Camp Microfilter - Gravity System
The inner ceramic filter produces about 1.2 gallons per hour while you do better things! Ideal for families and scout camps.
Includes a 2.6 gallon Ortlieb water bag, 80" surgical water tube with shut-off clip, 5,000 gallon rated ceramic filter, ceramic measuring tool, and cleaning pad.
1.2 gallon per hour hands-free output--no pumping required!
Key Features:
Output: Approx. 1.2 gallons (5 liters)/ hour
Cartridge Capacity: Up to 5,000 gallons
Weight: 27 oz.
Height: 8"
Hose Length: 80"
List Price:$93.99.
kitcarson61 - Apr 7, 2008 2:45 am - Voted 1/5
Nice, but...Hey, that 1.2 gallons per hour is really optimistic after the first couple of uses. After the first use (the bag holds 2+gallons and I filled it up) I was so stoked about not having had to pump a bit and there was enough water for our group of four for the rest of the night and into the next morning!
So...
The next morning came and the first thing done was fill up the filter (actually purifier as it's a ceramic element) and get it going to fill hydration bladders, etc. for the day. Figured it'd be done by the time we'd cooked, eaten, cleaned and packed. It wasn't. We waited another fourty or so minutes for it to finish (a total of 2.5 hours - we weren't in a hurry and were waiting for the ibuprophen to take effect anyway).
2nd night...
After gettiing done with the day's hike the first thing done upon deciding on a campsite was to fill up the filter and get it going. (Now, keep in mind that the water going into this filter was from near or above treeline lakes - cold and clear.) All I can say is that it's a good thing two of us also brought our water bottle filters because that's what got us through the evening, next morning, next day and rest of the trip. It took the filter overnight to filter the two+ gallons I'd filled it with. At one point I even pulled the ceramic filter out and cleaned it with the green scrubbie proided with the filter system.
Anyway...
I'm not only not impressed, but kinda depressed. I wasted $70+bucks.
Now, the "BASE Camp" filter by Katadyn is FANTASTIC and what I meant to buy in the first place. It uses the Hiker Pro pleated cartrige and flows like crazy - 2+ gallons in twenty or so minutes. I love that one.