The filter kit comes with two scrubbers which can be used to scrub the contaminants off the ceramic filter. Post scrubbing, just pump a liter of water through the filter to remove any ceramic dust sitting on the filter and it is ready to use again. Simply place one hose into the water source (stream, river, or lake) and the other hose into a bottle or any preferred container (something we find really cool).

The Grayl Geopress allowed me to filter water from literally any source in Kyrgyzstan.. even this river full of heavy minerals. Cleaning the filter is easy, and can be accomplished in the field with the included scrubber. Simply unscrew the housing and carefully remove the plastic cover over the ceramic filter, then use the scrubber to remove anything on the filter.

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As you saw above, it was made mainly with aluminum. Some other components have been made with plastic. Water filter pumps will allow you to obtain water from very shallow sources, and filter exactly the amount of water required. They sometimes require a bit of cleaning but are generally very long-lasting in design. What we don’t: More expensive than Aquamira and you’re drinking unfiltered water straight from the source.

Despite the scarce filtration capabilities, the filter impresses with its long lifespan. You can filter up to 50000 liters of water before having to replace it. I've tried using a coffee filter many times with reasonable success. I prefer to use a small piece of reusable panty-hose (tights), even cheese cloth to pre filter. For that matter, I've even experimented with tights to pre-filter water before pre-filtering. In other words, I've collected water and drained it through the tights before placing the pre-filter into the water. The water initially contained quite a bit of plant growth and I did not want this material clogging up the pre-filter. Regardless of the method or device I use to prevent the pre-filter from clogging, I always need to constantly clean, replace and/or reposition this pre-filtering (coffee filter, tights) precautionary measure. Any thru-hike you embark on is going to have the whole gauntlet of different types of water sources. Are there regular sources of running water? Will you be hiking close to lakes? Is the water in the area known to be dirtier or will you be filtering clear mountain streams? Put simply, the outlet hose can be attached to any bottle or hydration bladder with the same ease. Look forward to the container filling within minutes. Narrow mouth, wide mouth, disposable soda bottles or, just about any size works perfectly fine with this sleek filter. Easy Maintenance Here's a neat Feature and an available option… Bottle Adapter with Activated Carbon… I do not use this but believe it's a nice option...There are several big benefits to chemical filtration. First, you can buy a bottle of chemical filtration solution for a very low price, which then has the capacity to clean large quantities of water. Everyone has a different comfort level for how much they carry with them. If you’re wanting a water filter for day trips or weekend hikes, something small and easily portable is more up your alley.