I will use the 6 liter bladder so that I can carry 200 oz. of water during the middle sections of the race. Nothing like 13+ pounds of water on your back to help you go fast!
Camelbak makes a quick-release filter adapter that will greatly speed up the filtering process.
I have had the Pro Hiker filter for a couple of years now and love how fast it pumps. There are smaller and lighter filters out there but 3-4 oz. less is not going to help me survive KTR.The next logical step is to load up the pack and ride around with that big hog on my back for a few hours and see if I can stand it. The forecast is looking good for this Sat so I am planning a 5 hour road ride as part of my build towards KTR on May 19th. That date is going to be here fast.
8 comments:
Looks like your on you way. Carrying 200oz of water is not all that fun but it beats stopping :)
Dave...When my wife and I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail back in 2001 we carried a 6 liter MSR bladder with us. There were a few days in the mid-Alantic states when the water sources were few and far between. We'd fill that baby up and throw in in one of our packs. Those were hard days. A word of warning on the Pro Hiker. You have to be sure the water sources you are filtering out of aren't full of silt or sediment. My wife used to work in Customer Service at a REI store. She'd take back dozens of Pro Hiker filters because they clogged up on the first trip. Minnesota waters have high mineral and particle counts. This filter couldn't handle it. Works fine when filtering from alpine lakes, but not in muddy or silt filled waters. Up here you have to use a filter you can clean in the field over and over like a MSR miniworks EX with a ceramic filter. When filtering out of mountain springs in the southern Appalachians the miniworks would go weeks without cleaning. Here in Minnesota you have to clean after every 2 or 3 liters pumped.
Doug, thanks for the info. The Pro Hiker does have a pre-filter on the end of the intake hose and a removeable filter protector that you can remove and clean in the field. I will test it out during my scouting trip and see how it does. The Colorado will be brown and full of silt.
Dave, Let me back up a little. It was the Hiker, not the Hike Pro that clogged so quickly. That was back when PUR was the company before Katadyn bought it. Perhaps the Hiker Pro with the pre-filter and the filter protector is the answer to those clogging problems. I'd still test it out. Even the best filters clog quickly in muddy water conditions. You have to be sure the filter you have can be easily cleaned repeatedly in the field in those conditions.
Doug, that is good to know. I will be happy if I can filter 200oz in between cleanings because that is all I should need to filter duing the race. I will test it out ahead of time though to be sure.
You guys are right. Once that glass-impregnated fiber filter gets clogged with mud the filter cartridge will be toast. The pre-filter will only delay that process. I see an MSR MiniworksEX in my near future.
Keep in mind the Miniworks EX will clog just as quick in muddy water. But you can clean that ceramic filter over and over and over. It only takes two minutes to clean. I've cleaned mine so many times I can do it in the dark while I'm sleeping.
Ok, final comment. I stopped by a local shop at lunch and they had a MSR Miniwork EX in stock & 20% off. I took it apart in the store to see how easy it would be to clean in the field. I have way more confidence I could clean the MSR if it was filled with mud than I do with the Katadyn. Done.
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