This New Outdoors Water Filter Technology Changes EVERYTHING!

Why do you need a water filter for your hiking, camping and trail running adventures? And which one should you buy?
Pure Clear Filter: geni.us/5tybvu
Salomon Filter: geni.us/piBdNI
Lifestraw Peak (same as Salomon): geni.us/WAsDYPB
Grayl Ultrapress: geni.us/MFvmE
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[@northwestwalking]

Stephen you broke it down by volumetric cost! One of my favorite character traits you have is the abundance of over analysis. I’ve used the Grayl for a couple years now. It’s served me well in countries that are guaranteed to “flush your system” I found the weight issue can be easily counter by slipping the bottle into my wife’s bag. Cheers!

[@StephenJReid]

😂 always good getting someone else to carry it

[@Jaypher]

lolllll "babe can you hold this" and then proceeds to hike 5 miles

[@mountaineer5596]

One can fill a water bottle and suck clean water from it using a Life Straw. A person does not need to put the straw into the stream.

[@reluctantfellrunner]

Nicely put together. Best wishes out there. Been a wet one!

[@Hikingjoe383]

Great video I'm convinced I'm going to get the pure clear one.

[@lifesahobby]

thanks for the insights into the different products side by side

[@davidcann6021]

I was on a bushcraft course and mentioned to the instructor that my befree lets through the peaty water colour in the Peak District. He said if it's letting that through it's not filtering everything out and from the looks of what that does filter vs the Pure Clear it's a shocker. I've now ordered two conversion caps to fit my befree and CNOC bladders. Good to see a British company making some decent too.

[@StephenJReid]

Yeah befree is just a fibre filter. Grand for higher places (if you don’t mind the flavour)

[@greyshape4247]

Excellent video. I just bought three collapsible filters.

[@BimbleWithBruce]

Great Video and insight. The Pure Clear seems the best choice for me and I'll be popping it on my list of things to get. Thanks

[@StephenJReid]

Glad it was useful Bruce!

[@colinboxall2692]

Really useful 👍👍👍

[@nicholaslafferty3928]

Good to know the new info. I still probably prefer sawyer with inline carbon filter. Its slower and slightly more bulk, but lasts much longer and the activated carbon can be replenished. Good to know this is an option if i was in some sort of race or just wanted to shave down to the slimmest pack.

[@scottrok13]

Have Grayls for emergency kit bags/stationary camping. Have a collapsible silicone cup to uses with a lifestraw in my bicycling backpack bag =for day trip/areas with sketchy water supplies (in Wisconsin, we have some state parks that have drinking fountains connected to old iron hand pump/wells with extremely rusty pipes). Appreciate your information on the collapsible water bag options may look to purchase one of those as for day hikes!💧🥾

Grayl has been a life saver

[@Hisenormity]

Brilliant. Really useful information. Thanks for that 😊

[@StephenJReid]

You’re welcome 🙂

[@chefgav1]

Useful how? Bloke doesn’t know difference between filter and purifier

[@Wild.cat.adventures]

Interesting vid cheers Stephen! Thought about doing a similar one myself as I have several different filters. The clear blue looks good! 👍

[@StephenJReid]

Thanks! I get asked about filters all the time so thought I should finally just make a video.

[@Wild.cat.adventures]

@@StephenJReid haha just realised I put clear blue which is a pregnancy test 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@dontfencemein.6125]

Slower speed. Done right. Thanks for the info Stephen.ATB,

[@michaelkinahan1829]

Excellent review. Thank you

[@StephenJReid]

Thanks

[@techvillage]

Really good review - I currently have a Katadyn, and will be getting the Pure Clear - thanks for making the choice easy for me :)

[@StephenJReid]

No problem, glad you found this useful

[@chefgav1]

Avoid as its 2log virus results are average at best.

[@Falcorsky]

The Pure Clear looks like the winner. Lightweight, affordable, purifies everything. 200 liters is 3 liters a day for 66 days.

[@StephenJReid]

It’s 200 litres though. Where did you get 1400?

[@jepulis6674]

Its or 2 months so shy of 66 days. A bit shit and would love to see if that 200l holds up in water that actually needs filtering. Here its common sense to first use coffee filter on some lake waters so you dont kill larger hand pump filter too soon.

[@chefgav1]

@@StephenJReidjust an FYI it’s virus filtration results were average at best with only a 2log reduction. Also there active water filter bottle comes from alibaba so identical to many many out there.

[@timonix2]

​@@StephenJReid Their webpage say 1400. But my guess is that the carbon filter is good for 200L and the 1400 number is for bacteria and cysts with basically zero protection from virus. Similar to the grayl and many other carbon based filters

[@adverspace]

Nice! Just the video I've been wanting to see!

[@StephenJReid]

Which one do you think would suit you?

[@adverspace]

I really liked the portable squeezy one for travelling light, but I'd go with that bulky solid one @@StephenJReid

[@StephenJReid]

Yeah the Grayl is brilliant for camping when you don’t mind the weight

[@IvanDP1967]

Brilliant review Stephen, very informative 👍 Never really thought I'd have a need for a water filter with my camping requirements, but I have just picked up a cheap one from AliExpress 99% of my water consumption is in either tea or coffee, so boiling would take care of most of the nasties, but always thought it might be nice not to have bits of grit and other chewy things in my drink if I have to use something apart from tap water. Only tested once in our local brook so far, but it seems to do what I wanted it to do 😁 That PureClear one though looks excellent for anyone who needs a larger amount of good quality water, but is limited for space and weight.

[@StephenJReid]

No one ever wants to chew their tea 🤢

[@timmo971]

Pretty happy with the MSR Trailshot

[@StephenJReid]

I had a look at it but seemed like a bit of extra hassle to have to pump the water through

[@thewestonfront]

A technical point for the geeks out there - filters which remove heavy metals and pesticide almost certainly do not do so by _filtration_- to have a filter so fine that it can remove metal ions (this is possible and is called reverse osmosis) requires a lot of pressure, far more than you could generate by squeezing a bag or sucking on the outlet. These contaminants are almost certainly removed by adsorption which partly explains the lower lifetime (volume treatable).

[@tapeglue8315]

Stop obfuscating the issue with facts!

[@chefgav1]

Your are confused between a filter and a purifier.Not all filters filter heavy metals.

[@andrewtopping6343]

I've just trialled the Pure Clear on a 25K hill race in the Mournes. Really hard to get a decent mouthful of water, had to suck and squeeze for 2-3secs to get enough. Not ideal when running over rough terrain. Interestingly, the Pure Clear lid and filter fit and seal onto my Salomon filter bottle. I used that combo as the Salomon is much easier to re-insert into running vest when refilling. In future, I'll use Salomon bottle/filter, but carry Pure Clear filter in case refilling from source I'm not too sure about.

[@rafaelroman3867]

Hi thank you. But the link does not lead to the pure clean. Where can I buy the pure clean water bottle and filter

[@stephenbailie2086]

Great video Stephen, another piece of kit added to the Amazon wishlist 😂

[@StephenJReid]

Gotta start early before Christmas! 😂

[@stuartaminion511]

amazon does not carry pure clear water filters but yes on salomon and grayl

[@stephenbailie2086]

@@stuartaminion511 they are on there just currently out of stock.

[@stuartaminion511]

@@stephenbailie2086 thank you

[@dmac4097]

Great reviews really professional

[@Sub5_77]

the soft ones are handy, but its easy to make holes, rip it etc. also, microplastics.

[@lilianm7151]

Is the Pure Clear system available out side UK?

[@MarvinofMars]

I managed windfarms on up land sites in NI. My projects specified drilling wells. Even on summits, irons, legionelala and Ecoli was always of the scales. No mission no thanks. I bring my own.

[@britinmadrid]

Useful video, thanks. However, I do have a LifeStraw bottle which works similarly to the Grayl in that a bottle scoops up the water before the cap with the straw screws on. It has a 650ml capacity and the brand is Verstergaard. Obviously, it is heavier but it is a good bottle fur using at camp or on a bike.

[@UnboundedArtandCrafts]

That list sounds like stuff we can also find in normal tap water 😅 I'm still looking for a good affordable one as an emergency back to have at home.

[@Sub5_77]

if u want anything for just home, straw should be enough imho.

[@paulkennedy5021]

That was interesting Stephen. What do you think did the harm when you got sick? Chemicals from the trees or the fuel/lubs of the harvesting equipment? I have a Grayl and a Sawyer Squeeze and i nearly always go with the Sawyer because its smaller and I'm collecting water near source. I'm camping not running so i process about 2 litres in one go when i get to my location. I hang it in a tree and let gravity do the work. Grayl warn you about peat blocking the filter. Grayl is too big and bulky. The Sawyer can be put in a ziplock bag and put in your pocket and into your sleeping bag when its freezing. Couldnt sleep with a Grayl lol. I take the Grayl if I'm doing a bit of glamping with the wife because you never know about the plumbing and it is a "catch all". I definitely think I will buy one of those Pure Clear as it hits the sweet spot with quality water, weight and price. Thank you.

[@jannesaksala]

About the Lifestraw: Why not to take water with a dish (cup, bottle etc.) and suck from there? Don't have to knee.

[@scottweitzenhoffer2575]

Do you know whether the Pure Clear filter bottle will be available from US storefronts?

[@sammccracken8256]

Cheers for this. I need a water filter and i didnt know where to start. Pureclear seems the best option for me.

[@StephenJReid]

Thanks Sam

[@Martycycleman]

You could add water to go, to your list😊

[@yasodam5479]

I’ve been wondering about these, perfect timing! About 15 years ago I spent an afternoon trailing around all the local outdoor shops with a friend buying up all the last iodine tablets before they were pulled from the shelves. He completely refuses to use chlorine tablets to this day 😅 How things have changed! Added reminiscing: Small dry bags were experimental stage too (but I still have mine from from 2009 trade shows 😁)

[@StephenJReid]

Great advancements, I’ve drank countless litres with my filter bottle on mountain runs. Including from a couple of suspect sources when a bit desperate

[@yasodam5479]

@@StephenJReid Chocolate sheep drops are usually my biggest concern in my area so good to know!

[@SuperdutyExplorer]

Thanks for the info. I have the tabs for emergency but never used... bought the life straw but don't take it with me/never used😂 only thing I've done so far is boil water or melt snow!! But I've also only winter camped!

[@andys990]

I just purchased a Grayl bottle as I got a 20% off coupon and was able to get the titanium version that I can put on a campfire to heat the water as well. It's my 4th water filtration option. Why have so many? Depends on where I am going, how much I trust the water, etc. I also have a lifestraw in my BOB as it's so easy to just leave in there in the package at all times and guarantees that in an emergency if I forget to grab anything else I at least have something basic, even if it's not the preferable option. Sadly it looks like Pure Clear does not ship to America.

[@StephenJReid]

Yeah I have these 3 filters I’ll use for different things. I saw the titanium Grayl, expensive but a cool bit of kit

[@chefgav1]

@@StephenJReidplease don’t compare the grayl and the pure as 1 is a purifier and other is a filter.your video failed the most basic of fact-checking.Both are totally different

[@babar69110]

don't forget to talk about two ways of contamination. first, , filling the bottles, non clean water gets around the tip... Second, your mouth is a bacterial nest... especially in summer, you need to really flush a bit and clean the tip. You can see it using any bottle. Moisture will fast come on the silicon o rings.

[@robertlavery6896]

Don't see why people wouldn't choose the pure clear, I always have a cup or something wit me, so I want to flavour the water, no problem.

[@justinw1765]

Regarding the Pure Clear filter, the filter itself looks nice, but I checked out all of the different containers and I don't like the materials they use. The hard bottles are Tritan plastic, the smaller soft squeeze bottles are TPU, and the bladders are ABS. All of these either leach significant amounts of hormone disruptor chemicals and/or add a definite taste to the water if water sits in it for any length of time. Would be nice to see some options in medical grade silicone (the least leaching of human made non metal container materials) or at the very least HDPE. I really can't stand the plasticky, chemically taste that a lot of plastic containers impart to water.

[@Kcirtap-en7pz]

I‘ve been using the katadyn befree filter for several years. Never had any problems and the water tastes like the water source you filter. Just use clear small streams and you are good to go. Edit: After watching this I will get a Pure Clear filter for the lower areas with more man made contamination.

[@StephenJReid]

Yeah the fibre filters are great for higher areas. But definitely worth having something more robust lower down, we have bad problems here with farm runoff and pollution in most lowland rivers

[@AldenWeebsta]

I loved my Katadyn BeFree filters but I have never had one of the filters last longer than a trip or two. They clog, pretty much immediately. And yes, I store them dry and clean them when I get home...

[@Prince_Buster]

That was superb Stephen, I've been using the Katadyn but on higher ground only, prior to this I also had the OG Lifestraw. Have to say that the Pure Clear is now a no brainer and even carry both based on the eight ratio.

[@StephenJReid]

That’s a good shout, could easily carry the pure Clear and the Salomon/katadyn for less than 200grams and benefits of all

[@chefgav1]

Video was terrible. Compares the grayl which is a purifier to one is which is a filter. He makes no distinction. Grayl and pureclear are totally different

[@hllok]

At 09:25, you say the Solomon costs £ .045 or 4.5 pence, but the screen shows £. 45 or 45 pence, making it look three times the cost of the Pur, as opposed to 1/3 the cost. Otherwise, Great video and review!

[@TrailBoundco]

Is the slower filter speed of the pure clean close to the same rate as the Kayden?

[@riddimchef1]

What is your opinion on the Lifesaver bottle 🤔

[@helenreeves6978]

Very good review, especially the environmental impact of the throwaway plastic bits. I’m in the market for a new filter, so if you survive a few more weeks after use,I’ll get one 🤣🤣

[@StephenJReid]

Used it a few more times and no diarrhoea so far 😂

[@chefgav1]

Review was terrible. Doesn’t understand the difference between a filter and a purifier

[@nicok84]

Does the Pure Clear has the same thread as the Salomon/Katadyn which are all the same, cause Hydrapak is the manufacturer for both. Would be nice if I could just buy the Filter/Screw Top and put it on my Flasks I already have.

[@StephenJReid]

Yeah 40mm

[@thewestonfront]

Both really interesting and very entertaining too. Surprised however that you didn't mention a Sawyer or Katadyn filter. I have a Sawyer which can be back flushed and claims a very very long lifetime. It is a 0.1 micron absolute filter and thus can easily take out bacteria and protozoa, but the pore size is not small enough to take out viruses - that makes the Pure Clear very interesting.

[@thewestonfront]

Liked and sub'd

[@bc81]

The pure clear looks the same kind of flow rate as the Sawyer mini. I use the befree and normal Sawyer squeeze. I use knoc soft water bottles.

[@StephenJReid]

Yeah similar to sawyer flow except this filters out a LOT more than the sawyer. The sawyer is a fibre filter I think

[@spuds1002]

Thanks Stephen, is the the Pure Filter interchangeable with a Salomon soft flask - i.e. same thread?

[@pureclearfiltersltd896]

Yes it is, its a 42mm cap lid which is the same thread as the Salomon, Katadyn and the Life Straw Soft Flask

[@Dave_Outside]

One thing nice about the Grayl is it’s obviously more durable. What happens if the plastic bag of the others bust? Gayle also had a titanium model and you can use the outside container to boil water. Kinda expensive though.

[@TrailBoundco]

If using to fill up a 2L hydration bladder how long do you think the two soft flasks take? Which one packs down smaller?

[@StephenJReid]

The pure clean will be the slowest. I think it takes at least a full minute to refill one of my 500ml flasks. The Salomon fibre filter takes about 15seconds

[@joanhuggett5164]

Oh yes! ELO. I'm subscribing!

[@StephenJReid]

Thanks! 🙂

[@KalpeshPatel78]

Have you tried the Hydroblu? Pls try that as well. I have had it since a few years, traveling over south east Asia, India and Srilanka, where most water sources are questionable (unless store bought). the filter portion of it is quite small and the water flow is quite good. If you have access to it, pls check it out. They give 1 spare filter with it as well. and I bought a pack of 5 filters along with it.

[@jamesmartin5952]

Hi, have you considered the Water-to-Go bottles? They filter viruses and heavy metals too, with cheap replacement filters.

[@TheDeterminedRunner]

I've not come across Pure Clear before, looks like a good option if my Katadyn filter ever gives up the ghost 👻

[@StephenJReid]

Fits katadyn bottles too so you don’t have to buy everything

[@mananddog.outdoors]

Excellent review mate. With the pure clear filter, does it block up completely when its time for a new filter? I was going to get the Salomon one, but after seeing this, I may go for the Pure Clear.

[@StephenJReid]

I asked them that and they said you need to keep track of it yourself. I’d guess that it could filter more than 200people if it’s mostly cleaner water you’re filtering. I’m just keeping a note on my phone, don’t think it needs to be 100% accurate

[@mananddog.outdoors]

@@StephenJReid wouldn't be too difficult to keep track of it. If in doubt, overestimate what you've used. I'm currently using the Sawyer mini, flow rate is crap on that. Looking for something for my fastpacking trips this year.

[@StephenJReid]

@@mananddog.outdoors flow rate with the pure clear is similar to the sawyer. Although the sawyer is just a fibre filter. I can live with the slower flow rate for fast packing as the weight savings are the most important

[@Nell-Hamilton]

@@StephenJReid as long as it fails by becoming too clogged and slow, vs lets the nasties through, then I guess you can keep using it as long as water keeps coming through...?

[@danfox2575]

Here in the US, the pure clear filter setup is SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive than the Grayl (by about $40). I've never seen anything from your side of the pond so outrageously marked up, especially since the US and UK have trade agreements in place - so I doubt it's any kind of tariff scheme adding to the price. But until they come down in price, I doubt you'll be seeing much adoption over here. Looks like an interesting product, though!

[@StephenJReid]

Where are you seeing it for sale? There have been a few places buying and reselling them at high markup. I don’t think they officially sell to US yet

[@danfox2575]

@@StephenJReid ah, that explains it. It did seem like a disreputable site, now that I think of it.

[@N1cholls93]

Love to see your review on Water-to-go. Bacteria, viruses heavy metals, 3 stage filtration and 2 filters around 20 quid (active bottle tho it’s squeezy)

[@AjaySingh-228]

0:20 ha ha You are a funny man...I really enjoy your reactions....I never knew there were so many different types of water filters! Thanks for this great comparison SirToday your videos are like science lessons..I love it it's easy to understand...I like it

[@StephenJReid]

Thanks Ajay 🙂

[@AjaySingh-228]

@@StephenJReid you are welcome Sir

[@Falcorsky]

On the website "For every product purchased Pure Clear Filters provides 1400 litres of pure, clean and safe drinking water to those that need it most." They also come in 1000ml for longer hikes which is nice. Thanks for the video Stephen!

[@StephenJReid]

They donate to a water charity with every purchase to provide 1400 litres to people without access to clean water

[@frambo7]

I echo the other comments also being a katadyn user. Gonna give the pure clear a try.Another interesting video Stephen. I think your getting the hang of it😂😂😂

[@StephenJReid]

Ha! I do think it’s taken me 5years to figure this KZbin thing out 😂

[@toejamr1]

Sawyer is the only option. Much longer life and they donate all proceeds to helping undeveloped places around the world to get clean water.

[@cathye.9659]

What about the Sawyer Squeeze? Apparently it’s popular with through hikers.

[@alexmcneily]

Used this for years. You can backflush when it gets clogged.

[@sdemosi]

I have the Grayl and am very happy with it. It makes any water I've drunk on hiking tours taste great. It's bulky however

[@chefgav1]

This guy doesn’t know what he is talking about. Grayl is a purifier and the pureclear is a filter. Both are totally different.

[@nicholaskeen3586]

Have you ever tried the nalgene epic water filter bottle?

[@Chase3141]

I don't know if it's because it's a newer product or what, but it looks like the pure clear filter in not available in the US. I only found it on a couple of weird sites that all had them for more than $80.

[@pureclearfiltersltd896]

Chase3141 what websites did you find it on out of interest?

[@neilwhite8131]

I have the grayl geopress and a pure clear active bottle. The grayl you can chug from and also top up extra other bottles plus i think it is a little more robust. But the pure clear is very good and for the price is a god buy. However it does take a bit of a good suck to get working. Also the pure clear is a UK based company.

[@StephenJReid]

Yeah the Grayl is a beast of a filter. Just heavy. They have just released a titanium version, it’s a bit lighter but costs £200!

[@pixelpeter3883]

Loved the impromptu ELO bit :-)

[@StephenJReid]

Haha someone actually watched to the end 😁 I like to hide things at the end

[@pixelpeter3883]

@@StephenJReid I know some Jutubers do that ;-)

[@garybroughton6434]

I’ve got a Platypus QuickDraw (which I’ve not actually used yet 🙄). It’s hollow fibre too. Stats say “removal of 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoa” But also, that it won’t remove tastes from water. So I expect it also wouldn’t remove metals and the like. For £30, that Pure Clear looks like a winner, especially with water sources, that you’re less certain of 👍🏼 Cheers, Gary B

[@StephenJReid]

Platypus sounds very similar to Salomon and Katadyn

[@garybroughton6434]

@@StephenJReid yep definitely. Wish I’d known about the Pure Clear before now, looks ace. Oh well, something else added to the basket 🤣🫣

[@seankelleher4222]

99.9% of Protozoa isn’t crash hot if there’s a serious risk of that.

[@seancorr7172]

Hi stephen were was clip at 4.23 filmed your talking about Bann looks familiar

[@StephenJReid]

Lough Beg

[@seancorr7172]

Yip my back yard

[@chrisstewart2279]

Hi Stephen You got the graphics wrong on the screen ,you put up 45p instead of 4.5p Can't believe nobody else seen it

[@lifesahobby]

i've been using the grayl for over 6 months since july.. almost every time i am out i use it. Its only problem is in the cold it is nearly impossible to get the cylinder out without rocking it in the cold. It has changed my entire out door experience. being able to get water as i need it is excellent. Clean clear water every time

[@StephenJReid]

Grayl is a brilliant bit of kit if you don’t mind the weight. I suppose it does save you having to carry extra water so for still weight savings

[@lifesahobby]

@@StephenJReid The 500ml is to me a sign of what they were thinking making it. You have effectively a 4 hour system. For every two hours you need on average 500 ml. that means you have 500 ml at the car, then 500ml two hours later, and carry only the flask empty. the 500ml is the key , well as i see it. I have heard the system just slows down rather than fails. still testing mate, so the jury for me is still out until the unti has lived a life with me. I still only tap into water i trust.. or even pre boiled. if i'm out, for a camp i drink 50 percent boiled and 50 percent filtered, but for hiking... for me, the grayl is all i know of this stuff so far. its always interesting to read the comments on these topics. I just thought i'd let you know my experience. the worst was a cold day, cold hands, cold grayl, low strength, i could not budge it from the cylinder, i figured out that wiggling it was the way to go. The unit was empty and out in the wind chill for at least two hours. i did get it open though. but a challenge.

[@StephenJReid]

@@lifesahobby That's good to know, I haven used mine on a really cold day yet

[@justinw1765]

Someone needs to design a vacuum based distiller system. Pull enough vacuum on a container closed system, and you can dramatically drop the boiling temperature of water. This is what I am thinking: Two anodized aluminum containers connected by a stainless steel or coated copper tube. Some way to pull out the air on the system. One bottle painted ultra black and one painted white. The black one either gets put in the sun or put over a low energy heat source of some kind to warm, the other bottle put in the cool ground, in some water, or the like

[@JK-pg2qn]

I'm not sure that would work. It's not the "boiling" that's supposed to kill all the nasties in water, it's heating water to near 100 degrees.

[@justinw1765]

@@JK-pg2qn when liquid water converts into vapor, there is very little that gets carried with it. Sometimes some solvent type gases can escape with it (like say ethanol), but not bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Even viruses are too heavy/dense. Water distillation is known as the best form of water purification, followed by reverse osmosis as the next.

[@JK-pg2qn]

@@justinw1765 ooh! I must have missed the word "distiller" from your initial message. In that case, fully agreed.

[@Oldsparkey]

Many years ago I had a Grayl when they 1st came on the market , used it one time and got rid of it. It weighed a ton compared to other filters and produced the least amount of clean water. Switched over to the little Sawyer filters then when the Katadyn BeFree filter came on the market I went with it. A few years ago Sawyer came out with a purifier that takes everything out. The Sawyer Select Purifier S3. It's good for 400 , 20 oz refills and weighs 10 oz. I like it for when I'm in a agricultural area and am sure there is a lot of nasty stuff in the water. Regressing , I recently got another Grayl but this time the GeoPress ( Not the Ultrapress ) for car camping since weight in not a factor.

[@PaulComptonPDphotography]

What about the sawyer mini

[@StephenJReid]

I had one, it’s a fibre filter. My problem with it was that the flow rate was worse than the Salomon filter and the thin plastic bottle/bag it came with has a tendency to burst, which mine did.

[@xaderalert]

Sawyer squeeze would be better than the mini for flow rate. Pair it with a CNOC bag and ditch the crappy bag it came with

[@buzzman4860]

pure Clear is UK only?

[@StephenJReid]

Currently yes

[@thewestonfront]

I am really really interested to look into the Pure Clear, because a downside of fibre filters that was not mentioned is that the fibres (which are in fact tiny diameter tubes) can burst when allowed to freeze with water in them thus ruining the filter and letting lots of stuff through. Pure Clear looks like a single membrane. Would you care to comment @StephenJReid

[@lauraweiss7875]

I’ve used the Katadyn BeFree since it came on the market and before that I used the Sawyer and Sawyer Mini. I’ve used these in Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin (all heavily agricultural states) as well as mountain states like Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho, and I’ve never gotten sick or noticed a weird taste. Maybe our EPA does a better job of regulating agricultural runoff?

[@StephenJReid]

That’s possible, we have massive problems here in Northern Ireland. A lot of agri runoff and other pollution, it’s been warned about since the 70s and nothing has been done. Last summer there was a massive toxic algae bloom that turned entire lakes and rivers green and even contaminated beaches. Loads of dogs, swans and some other animals died and people got sick Regular fish kills from slurry too.

[@jaycoane6127]

Excellent analysis Stephen!

[@StephenJReid]

Thanks Jay

[@kurtsteiner8384]

British army use a banks bag to collect water. Then put it in a container and then use life strw to get water with life straw. Am sure ther are many co.binations of fitration . What ever works for you.

[@RobertsBulgaria]

When someone comes up with a portable backpack water filter that will remove nitrates and nitrites then, I'll believe, but until then, they're a misnomer and potentially asking to be sued for misrepresentation at some future date.

[@StephenJReid]

I’ve asked and this will remove a % of nitrates although it hasn’t been lab tested yet to find out the exact percentage.

[@RobertsBulgaria]

@@StephenJReid My understanding and I'm no scientist or expert in this field, is that the only sure way to remove nitrates and nitrites is through reverse osmosis. I live in a village with no mains water (yes, imagine that in the European Union) and have a borehole 30 metres deep. My borehole water has high concentration of limescale so I have to use a brine filter to treat (soften) the water albeit, I do not drink it preferring to bring in water from recognised natural spring sources some distance away. I'm fortunate as most of my neighbours don't have the funds to sink 30 metre deep boreholes and so use Wells on average 6 - 18 metres deep. Those few who have had their water tested were far from healthy to drink, but they have little choice and you build up a tolerance, but we don't know the long-term effects and cannot link the number of cancer deaths to the local water source either. This is an area of intensive farming which doesn't help either. You mentioned and depicted very aptly the result of drinking contaminated water and that is the quick effect of the stomach trying to rid itself of the offensive toxins. You take a cup or a teaspoon of some of the local waters in India, Africa etc. that the locals drink without any visible detrimental problems and you'll probably say goodbye to most of your stomach besides the parasites. Bottom line is such, any form of filtering is better than none and boiling when that option is available will greatly assist purification, but in the longer term, who knows. Your video prompted me to watch another documentary video about water filters in Singapore and the proof was that they were really no better than the chlorinated tap water - hence your comment about the aftertaste, but it is still a much cheaper option than those filters. Old school Millbank bag and water purification tablets is the best it got for most of us old soldiers.

[@StephenJReid]

@@RobertsBulgaria interesting stuff! Glad not to have that problem, although we do have a water filter at home but it’s really for taste, the tap water here is pretty good. Do you know if nitrates in water are the same as the ones used for preservatives in lots of food? Like I know sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate are used for curing meat and very common in processed pork products.

[@RobertsBulgaria]

@@StephenJReid You're right, I have used such to cure salt pork into bacon etc. However, I am of the opinion that the nitrates and nitrites in our local streams are solely from run off from the nitrogens and insecticides used on intensive farmed fields surrounding us. Yield and profit over health and little thought for the future.

[@boogada]

Your math it off by an order of magnitude for the Grayl and Salomon. Making the Clear 3x as expensive as the others.

[@StephenJReid]

How?

[@boogada]

@@StephenJReid your graphic says they cost 0.45 and 0.55 per liter. Compared to 0.15 for the Clear. In reality it's 0.045 and 0.055. So one decimal off.

[@StephenJReid]

I messed up the graphics, didn’t notice at the time. The Clear is much cheaper 🙈

[@SailingInFaith]

We have to use a water desalination which turns salt water into drinking water

[@StephenJReid]

Is that a big system?

[@SailingInFaith]

@@StephenJReid about the size of a carry on suitcase

[@SailingInFaith]

@@ExploringForGold hi, I think you are confusing under the counter units with marine units. In theory they are similar but it practice they are very different. It’s a different kind of membrane that requires a lot of pressure to force the water through. Carbon only removes chemical based compound’s such as tannins as the pores in the carbon act as traps and are only good for a short period of time before they get overloaded and dump what ever they have trapped back into the solution they where extracted from. As for sodium chloride (salt) I’d be questioning any marine ro device that left this in it. I’ve been using RO devices since 1983 and have had outputs tested in laboratories I’m pretty happy with the output that they produce. I do appreciate your concern and warning though

[@truneilson]

Too bad the Pure Clear is not available in the USA.

[@xjessukx]

Can the pure clear be back flushed ?

[@StephenJReid]

What does that do? I don’t think so though, didn’t see it mentioned anywhere

[@xjessukx]

@StephenJReid if it gets clogged from heavy sediment, the saywer comes with a syringe, and the be free, you rinse the hollow fibre in clean water

[@xGodZiilA]

Kinda odd to not compare a sawyer

[@StephenJReid]

There’s a huge number of different brands, I didn’t test. I was more interested in comparing the different technologies. I used a Sawyer mini in the past it’s just a fibre filter

[@adamkencki]

everything, really? how does it change the melting ice?

[@user-el7ed9vx3f]

You explained all that in layman’s 👍

[@StephenJReid]

Thanks! I wrote a script for this one so I didn’t waffle too much 😀

[@JarradShaw]

❤

[@shawndean6878]

The life straw was not designed for recreational running. It’s a survival tool

[@StephenJReid]

It was originally designed for third world countries with bad water. But it’s now advertised as being for “hiking, camping, travel & emergency” so I’ve seen lots of people buying them for recreational activities and been frustrated

[@paulg1992]

@@StephenJReid I scoop water into a container, stand up and put the lifestraw into the container. Def more effort to suck through than a pressure system pushing through.

[@sagrav84]

Too bad the Pure Clear it is not available in Mexico nor USA 😢

[@StephenJReid]

Ohh I will ask them if they have plans to sell in US

[@mltamarlin]

For the salmon filer you say 0.045 per liter, but on screen you show 0.45 per liter

[@StephenJReid]

Whoops 🙈

[@ElfAzzid]

I guess if you've lived on municipal all your life you would need a filter. But I grew up drinking water from tanks, rivers, creeks, dams, even puddles when need be. I guess I have the immune system for it. I've never been sick. I even lived in a place where we pumped water straight from a river, down stream of cattle farms, and found a completely decomposed dead rat in the tank. Drank that water for 5 years with no illness.

[@george1984]

The only way to prove the quality of the filter element is through laboratory testing. There is absolutely no basis for testing the taste with mouth.

[@StephenJReid]

These have been lab tested.

[@stuartaminion511]

you know you can put water in a bottle and use the life strew that way...ummm.

[@h.bsfaithfulservant4136]

👍👌

[@steiner554]

I'd love to see some laboratory results as I don't trust any of these companies. Especially one that offers it that cheap as Pure Clear and claims to filter man made toxins and metals.

[@StephenJReid]

Why don’t you trust them?

[@ianmcmichael8799]

Happy days just spent £30

[@StephenJReid]

Enjoy 🙂