I’m new to this whole water filter thing. I’m not into thru-hiking or over-landing or any other preposition-hyphen-gerund activity. But I am into traveling light. It takes a special occasion for me to wear a full-sized pack. My local mountain trails are punctuated by deep, wet canyons that tend to flow the entire summer. So, for the past couple years, I’ve carried a cheap Sawyer water filter and the accompanying cheap plastic reservoir. While stopping in those canyons, I’ll fill the reservoir, carefully push it through the filter into my bottle, take a few pulls off it myself, and repeat until my thirst is quenched and my canteen is stocked. It gets the job done, but the procedure has all the elegance of a home-schooled third-grader’s chemistry experiment. That Sawyer filter could plug right into the hose of my 1-liter hydration hip-pack, but the effort it takes to suck out a day’s worth of water is enough to give me a tongue cramp.
Although it felt like a risk to switch to a brand whose name literally puts speed first and filtration second, Rapidpure made a compelling case for trying something new.
[continued...]
From Bike Mag
Bike Magazine showcases the sport of mountain biking like no other publication. It captures the sport's personalities, trends, and issues with a style all its own. With insightful features, columns and gear reviews coupled with the best photography, Bike is sure to make you want to get outside and ride.
