Bota bottle

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Oh ya, i swear by mine (Aquamira version) & been using it a few years. Only downside is it's hard to use it as true filter cause you gotta squeeze so hard to get water thru. Works much better as a sipping/sucking water source. Problem there is limited capacity tho. But if you're hikin where there's more or less constant water source/stream, then it's hand down the best thing going IMO. Don't even need a pack then, just a belt or free hand for your bottle!
 
TJ, I've used them for years and pretty much quit carrying my Sweetwater entirely about five years ago.

They are actually faster than a traditional filter along the trail because you don't have anything to set up. And on a group outing I noticed I was filtering faster than someone who had their pump, even though the pump was left set up. I suspect their filter was clogged.

You can use the insert in any soft bottle of that style. This summer I've been putting it in an even smaller version of the bike bottle shown in the link. Saves a lot of space in the pack. Then I filter into old Gatorade and Powerade bottles that are so much lighter than Nalgene.

I just ordered two new ones from Sierra. Thye're so cheap from there I just don't see any sense in ordering the filters.

I also keep one in my bike carrier bag so I always have an instant filter when we're out biking.
 
:confused: what's the deal, is it a high-pressure low-flow rate thing? or does it work by gravity & you just have to wait a while?

I've always been puzzled by water filters, if you put questionable water on the inside, how do you make sure you keep the output port clean?
 
I have been using the Bota style filter for quite awhile now. I think they are the perfect water filter: super light, fast, simple, and CHEAP!

They can be hard to find at times - I suspect that many of the outdoors shops conveniently DON'T stock them because there isn't a whole lot of profit on them compared to the usual slew of heavy, bulky, expensive models.
 
TJ,
Forgot to tell you but when I ordered two of the Bota bottles Monday from Sierra (on-line) they only charged me 20 cents shipping. I have no idea why, but I don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
 
BorealChickadee said:
TJ,
Forgot to tell you but when I ordered two of the Bota bottles Monday from Sierra (on-line) they only charged me 20 cents shipping. I have no idea why, but I don't look a gift horse in the mouth.


Boreal, I just went there ( Sierra Trading Post ) Sure enough they only charged twenty cents for ups shipping. Your saying the filter bottle works well is good enough for me, so I bought two. The price of a new filter for the old system I have/had is rather extreme so let's see how this works.
 
A usage hint-pull open the mouthpiece before each squeeze

Glad you got the shipping deal also AntlerPeak. I scoop, screw on the top, turn it upside down and squeeze with both hands and the water squirts out in a strong stream into the Gatorade bottle. Works very quickly for me. I wouldn't want to suck directly from the bottle because then the same strength of my hands would have to be coming from my mouth and cheeks which would be tiring.

A hint: I squeeze hard enough that when I let go and the bottle fills back up with air it usually partially pulls back in the "mouthpiece". So I have the habit of quickly pulling the mouthpiece fully open before each big squeeze. Takes half a second. I wonder if people who say it's slow aren't noticing that it partially shuts off when the bottle replaces the air after the squirt. Because then it is really slow.
 
This bottle looks similar to the Katadyn Extream. They have two models-one is a filter, the other a purifier with an Iodine element in addtion to the filter itself. You can't turn the Katadyn upside down because the filter tube sticks all the way into the bottle and the intake is at the bottom of the tube. I've seen an English bottle/filter that seems to solve that problem.-the filter only fits part way into the bottle. It's called the Aquapure Traveler. Don't think they are available here yet.
 
I ordered two last Saturday and the shipping was their normal $6.00. ARRRGGH. What a difference a day (or two) makes. I just ordered two more with the $.20 shipping. It's not about how much I spent, but how much I saved, right?

Thanks, everyone, for your input, recommendations and helpful tips.

teejay
 
does this filter protect against viruses? Would be great for travel to countries where the water is 'suspect'.
 
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