Grayl Water Filter

The average person in average conditions can go up to three days without water. But this trip was anything but average, with strenuous exercise in a dry high alpine environment. The team all needed water constantly with the consistent trail pounding, and thankfully we all had a Grayl filter on our hip. During this 60-mile trek we stopped at every water crossing to hydrate.

Gone are the days of working a pump on a slow action filter. Grayl’s system filters 16oz of water in 15 seconds with no batteries, chemicals or squeezing required. Simply remove the internal filtration sleeve, fill up the 16oz bottle, press the filtration system down and it’s ready to drink directly from the filter. If a french press and a water filter had a romantic rendezvous, the Grayl would be the love child. It removes 99.99999% of all the stuff you don’t want (viruses, bacteria, protozoan cysts aka giardia). You’ll get 300 uses out of this easily replaceable filter. And if you’re one of those ultralight freaks, don’t worry – this water filter weighs in at 10.9 ounces.

While the group started with premonitions of the board or boots catching the “best gear of the trip,” we were mistaken. By the end all three agreed that the Grayl water filter was the gear of the trip. The ease of use for hydration was a pleasant surprise in the hellacious hike.