The Hidden Benefit Of Gravity Filters
When ever my Nalgene starts to get down to my last gulp of water, I know it’s time to dig out my pump-action water filter. It’s been rock solid for over a decade, easy to clean, and to my knowledge it has never let me down as far as letting some icky pathogen slip through. My only complaint (which I’m sure is the same as everyone else's) is that it is slow. The physical pumping action pushes the lake water though a membrane which filters out particulates and all of the nasty stuff that can make you sick. To fill an entire 1L bottle though can take upwards of a minute (it’s best done in the middle of a lake while in your canoe).
Gravity filters however, although just as slow, don’t require much effort on your part other than scooping, hanging, and sitting back and watching the fresh water trickle down into your second bag. It provides litres of fresh drinkable water waiting for you by the time you eat dinner. Pretty simple aside from the occasional clog requiring you to reverse the orientation of the two bags.
One not so obvious advantage of gravity filters over pump filters is the sheer amount of water they produce which in turn encourages you to drink more. The effort of manual pumping might put you off the task until you’re back at camp however staying hydrated keeps you cramp and headache free (and maybe a little less irritable too).
Stick with which ever method works best for you, but the long and short of it is… drink more water!
Have a handy camping tip? Let us know! We’d love to share it with our readers with credit to you.
