Does everyone use a gravity bag water filter for water in camp? What size do you use? And how often do you find yourself going back to the creek to refill?
Gravity Water Filter?
- Thread starter archeranthony
- Start date
hunter25
Very Active Member
I have about a 4 liter I think platypus
And also a 5 gallon collapsible container i fill up.
Do that the first day when I'm setting up camp.
Takes care of a few days
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And also a 5 gallon collapsible container i fill up.
Do that the first day when I'm setting up camp.
Takes care of a few days
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
RICMIC
Veteran member
I love my gravity filter. I find that the main advantage over the pump filters is that since you are not forcing the water through the filter, it doesn't tend to clog or slow down on a trip. You can just wipe out the pre-filter if necessary and that is easily done. The size depends on your needs: access to water, number of users, length of trip, etc. Try for the clearest water source you can find, and remember to use a dip cup instead of scooping water with the haul container or the gravity bag if you can't get well away from the water's edge.. On the canoe trips that I guided, we would paddle out into the lake to get away from the shoreline contaminents, fill the containers and the bag. Back in camp, just strap the gravity bag to a tree so the tube doesn't drag in the dirt, and filter away with no further effort. My 3 gallon filter bag and a couple 3 gallon Drom bags was plenty for 9 people each day.
Prerylyon
Veteran member
+1 to what both Hunter25 & Ricmic said: the gravity setup will work while you're sleeping or away hunting to supply your camp with safe water, but the gravity filters I've used are not instantaneous, if you need water right away. Also, if its below freezing, things can get more complicated trying to use the gravity bags.
I use the pump as a backup to the gravity or to pull some clean water thru in a short amount of time. If its not below freezing, or I am near large bodies of water, I use the gravity bag more than the pump. If I am doing a more spartan backpacking style trek with less gear, I use the pump more.
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I use the pump as a backup to the gravity or to pull some clean water thru in a short amount of time. If its not below freezing, or I am near large bodies of water, I use the gravity bag more than the pump. If I am doing a more spartan backpacking style trek with less gear, I use the pump more.
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1-gallon Sawyer setup for me, which is basically just a bag and hose attached to their standard filter. I swear by it, I'll never go back. The whole bag, hose, and filter only weighs 6.6oz. That's less than the weight of a cup of water.
I never have any trouble finding SOME kind of water when I'm out (then again I live in Colorado - YMMV). One of the best features is the source or "dirty" bag is easy to carry. Typically when I plan a hunt or scouting route I know there will be water "near" a camp site but not necessarily right at it. Nobody wants to collapse into camp and then hike "back" half a mile to get water. This way if I know there's a pond or stream on the way to my stopping point, I can fill the dirty bag there and I'm only carrying water a short way, but not retracing my steps. I hang the bag in a tree first thing after dropping my pack, and let it start filtering into a bottle or whatever while I start setting up camp. It's done by the time I want it.
I don't like to camp right next to water because of bugs. I also don't want to push watering game off their patterns.
Gravity feeds are a lot less work than pump systems, but can be slower especially when you get down to the last few pints in the bag. I've never needed a whole gallon of water, but I do often fill more than I need just to add pressure. If I end up dumping some no big deal. Better to have too much than too little.
I rely on this setup heavily. I no longer carry a hydration system. Bladder, hose, etc together were 12oz empty. Now I use a 700ml Life Wtr bottle which empty is only 1.3oz. That's plenty for me for a day as long as it's not summer (then I just carry a second bottle). I actually like the convenience of a bottle. Hydration systems are great but they're pretty single-purpose. If you wanted to pour water on dirty hands, a cut, or just into a smaller container to mix a drink mix into, a bottle is much easier.
I don't worry too much about reliability. I've never had problems with the filter, but if I did, I don't hunt in the desert. I'm never more than a day's hike to my car.
I never have any trouble finding SOME kind of water when I'm out (then again I live in Colorado - YMMV). One of the best features is the source or "dirty" bag is easy to carry. Typically when I plan a hunt or scouting route I know there will be water "near" a camp site but not necessarily right at it. Nobody wants to collapse into camp and then hike "back" half a mile to get water. This way if I know there's a pond or stream on the way to my stopping point, I can fill the dirty bag there and I'm only carrying water a short way, but not retracing my steps. I hang the bag in a tree first thing after dropping my pack, and let it start filtering into a bottle or whatever while I start setting up camp. It's done by the time I want it.
I don't like to camp right next to water because of bugs. I also don't want to push watering game off their patterns.
Gravity feeds are a lot less work than pump systems, but can be slower especially when you get down to the last few pints in the bag. I've never needed a whole gallon of water, but I do often fill more than I need just to add pressure. If I end up dumping some no big deal. Better to have too much than too little.
I rely on this setup heavily. I no longer carry a hydration system. Bladder, hose, etc together were 12oz empty. Now I use a 700ml Life Wtr bottle which empty is only 1.3oz. That's plenty for me for a day as long as it's not summer (then I just carry a second bottle). I actually like the convenience of a bottle. Hydration systems are great but they're pretty single-purpose. If you wanted to pour water on dirty hands, a cut, or just into a smaller container to mix a drink mix into, a bottle is much easier.
I don't worry too much about reliability. I've never had problems with the filter, but if I did, I don't hunt in the desert. I'm never more than a day's hike to my car.
tdcour
Veteran member
We use a sawyer setup. I have a 3 liter dirty bag and a 3 liter clean bag. I'll filter my clean bag full at the water source, then fill the 3 liter up and take it with me to filter later. that will be me through a day and a half or so with cooking and drinking. We have water readily available in streams and creeks where we hunt so I don't pack bulk containers, but if I need more I can just use my dry bag to haul some water. I think its like a 5 or 8 liter, so that would get me through a couple days if I needed to put some in there.