Platypus - GravityWorks 2.0L Water Filter - Bottle Kit

I did a thru of the AT with a sawyer and other trips prior with various hand pumps. While the Platy is heavier than a squeeze, when you figure in the squeeze envelopes or a dirty water bottle the actual extra weight is about 4 oz, and for the speed and convenience of the platy I am going to use it going forward. I am so tired of rewatering being such a chore squatting and squeezing, and I just hung the platy on a hiking pole and bam, I had clean water flowing.I’ve only used it on an overnight trip so far, so I couldn’t comment on longer term use issues yet. I also expect you could cobble together a bladder, filter, and hose (I leave the water bottle cap at home) and make something similar for 20 bucks less, but home projects have their pitfalls and this is a ... MoreI did a thru of the AT with a sawyer and other trips prior with various hand pumps. While the Platy is heavier than a squeeze, when you figure in the squeeze envelopes or a dirty water bottle the actual extra weight is about 4 oz, and for the speed and convenience of the platy I am going to use it going forward. I am so tired of rewatering being such a chore squatting and squeezing, and I just hung the platy on a hiking pole and bam, I had clean water flowing.I’ve only used it on an overnight trip so far, so I couldn’t comment on longer term use issues yet. I also expect you could cobble together a bladder, filter, and hose (I leave the water bottle cap at home) and make something similar for 20 bucks less, but home projects have their pitfalls and this is a proven system. I am very pleased with it.

Ease of use, ease of mind

As a student of water treatment, an often overlooked ascpect of camping is clean water. Giardia is no joke, y'all! Having a convenient and high quality filter means that you will actually use it. With this, i find that the 2 L bladder is light enough to carry everywhere without necessitating endless trips back and forth to a backcountry water source.I typically ditch the accessories and just bring the "dirty" bladder, filter, and hoses. The filter itself is compact and easy to backwash with a standard kitchen funnel. No complaints, just clean water!

Great simple filter system

I've used this system for two trips now. Super lightweight, fits nicely into a pack. When it's working it is super fast, filters directly into my 1L nalgene bottle, or into my platy bladder. Love the different lid systems that come with it. It does require that the dirty reservoir is positioned high above the clean reservoir you're using. And, keep an eye on it, it sometimes needs a little back-flush in the middle of a filter. But when it goes, it goes super fast.

Great tool that works well

I recently went for 5 days in Zion National Park and used the Platypus Gravity works filter for the second time. This really is one of my favorite tools to carry. First off, it seems like a dream to just attach a bladder to a tree and let gravity do all of the work after years of pumping water in an awkward way with a water float that always wanted to just out of the stream. Truly a revolution. Secondly, the 2L bladder was an excellent additional water bottle when we needed to carry up to 6L in a day and a half dry stretch. Just filled the dirty bag, attached to the back of my pack and filtered when we made camp that night. Two drawbacks to be aware of before you go. 1. Read the directions- I had used this without issue but found that as the days went on the flow of ... MoreI recently went for 5 days in Zion National Park and used the Platypus Gravity works filter for the second time. This really is one of my favorite tools to carry. First off, it seems like a dream to just attach a bladder to a tree and let gravity do all of the work after years of pumping water in an awkward way with a water float that always wanted to just out of the stream. Truly a revolution. Secondly, the 2L bladder was an excellent additional water bottle when we needed to carry up to 6L in a day and a half dry stretch. Just filled the dirty bag, attached to the back of my pack and filtered when we made camp that night. Two drawbacks to be aware of before you go. 1. Read the directions- I had used this without issue but found that as the days went on the flow of water was slower and slower making for longer stops to resupply. A quick read gave us the fix we needed, we just needed to back fill the lower tube with water creating the right balance to get it flowing again. 2. It is not supposed to be frozen. This gave us a bit of a fright after night 3 dipped into the 20's and I had been using the dirty bag to store water. The water in the bag froze, but I had the filter portion in my pack which didn't freeze; however, I did filter as much of the water that wasn't frozen as I could in the morning leaving me a bit nervous after I read the "do not freeze" warning on the filter. Good news is that it did handle filtering ice cold water but I will be more careful in the future. Bottom line is it is an excellent filter, the water tasted great; it was easy to use and the extra 2L carrying capacity is a great 2-fer. I balked at the price initially because we still had a functioning older pump system, but now think it was the best buy for updating our gear.

Lasts a long time and still very fast

I've been using the same filter for 6 years and it still filters extremely fast! I lived in Alaska and ran quite a bit of glacial silt water through it and I am still getting clear water through it at impressive speed. I usually never do any backflushing but recently did and the back flushed water looked like mud but provided clean water out the bottom. I will be replacing the filter now. I don't know why others are having problems unless they are filtering actual mud or don't realize how important it is to elevate the dirty bag as high as you can so gravity actually works for you. I only wish they would make an adapter that is the platypus bottle cap with a hose barb on it so I don't need to carry a sip cap with the sip cap adapter. Right now I just dangle the bare ... MoreI've been using the same filter for 6 years and it still filters extremely fast! I lived in Alaska and ran quite a bit of glacial silt water through it and I am still getting clear water through it at impressive speed. I usually never do any backflushing but recently did and the back flushed water looked like mud but provided clean water out the bottom. I will be replacing the filter now. I don't know why others are having problems unless they are filtering actual mud or don't realize how important it is to elevate the dirty bag as high as you can so gravity actually works for you. I only wish they would make an adapter that is the platypus bottle cap with a hose barb on it so I don't need to carry a sip cap with the sip cap adapter. Right now I just dangle the bare hose end into the bottle.

Light, fast, versitile and affordable.

Perfect for solo camping or for up to maybe three people with repeated fills, this filter packs up small and flexible in its included pouch, and the flow rate is good, filtering water quickly by gravity. I love that I can use it waterside, or stick the detachable collapsible water bladder in a pocket, hike to the water source to fill up, then throw it over my shoulder by the integrated strap to filter water back at camp. The filter unit just attaches inline to the hoses, and looks to me like a standard Sawyer or Miniwell cartridge, so replacements will be cheap and easy to find if you can't re-order from Platypus. The adapters allow you to fill different size bottles, from narrow-necked plastic soda bottles, to Sigg insulated stainless steel, and Nalgene or cycling ... MorePerfect for solo camping or for up to maybe three people with repeated fills, this filter packs up small and flexible in its included pouch, and the flow rate is good, filtering water quickly by gravity. I love that I can use it waterside, or stick the detachable collapsible water bladder in a pocket, hike to the water source to fill up, then throw it over my shoulder by the integrated strap to filter water back at camp. The filter unit just attaches inline to the hoses, and looks to me like a standard Sawyer or Miniwell cartridge, so replacements will be cheap and easy to find if you can't re-order from Platypus. The adapters allow you to fill different size bottles, from narrow-necked plastic soda bottles, to Sigg insulated stainless steel, and Nalgene or cycling water bottles, or into a clean water bladder. The design of the universal adapter is clever, so I only have to pack the parts that match the bottles I'm taking. I've had no problems after repeated trips.

Nothing Else Compares, this is the best.

Nothing compares to this filter, NOTHING! It is the best out there. I meet hikers all the time that, after a long day on the trail (for me I aim for 15-18 miles a day), get to camp, exhausted and out of water, and they have to pump their water, treat it and wait for the minimum time to pass, or boil it and wait for it to cool. Me, I am sitting and relaxing waiting for gravity to do the work for me. I am relaxing with clean water while they are working or waiting. I get comments all the time about how jealous they are of this filter.This thing is also fast, like really fast. They are not joking when they say 1-1.5 L/min. In 15 minutes I have filtered water ready to cook dinner with, water for the next day's trip (around 3-5 L), and a few of liters to hydrate that ... MoreNothing compares to this filter, NOTHING! It is the best out there. I meet hikers all the time that, after a long day on the trail (for me I aim for 15-18 miles a day), get to camp, exhausted and out of water, and they have to pump their water, treat it and wait for the minimum time to pass, or boil it and wait for it to cool. Me, I am sitting and relaxing waiting for gravity to do the work for me. I am relaxing with clean water while they are working or waiting. I get comments all the time about how jealous they are of this filter.This thing is also fast, like really fast. They are not joking when they say 1-1.5 L/min. In 15 minutes I have filtered water ready to cook dinner with, water for the next day's trip (around 3-5 L), and a few of liters to hydrate that night and cooking breakfast. The whole time the only thing I had to do was get up and refill the reservoir, cook dinner, and relax. I would recommend getting a few thin and light Nalgene or Platypus bottles that compress down when not in use. They don't add a lot of weight and it makes camp so much more convenient; it works great to have a stash of water when you are at camp. I have two 1 L, one 2 L, and one 3 L soft bottles and one 1.5 L hard Nalgene (I don't always take all of them).The only thing I will caution about with this filter is to make sure and read the directions. I reread them before each long hike to make sure I remember to care for the filter. The most important thing is to back-flush the filter periodically, especially if the water you are filtering has a lot of gunk in it. My first experience with it was with filtering water that had a lot of leaf particles and various other things that I couldn't avoid. The filter slowed down to a crawl pretty quickly. I back-flushed it with a liter of water and it started flowing as if it were brand new again. And after every trip I filter about 2 liters of tap water and back flush it with all 2 L to make sure it is good and clean for my next trip. If you take care of this filter, it will take care of you.Happy hiking!

Only Lifting, no more pumping!!!

I have used a few "pump" style filters over the last 20+ years with mixed results and plenty of frustration. In-line filtering with filament style filters is a big improvement, both in weight and speed. You can carry several of this type of filter for less weight than a single traditional ceramic or cartridge hand-pump unit and filter way more water much faster with less effort.I believe all of these "filament" type filters with various branding on their plastic shells are manufactured by 1, maybe 2 factories. Slight differences in size/weight and flow rates but they all do the same thing about the same way and work great (It's obvious many of them share the same body/shape/specs). The Platypus branded variant of this tech is a bit larger, higher flowing option ... MoreI have used a few "pump" style filters over the last 20+ years with mixed results and plenty of frustration. In-line filtering with filament style filters is a big improvement, both in weight and speed. You can carry several of this type of filter for less weight than a single traditional ceramic or cartridge hand-pump unit and filter way more water much faster with less effort.I believe all of these "filament" type filters with various branding on their plastic shells are manufactured by 1, maybe 2 factories. Slight differences in size/weight and flow rates but they all do the same thing about the same way and work great (It's obvious many of them share the same body/shape/specs). The Platypus branded variant of this tech is a bit larger, higher flowing option but the tech that makes this filter great is shared with many others with different branding/sizing.In order to get a "proper" gravity system started you'll need a "dirty bag" with a quick-disconnect fitting to build out your system. This system is one option as a starting point and is unfortunately a bit of an expensive way to get a filter and a dirty bag and some hose, but once you have this and a few more fittings/hoses sorted, the possibilities for expansion are endless. I've expanded our Gravityworks system with the platypus carbon filter, silicone hoses/adapters and more valved quick-disconnects to rapidly fill numerous bladders and bottles at camp with minimal fuss and mess. There's another popular, small, inexpensive in-line filter sold at REI that I keep in the kit as a spare in case I damage, clog, or freeze this one by accident.Platypus sells other zip-top bags with the same quick-disconnect fitting that could be the starting point of a pieced-together gravity system.All portable lightweight water filtration systems can be problematic in the field when filtering very dirty water, requiring frequent back-washing or cleaning. With patience and care this system will keep putting clean water in your bottles and keep you hydrated. If you make a habit of ending every filtering session with a back-flush (to the ground, not back to the dirty bag, so as to purge the concentration of contaminants from the system), and then beginning every filtering session with a back-flush (with full dirty bag attached using a small amount of remaining clean water from a clean bag) to purge all air from the filter before starting, the performance is very good, and this technique works great for all of these filament filters to maintain good flow rates throughout a trip.I use the syringe included with another popular brand of filament filter to backwash all of my filament filters at home when I return from a trip. This high-pressure backwash restores flow rates to pretty decent levels. Seems like the GravityWorks filter holds up to this method, though I'm not sure it is officially advised.One thing I have found with almost all of these filament filters, is that brand new, they flow really really well, but after about 5-10 gallons through them, they all settle into a range of operation depending on how recently they have been back-washed of ~20-80% of original "brand new" flow. Field back-washing gets things back up to ~60%. High pressure back-washing gets things back up to ~80%. No amount of back-washing restores flow to the incredible flow rates you'll see the first time you use it. Enjoy those first few filter sessions but be ready to settle for about half of that flow rate as the long term average.

Perfectly suited our backpacking duo's needs.

We bought this kit along with the tandem inline carbon filter for a backpacking trip at Chicot Lake State park. Aside from the landing, there is no potable water on the 24 mile loop. On the first night we finished the water we packed in and was forced to refill from the lake. Water was murky and colored with tannin so we collected in a bucket and pre-filtered through a cloth. When using the filter, be sure and backflush when the water starts filtering to clear air out of the cartridge. We filtered water directly into our bladders without even removing them from our packs. Super convenient and easy. The water had absolutely no taste. This filter is fast and easy and will be going on all of our future trips. Be sure to bring a backup water purification method when in ... MoreWe bought this kit along with the tandem inline carbon filter for a backpacking trip at Chicot Lake State park. Aside from the landing, there is no potable water on the 24 mile loop. On the first night we finished the water we packed in and was forced to refill from the lake. Water was murky and colored with tannin so we collected in a bucket and pre-filtered through a cloth. When using the filter, be sure and backflush when the water starts filtering to clear air out of the cartridge. We filtered water directly into our bladders without even removing them from our packs. Super convenient and easy. The water had absolutely no taste. This filter is fast and easy and will be going on all of our future trips. Be sure to bring a backup water purification method when in the Backcountry. I recommend either tablets or a steripen.

Sure beats pumping!

Bought this after seeing it in use on a trip in the Sierras (while I spent 20 minutes pumping our 6L of water for the night). I like that it's able to fill any container, though I'm still torn if I'd rather have the two bag system or not.In terms of usage, it doesn't get easier than this guy. Especially in deep water. In shallow streams you have to get creative in order to fill the 2L bag. It filters very quickly too.Also on the fence over if 2L is enough. If you need to filter more, it requires a couple trips to re-fill and filter, allowing you to setup camp while it's filtering. Sure a 4 or 6L version would be convenient, but unnecessary for 90% of my trips. So not worth the extra weight to me.Also, for on the trail fill-ups, I like having this smaller ... MoreBought this after seeing it in use on a trip in the Sierras (while I spent 20 minutes pumping our 6L of water for the night). I like that it's able to fill any container, though I'm still torn if I'd rather have the two bag system or not.In terms of usage, it doesn't get easier than this guy. Especially in deep water. In shallow streams you have to get creative in order to fill the 2L bag. It filters very quickly too.Also on the fence over if 2L is enough. If you need to filter more, it requires a couple trips to re-fill and filter, allowing you to setup camp while it's filtering. Sure a 4 or 6L version would be convenient, but unnecessary for 90% of my trips. So not worth the extra weight to me.Also, for on the trail fill-ups, I like having this smaller system so you're not fumbling with 2 huge reservoirs just to fill a couple liters. I also LOVE the fact that you can filter directly into your camelback/Platypus bladder without needing to pull it out of your pack. Just un-hook the mouth piece and hook it directly to the filter.