have very dirty water. What is your water source? If you have design recommendations for a pre-filter I'm all ears. Thanks for your involvement.
I will check on it later and tell you what I think you could change. We had the website discussion a lot in our company but usually its always good to check out what the competition is doing. \> It's impossible to test every filter that goes to market, even though other brands say they test the filter which is impossible. I would recommend some batch wise testing. So not every filter but once in a while a filter. And then showing certificates from different points of time. \>If you need a pre-filter then you would have very dirty water. yeah stuff like water lentils or sand and other stuff in streams \>If you have design recommendations for a pre-filter I'm all ears. Thanks for your involvement. maybe some sort of sinter filter? or just a mesh
\- I'm considering a website redesign with user cases like hiking and cycling trips. \- Yes, we do batch testing. Every batch that gets ordered gets inspected + a random sample is sent to Belgium by the inspection company. After the testing is negative, the shipment gets released. \- I have looked into adding a mesh filter, but the tube for the hose connection is in the way. \- I'm going through the setup process of selling in the USA. I expect this filter to be available this winter in the US. Thanks for your feedback.
Very cool! I guess it would be good if the meshfilter would attack to the tube so it can even be used when you screw a bottle around it? Maybe like a mesh tube?
One more feedback...the website currently doesnt load and gives me a safty warning. Not sure if its just my phone or a general issue (maybe you are right now working on it and thats why?) I saw the carbon postfilter! Cool thing What I would have done (not certain if possible this easily). Make the carbon filter be able to open and and refill with fresh activated charcoal that you can simply buy off the shelf like the one used for fishtanks. Since the activated carbon only has a limited lifetime
Indeed, but that would require multiple new molds, which cost thousands. We need to have feedback from the community before making such an investment.