Purifier Bottle?

[carole]

Has anyone used a water bottle with filter such as this - Katadyn Exstream Purifier Bottle? Any comments on pros and cons?

 

[GlennS]

I have one that I've used for 2 seasons. I like it a lot. Some people have complained that it is too hard to get the water to flow through the filter but I don't have that issue at all.

The water does have a slight iodine taste. I find it similar to eating baked stuffed shrimp. Again, I don't find it a big deal.

The real advantage comes in ease of use and speed. Literally, it is dunk the bottle in a water source (or put under water dripping off rocks) screw the cap on and go.

It's my choice for water treatment on long hikes. $50 is quite a bit more than I paid. I found mine in the clearance rack for less than $20 (I bought 2 at that price).

Glenn

 

[adktyler]

I have used this: http://www.bigrockoutfitters.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=3093

It has worked very well for me. Normally I don't treat my water, but when it's a sketchy area (such as small lake, marsh/pond, lowland stream or river, or area where beaver activity is all around) I will use this bottle. I haven't noticed any bad tastes, but again, I usually use it on pretty gross water, so that might be why.

It's a little frustrating to have the water flow so slowly, but it's certainly faster than a regular pump filter. The Bota bottle is pretty cheep, and has easy-to-replace and inexpensive filters. As far as I know it removes pretty much all the impurities that an average pump filter would.

I'm actually surprised that more people don't use these! They're an inexpensive way to filter water, as well as light and easy to transport. Plus, they're pretty much indestructible (unlike some porcelain models of other pumps). They have my vote!

 

[carole]

Thanks for your replies GlennS and ADK88. I did some more searching after my post and found info on the Bota Outback also found some comments about them in a couple previous posts. STP has them for $7.95, so I'll give them a try.

 

[sardog1]

Bota Outback is a filter; Exstream is a filter and a purifier. The former will remove microbes to a certain size but won't remove or affect otherwise things the size of viruses. The Exstream filters out the larger stuff and kills viruses as well as other things.