Clean Water from Any Source? | Overlanding Water Purification System

[@Venture2Roam]

This was a tricky product review to make for me. I really like what this product aims to do (lower the cost barrier for a portable reverse osmosis purifier) BUT it wasn't quite perfect when I took it on the trail. That said, the folks at Itehil were really good about replacing my unit and the new one is working well so far.

[@iTehil]

Thank you for your excellent review, and for helping us find some issues with the initial version, we have optimized it in the standard version in October, and will also let Will review it again to verify it.

[@Venture2Roam]

@@iTehil No brand new product is perfect during the prototype phase…and I am happy to keep testing as I really like what this is aiming to do.

[@dontully7015]

@@Venture2Roam lets maxx this thing out 55 gal drumb non stop limits are good to know and it would make a good show TAP that thing out!!

[@carpman_here8133]

Amazing how things evolve. Made a water purification system years ago out of a three stage filter, 12v water pump, motorcycle battery and small solar charging panel. Has worked for years. Now they have them in a tiny package. Great video.

[@Venture2Roam]

That's some McGyver stuff right there lol. Sometimes those DIY solutions are the best.

[@Gerbyq]

Thanks! I think especially when you're properly overlanding, like driving through S.America, Africa etc. this and a manual pump for backup would be great to have. Lots of advantages to an electric device like this.

[@Venture2Roam]

Ya - at first I thought 2 gallons every 30 mins or so was slow...but actually it turns out, that's not too bad for a system this size. I definitely keep a hand pump for emergencies...but the idea of bringing one less rotopax of water because I know I'll be able to fill up is very interesting to me.

[@backdraft916]

As far as the 2 outlet tubes, a good way to understand them is if you’re on a coastline filtering sea water. One line will be clean, drinkable water; the other contains the original salt content, plus the salinity removed from the first.

[@Venture2Roam]

Really great comment..thanks for explaining it that way!

[@1stRanger]

You can't use this filter for salt water. Fresh water only.

[@FredJumayao]

Thank you for such a detailed and honest review. I just saw the Guzzle H2O Stream Portable Water Purification Kit on one of the Overland Expo videos, kinda pricey but curious about how well and reliable would this newer product be.

[@Venture2Roam]

It’s tough to say. The Guzzle looks good, but is like 3X the cost. The Itehil Pricepoint is attractive in comparison…but I can’t say yet if it’s reliable. I had a prototype…my new unit seems better, but I’m going to try and beat it up to see how it holds up over time.

[@Scrambler85]

Looks like a great unit. I installed a system meant for a house in my van. It's a 7 stage filter system including a UV Filter. Water out of a lake or river shouldn't be a problem.

[@Venture2Roam]

I've been looking at those UV systems...some of them are very interesting. I'd be interested to run some water purity tests between a few different systems...I think I just came up with my next video on the subject lol.

[@1stRanger]

How all this is even related to this filter?

[@onasledoverland]

Waste water is in every reverse osmosis filter system and is one reason I've not installed one in my vehicle. Didn't want to waste water. But, as far as pulling water from a natural source, it's a great idea.

[@Venture2Roam]

The waste water was a new concept for me…but doesn’t bother me any more as I just run it back to the source. There’s a lot to like about this concept…we’ll see how it holds up over time!

[@AllThingsOverlanding]

That's a pretty cool product. I definitely do like the idea of being able to "regenerate" my water supply. Especially because I only take about 3 gallons of water most of the time and have to refill or ration it to make it last. Thanks for sharing! Interested to hear your long term thoughts once you use it more.

[@Venture2Roam]

Thanks Fletch - Ya I wish I could have had more of a definitive opinion on it, but that's what you get with prototypes sometimes. I'll be beating it up over the Fall - hope to be able to report back on it!

[@keithh.2624]

Hmmm. Thanks for the honesty 🤠

[@keithcroshaw]

Very cool! Before you even explained the "grey" water byproduct I was thinking it'd be nice to have less than perfect water for chores. I'd probably bathe with river water though. Maybe feel a little weird about washing dishes with raw river water but maybe wash with river and quick rinse with drinking, don't know, this thing seems to solve that. We're not off the grid yet, so I get to wait while this stuff matures! Even better.

[@Venture2Roam]

Even though I kind of didn't like the "less clean" water thing in the video..on the trail that water was actually useful...i used it for dishes and it worked great...without dipping into my drinking water..so maybe it's not so bad after all lol...as long as I don't have to store the "less clean" water seems like i can find a use for it. Itehil assured me that any pump issues have been solved so I'm looking forward to testing it more.

[@groovejunky2549]

Hi, thanks for the time you took to review this system. Wouldn't it be easier to fill up the jugs in the river and then use the filtration system coming from the jugs to whatever you need pure water for? I suppose you'd get less drinkable water that way, but it seems like half the time you'd be using it to wash things anyways

[@Venture2Roam]

Great comment. Ya - if you were in a hurry and wanted to grab water and keep going you could totally do this. Great idea.

[@frontierstateoverland3816]

I’m glad the new one is working better! It’s such a great idea!

[@Venture2Roam]

Let's see how it hold up!

[@obrianmcc]

They should alternate the color of those hoses ... I might have missed this. What was the battery life?

[@Venture2Roam]

That's a really good point on the hose color. Battery life is 14 gallons, but I haven't fully tested it yet.

[@JasonSnailer]

Sawyer Squeeze. The end lol

[@lazynorse5607]

For backpacking, I've long ago ditched a pump filter and instead use chlorine dioxide tablets. This is for weight/bulk reduction and simplicity. No taste or odor. Almost never have a problem finding clear 'starter' water, so then its just a matter of plopping in a couple tablets per couple liters of water. I'd love to do this for car camping, but the water volumes used are much higher, and those tablets aren't super cheap. Anyway, just a chemical solution amidst a world of mechanical solutions.

[@Venture2Roam]

Great comment! I've never used the tablets but have been curious about them as they seem like such a packable option!

[@trevorrisley5419]

Chlorine Dioxide is exceptional. Not only does it purify your water, but it’s actually excellent for you, too.

[@1stRanger]

This is how RO works. It pushes water through the membrane and membrane being membrane only able to filter certain amount of water, the rest just gets dumped. So there's no way to not have that second outlet. You can either use it as technical water or discard it, which is what's done in most cases. This water is not clean per se as it contains salts and other chemical compounds that failed to squeeze through the membrane (basically the whole point of membrane), but it's cleaner than water that's being filtered since it passed through pre-filter. I wouldn't use this water for anything like washing dishes or taking shower (as it still contains most contaminants) unless you're in a scrutiny or you filter relatively clean water, but then you can probably simply use that water. In a certain way this water will contain more chemical and biological contaminants then water that's being filtered simply because certain percentage of input water gets through the filter as almost pure H2O and the rest keeps all the contaminants becoming more saturated with them. That's why clean water from RO called permeate and waste water brine.

[@Venture2Roam]

This is an excellent comment! Thank you for sharing!!!

[@jjtrades7186]

Dean Kamen developed a solar powered water purifier that used less power than a blow dryer and used plasma to purify even the dirtiest of water. Id buy one of those but haven't seen it on the market

[@jjtrades7186]

It was called the slingshot

[@Venture2Roam]

That sounds awesome!

[@darrellmathis1]

Why not have a connection on the inlet hose where you can connect the non drinkable water and recycle it through the filters again in case your source to purify is limited?

[@Venture2Roam]

I think that’s a pretty clever idea.

[@NorthShoreBronco]

you can, but the waste water is also flushing out your filters. If you recycle it you will decrease your filter life significantly.

[@ghost762]

Illustrates why you need to have a backup system something like iodine drops or something like a sawyer filter

[@Venture2Roam]

Very true. We have a hand pump backup system. I may also start carrying water tablets.

[@Live2dayWanderland]

We love our Lifesaver jerry can

[@Venture2Roam]

I'm interested in the lifesaver too. I've seen many of my friends use it...and if you have the room to carry it, I think it could be a great option.

[@Live2dayWanderland]

@@Venture2Roam It was something I hesitated a bit on due to price but we got a good deal when REI had a 20% coupon. I like the simplicity of it. We have grabbed water out of a river or lake many times with it. The one you reviewed looks pretty good I just hate to have to use any more battery power than necessary and I feel like sometimes more electronic stuff can potentially complicate things. Thanks for the honest review

[@Venture2Roam]

You’re not wrong about electronics complicating things. It’s a double edged sword sometimes. Thanks for sharing more about the lifesaver. Appreciate it!!

[@MrChrisroske]

That spot looks like a spot I would goto on the green belt. Kinda near garden city city hall.

[@Venture2Roam]

It was def on the green belt

[@MrChrisroske]

@@Venture2Roam i went to college at Boise Bible. So I walked that stretch so much. Then my wife and I walked from veterans to Joe’s Crab Shack to try and help induce her with our son.

[@Venture2Roam]

@@MrChrisroske I was sad to see Joes turn into houses!

[@MrChrisroske]

@@Venture2Roam my family and I haven’t been back since may of 2020. I have to pace myself with your videos. Makes me miss Boise and upset we never got to experience all of that adventure. But we have a good amount of national forests a weekends trip around Billings.

[@Casey250]

How many liters per charge is that? :D

[@Venture2Roam]

It depends on the gallon to liter exchange rate I think.

[@TerryManitoba]

If makin' coffee is so mpt to ya - Minerals in the H20 is crucial to make great coffee - RO water has no minerals.

[@Venture2Roam]

Very good point!

[@VictorGarciaR]

I know the video is 1 year old.... but this is IMPORTANT: the input water goes through the machine and a decent percentage (30 to 60%) is transfered through the RO filter annd that is your safe water. The other silicone tube has the remaining water, with all the impurities and shit concetrated in it. They claim it is clean but not safe for drinking because of the carbon pre-filter on the input. Everything that is not stopped by the prefilter will go into the "clean but not drinking" output

[@hrhgalaxy]

Most home RO systems have a “byproduct/waste” vs drinking water ration pending how efficient the system is

[@Venture2Roam]

Good to know…thanks for sharing!!!

[@1stRanger]

You wanted to say all RO systems.

[@angusmcgil]

dude thats how reverse osmosis works they all have the main out and the secondry otherwise the filters would get blocked

[@EliseGeiman]

Are you still using this? How well is this holding up for you?

[@Venture2Roam]

No I’m not. It’s an interesting product, but I stopped using it.

[@EliseGeiman]

@@Venture2Roam I was looking into purchasing it, but I read you can't use it on a regular basis only for emergencies. I wanted one I could use all the time. I have the Big Berkey, and a few of their Black filters, but the EPA banned them from selling them because of the silver content that is in the filter to help kill the viruses and bacteria. The EPA banned them saying that they considered them to be a pesticide. Berkey just came out with a new filter, but now it is only for municipal tap water only. I wanted something for off grid, and using rain water or pond water.

[@Venture2Roam]

@@EliseGeiman​​⁠I think there are other reverse osmosis systems out there that are more reliable. They are also more expensive.

[@SACMP6]

@@Venture2Roamwhy did u stop using?

[@Venture2Roam]

@@SACMP6the prototype they sent me has a few issues.

[@damnu8089]

No matter how many times someone says 9999 .99 percent it still means 99% only

[@arborealscout4252]

no dude, its (waste water) the price you pay for any RO system. Read a book.

[@Venture2Roam]

What book would you suggest?

[@arborealscout4252]

@@Venture2Roam how to be an influencer

[@Venture2Roam]

@@arborealscout4252 I thought you were going to recommend “How to be a Troll” since you’ve clearly mastered it.