Hi, not sure how new these are, but anyone got one, used one, or spoken to someone that has had one. I have always just carried my water, but thinking about getting one of these, seams like a great idea, and think I am right in saying that its revolutionary in that it gets rid of just about everything apart form salt, and that it lasts for so many litres (1600), and its relatively cheap and simple. Any opinions............
Oops, messed the title up, oh well. Its a sports bottle that filter and purifys as you drink.
Take a look, its £30, filters and purifys with no residual taste, weighs only 180g, holds 500ml, and is just like an ordinary sports bottle, in tests has filtered 1600 litres and was still going strong. Think I may just have to get one, although could never be bother with those fiddly lttle pump type affairs. Also unlike steripen thingy, this will remove heavy metals and chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, seams like just about everything.
It's a really good bit of kit. I've been using one for a few months and have tried it out with some really rank water sources with no ill effects. I'm confident with it now and since it doesn't weigh much more than a normal water bottle, my 2l bladder is pretty much redundant.
You do need to plan trips with water stops as 500ml doesn't go far when it's really hot or you are boiling up water for cooking. Or carry an empty water bottle to fill if need be.
You really need something to fill it from as well for camping, I use a 2l/4l plastic milk container which is pretty light to carry.
erm...it removes some of the heavy metal/pesticides etc. a lot of them admittedly but not all, especially of you are not sure of your source and i would double filter the water - but then this is for the generally mucky water in the south east.
they also do a canteen where the filter comes out of the bottle and therfore you don't need a pouring container too (unless there's stuff floating about in it). you can just stick the canteen in the water to fill it up.
you add the water to the bottom of the bottle so you need a filling container so as not to contaminate the drink spout.
unless ten minutes is of the utmost importance to you when you're out, you're particularly anal about flow rates or a fish, you can fill another bottle/container from the filter bottle for use later.
Ah, yes, contaminating the drinking end, did not think about that one.
The canteen arrangement sounds good, but would rather have the sports bottle shape, hmmmm.
Thanks for the advice.
Anyone know why the filter comes off the canteen but they decided to not let you do this on the sports bottle??? There must be some reason they decided for this design on the bottle surely?? Canteen is not much heavier than the bottle at 220g to the bottles 180g, but not so easy a shape for my rucksack. Also think I am right in saying that the sports bottle has a pre-filter, but the canteen does not. BUM!!
As the top comes off the canteen, and you can buy spare tops, I could buy a spare top and put it on the bottle of my choice , provided the threads are compatible!
Trevor, I had a look around, and the only alternatives I can find do about 200 litres before needing a new filter cartirdge, the beuty of this manufacturers filter is that it lasts for over 1600 litres (well maybe this is optimistic, but maybe not), and filters and purifys, I could not find anything that had that lifetime and both filtered and purified, if I missed any, please let me know.
Not so much of an issue for me, as source is likely to be pretty clean running water anyway, I would just like that extra bit of reassurance, not brave enough with my insides to just carry a cup and drink from the streams.
I didn't want to add to this thread until it had recieved some more comments, for fear of being too commercial. But I feel I can now.
2 designs for 2 different markets is the reason behind the removeable top. Please rest assured that the details given about this bottle are PROVEN by the MOD. Which is something you can't say about a few of the other products people speak quite positively about.
Hard to believe the 400 gallons I know, but that was when they decided to stop testing it, NOT when it failed for any reason. Rose has been using this to drink out of horse and cattle troughs in France this last few weeks (keeping the mouthpiece out of the water of course) and she appears to be still standing!
The less crud you put through it, the longer it will last naturally. But it is a filter and purifyer which many others aren't. Like most new stuff it takes a while to gain confidence in it, but I can assure anyone reading this both Rose and I have used ours since we got it, in places we would NEVER trust the source and have been pleased to live another day.
One of our daughters is currently using it in Mexico and Belize and is still in touch. So just like you have to trust the compass at times, you need to have to trust the filter at others!
Thanks for the info Bob, couple of questions if I may...
What is it about the outdoor civilian market that makes the manufacturer think we dont mind the faff of filling from the bottom? I understand its meant to be a disposable product, which with its lifetime is not a problem, but the whole idea for me would be to cut down on the weight of carrying a 2 ltr platypus, which if its quick and easy to refill- this product would be ideal for. If I have to take another item to use to fill it, then all of a sudden this becomes a little less attractive, more bulk even if not much more weight, and more time spent faffing when refilling, I get bollocked enough for taking too many photos, think I'll just get left behind if I spend too much time refilling as well!
Maybe I am being just super anal, I think it sounds like a great product. I could just take my platypus to use to fill it, but this is then a two stage process, not a quick on the move dip your bottle in a stream. Am I being overlly anal??? I dont know.
Also, (bear with me here), if you use the canteen, when you dip in under the water, you'll get your hands wet, and then you'll touch the top to put it back on, wont this contaminate the drink spout? ARGGGHHH, what a mine field (thats not a field belong to the cartographer responsible for the map you are reading!).
Help me Bob, tell me I am overcomplicating it! I will listen to that podcast, when I get the time (computer at work has no sound).
canteen. immerse canteen with left hand and hold it. screw top back on with right hand.
the bottom filling is because the bottom contains a fine screen filter to get rid of any big bits - the canteen has no screen and hence can be top filled - and a small nodule where you may add a tablet so it dissolves.
i can only assume that the "military" is just concerned with getting clean water rather than the longevity of the product.
you can use a plastic bag to fill it if needs be. the only thing you need to be careful of is comtaminating the spout - which applies to all drinking containers.
drink safe also do an inline filter although i'm not sure how hard you'd have to suck to get water through.
The Aqua gear bottle filter that Bob sells is great, its allowing me to stary much further afield without worrying to much about water and therefore carrying way to much.
For filling it I now have small makeshift cup that live inside the bottle when not in use. The last time I was in the local pound shop I saw a blister pack of small polythene bottles, like the ones you can get in Boots and the Bodyshop for decanting smaller amounts of shampoo etc when on holiday. I got them but they all leaked(you get what you pay for), before I threw them out though I cut the top off the biggest one.
A ziplock bag like Parky mentions would be lighter but I find the "cup" easier to fill from small streams and to controll pouring into the bottle through the mesh filter.
Ah yes, cant use a mesh filter on the canteen as it would stop the top going back on, and if you cant replace the filter (a la sports bottle) you want to prolong its longevity by having the mesh pre-filter- I understand their logic now , thanks Parky!
I saw on their website the bottle has one of those domed lid covers that rotates to cover/uncover the spout, maybe they should have kept this, maybe not, I am more inclined to think they actually do know best now. I think a purchase is in order, thanks all, now just to decide what else to buy to make the P&P worth its while!
the spout cap is actually sensible (the first bottle i've owned with a sensible cover). it's made from soft plastic which means you can pull the spout open with the cap as you take it off so you don't have to touch the spout with any part of you (frowns..... conversely you can snap the spout closed with the lid when you put it back on.
Great bit of kit. The only problem I find is that the filter drops out easily when filling it. The first time I used it I ended up chasing it down a stream in the Lakes.
I also got one for my daughter who has been using it for a month now in Peru. Shes still alive and has saved a fortune on bottled water.
, provided the threads are compatible! 
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