DIY Gravity Filter from Sawyer Inline Filter
Update: I wasn't satisfied with the flow rate of this filter so I made a gravity filter with a Katadyn Hiker Pro filter and a Walmart water bag. Check it out here.
| Sawyer Inline Gravity Filter | |
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I used a zippered Platy that I already had lying around, and put the filter on the tubing. The filter came with a soft flexible piece of tubing that works great for this use b/c it easily slips on and off the other connector. |
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This is the soft-sided Nalgene canteen I usually take with me. They hold up much better than any Platy or Cambelbak I've ever used. The wide mouth makes them very easy to fill and clean, and the regular cap means I can sleep with them w/o worrying about leakage. I use these for hot water bottles and for pillows...this also keeps my water from freezing in winter. |
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Here's the Platy drink tube I had. I replaced the bite valve with a Camelbak ErgoLock. I had to heat the tubing with a hair dryer b/c it's a very tight fit. I cut a small piece of tubing that slides easily over the other end of the ErgoLock just to make it more comfortable to drink from. Closing the ErgoLock means I don't have to worry about leakage, and the plastic isn't sticky like the softer bite valve material so it doesn't attract as much dirt. And opening the lock makes it easier to drink from than a normal bite valve. |
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Here's the bite valve with the little mouthpiece on. |
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Sliding the Sawyer's soft tube onto the ErgoLock completes the setup. Just fill the Platy from the zipper, connect the tubes, open the lock. When the Platy is higher than the Nalgene, the water will trickle thru the filter and into the Nalgene. Then just disconnect the tubes, put the mouthpiece back on, and start drinking. |