Water Filtering

Discuss food & groceries, share recipes, and other backcountry cooking & food-related topics here!

Moderator: hooky

homebase_lonestar
NewbieCake
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:48 am
Has thanked: 3 times

Water Filtering

Post by homebase_lonestar »

Just checking things off (and double/triple checking) my list as my trip to Isle Royale gets closer (Mid-July).

Does anyone have a water filter protocol they've used and trusted while on the island? I'm thinking about filtering water multiple times through different filters before I use it in my bottles or reservoir. Is that necessary or would one filter be enough?

Right now I have a Katadyn BeFree Filter on my bottle and a MSR thru-line filter on my reservoir. Is there any need to add another filter system/protocol before that?
User avatar
IncaRoads
Forum Moderator
Posts: 347
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 1:52 pm
Isle Royale Visits: 14
Location: St. Paul, MN / Fernandina Beach, FL
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 57 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by IncaRoads »

On Isle Royale, it is recommended to use a 0.4 micron or finer water filter. The BeFree and MSR in-line filters are 0.1 and 0.2 microns, respectively. You should be fine with that setup.
homebase_lonestar
NewbieCake
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:48 am
Has thanked: 3 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by homebase_lonestar »

Thanks IncaRoads, that's what I was thinking, just wanted a little confirmation!
User avatar
TopCarrot
Trailblazer
Posts: 149
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2020 6:29 am
Isle Royale Visits: 8
Location: SW Michigan
Has thanked: 56 times
Been thanked: 62 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by TopCarrot »

I use a Sawyer and if I am in dirty water (edge of inland lake) pre-filter through a T shirt just to keep the solids out of the filter
22 CH-ML-ML-LRC-DF-CA-RH
21 3M-MB-McC-TH-ND-WC
21 LC-DF-McC-CH-MB-RH
20 HC-FL-SB-SD-MB-MB-RH
19 TH-ND-WC-SD-ML Via Voyager McC
18 DF-CH-DF
18 LC-DF-LR-RH
17 CW-SD-WC greenstone in 50hrs
Vandy
Trailblazer
Posts: 153
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:33 pm
Isle Royale Visits: 5
Location: Raleigh, NC
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 9 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by Vandy »

Based on a suggestion here many years ago I use a coffee filter over the inlet.
torpified
IR Expert
Posts: 594
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:06 pm
Isle Royale Visits: 6
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Has thanked: 238 times
Been thanked: 120 times
Contact:

Re: Water Filtering

Post by torpified »

+1 on the pre-filter. IR sources can be mucky/gritty, which can clog a BeFree in a hurry. While I admire the multiple use aspect of the t-shirt method, I use a coffee filter: I keep my cookpot handy, and use it to scoop from the water source, then pour the water through the coffee filter into the squeeze bag.
backwoods doc
Trailblazer
Posts: 191
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2019 5:38 pm
Isle Royale Visits: 6
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Has thanked: 77 times
Been thanked: 87 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by backwoods doc »

Trying to wrap my head around the T-shirt method. Is this a clean T-shirt (now soiled and wet)? A dirty T-shirt (now more soiled and wet and less available as an emergency back-up)? A T-shirt that is currently being worn (some acrobatics involved)? A T-shirt currently being worn by an unsuspecting companion (the companion now lying in the drink and feeling betrayed)?
2018, 2019, 2021 (all inland lakes by canoe); 2022 X2 (RH and WC); 2023 HC
Iconic
NewbieCake
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:15 am
Isle Royale Visits: 4
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by Iconic »

An Alaskan bud told me he uses coffee filters as a water pre-filter. Quite light for sure.
User avatar
TopCarrot
Trailblazer
Posts: 149
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2020 6:29 am
Isle Royale Visits: 8
Location: SW Michigan
Has thanked: 56 times
Been thanked: 62 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by TopCarrot »

backwoods doc wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 2:15 pm Trying to wrap my head around the T-shirt method. Is this a clean T-shirt (now soiled and wet)? A dirty T-shirt (now more soiled and wet and less available as an emergency back-up)? A T-shirt that is currently being worn (some acrobatics involved)? A T-shirt currently being worn by an unsuspecting companion (the companion now lying in the drink and feeling betrayed)?
It had been my t-shirt, but now it will always be the unsuspecting companion. much better.
22 CH-ML-ML-LRC-DF-CA-RH
21 3M-MB-McC-TH-ND-WC
21 LC-DF-McC-CH-MB-RH
20 HC-FL-SB-SD-MB-MB-RH
19 TH-ND-WC-SD-ML Via Voyager McC
18 DF-CH-DF
18 LC-DF-LR-RH
17 CW-SD-WC greenstone in 50hrs
User avatar
hooky
IR Expert
Posts: 791
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:26 am
Isle Royale Visits: 2
Location: Central Indiana
Has thanked: 138 times
Been thanked: 54 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by hooky »

Iconic wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 4:52 pm An Alaskan bud told me he uses coffee filters as a water pre-filter. Quite light for sure.
Back when I pumped, I would use a coffee filter for the inlet. Worked great. Now I use a Sawyer.

Using a gravity setup, I just let it sit a little longer in the dirty bag to settle out. If I'm not using a gravity set up, I just to keep the debris to a minimum by being careful about where and how I collect. I always have my syringe if I need to back flush my Sawyer.
homebase_lonestar
NewbieCake
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:48 am
Has thanked: 3 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by homebase_lonestar »

Does anyone see the need to bring a purifier along or just throw some aquatabs in my bag just to be safe?
backwoods doc
Trailblazer
Posts: 191
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2019 5:38 pm
Isle Royale Visits: 6
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Has thanked: 77 times
Been thanked: 87 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by backwoods doc »

I don't use a water purifier or Aquatabs. My main concerns are Giardia and bacteria, and water filters take care of those just fine.
2018, 2019, 2021 (all inland lakes by canoe); 2022 X2 (RH and WC); 2023 HC
User avatar
dcclark
May actually live on IR
Posts: 385
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:39 pm
Isle Royale Visits: 4
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Has thanked: 156 times
Been thanked: 133 times
Contact:

Re: Water Filtering

Post by dcclark »

I've learned that there's a difference between a water purifier and a water filter. A purifier has much smaller pores that can remove viruses. Filters remove bacteria but generally not viruses.

The park's official recommendation is to EITHER use a purifier, or use both a filter and chemical treatment (like Aquatabs).

I've only ever used a filter and have been fine -- I agree that giardia especially is a major worry, and filters can manage it. But I would NOT use only chemical treatment.
User avatar
Midwest Ed
IR Expert
Posts: 1355
Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 1:25 am
Isle Royale Visits: 8
Location: Quad Cities, IL
Has thanked: 42 times
Been thanked: 82 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by Midwest Ed »

This may deserve it's own thread but with the talk of pre-filtering, I'm interested to learn how all the various sub-micron filters handle the Tannins found in most inland waters. This report would include how well they remove it and how often they clog (assuming visible particles have been pre-filtered) thus requiring maintenance. Tannin is another name for Tannic Acid which is the main chemical that gives the water varying degrees of a brownish tint. Tannic acid is harmless but at strong enough levels can add a bad taste. It is the product of fermentation of the various organic material available and is actually based on a very complex sugar molecule. There are filtration systems that supposedly remove it (although I'm thinking not suitable for backpacking) based on ionic exchange systems, some using a 2 stage chemical treatment.
8 trips, 1975 x 2, 1976 x 2, 1978, 1985, 2000, 2013
Bobcat1
Bushwacker
Posts: 277
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:01 pm
Isle Royale Visits: 8
Location: Pickerington, Ohio
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 90 times

Re: Water Filtering

Post by Bobcat1 »

Tannic acid is soluble in water, so you get a 100-percent homogeneous solution(theoretically). A filter wouldn’t make much difference. Some chemical adsorption (activated charcoal, ion exchange media, etc) would be needed, which is how a home treatment system would typically work. I always like the way high-tannin water looks - picturing Taquemenon Falls in my mind. Like Iced tea. All the fluffy wind-borne stuff floating on the surface that you cannot see on less-brown water. The foam that naturally occurs as a result of natural saponins, I think they’re called.
22 WC-HC-BCZ20-WC
19 RH-ML-TI-RH by kayak
16 RH-DF-MB-TI-RH-3M-RH by kayak
09 RH-DF-MC-TH-HL-SD-WC
00 WC-IM-WC
96 WC-FL-SB-SD-HL-CE-3M-RH
94 RH-DF-MB-3M-RH
92 RH-DF-LR-CW-HL-SD-IM-WC
Post Reply