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Re: [at-l] Advice Needed on Water Filters

In a message dated 97-06-25 09:28:49 EDT, jrowen@pop500.gsfc.nasa.gov (Jim
Owen) writes:

<< We had a thruhiker at the house last weekend and he was looking
 for a new water filter.  He'd been using a Pur Scout and had little
 good to say about it.  He was looking for a Pur Hiker, which is
 the same filter that I bought about 3 months ago.  Apparently
 the Hiker is still the best performer as far as the thruhikers
 are concerned.  And at about $50, it's a lot cheaper than the
 Katadyn. >>

I'd like to agree with what Jim said.  I bougt a Pur Scout almost 2 yrs ago
in anticipation of thru hiking the AT last year.  I didn't use the filter
very much - maybe 10-15 gal, up until I left for Springer in March 97.  It
didn't last through Georgia and I cleaned the silt off the cartridge EACH and
EVERY time I used it.  I never could reach Pur because my town stops usually
happened on a weekend.  Finally I got them and they agreed to send me the
Voyager, which is a Hiker model upgraded to incorporate an iodine filter.  I
only used it two weeks until I left the trail, but it is light and pumps much
easier than the Scout ever did.  I like the idea of the iodine, and after the
first quart or two you can't really taste it.  The water goes through a
charcoal-filled do-jigger which fits a nalgene bottle, but if you want to
save weight you can eliminate this.  

During the time I hiked from Georgia to Virginia I used Potable Aqua, iodine
tablets plus a little white tablet which neutralized the color & taste of the
idoine.  At one point I couldn't get the little white tablets, so I bought
Vitamin C and used a pinch off a tablet for each quart.  Don't use too much
Vit C or you'll get a real citrusy taste (not bad, just strong).

I would just go with tablets to save weight, but there were a number of times
when the water was standing and I had to scoop it and filter it through a
bandana to get rid of the debris - I imagine this becomes the norm during mid
& late summer.

Gypsy



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