I know you know this but in case others watching don’t, try and avoid collecting from stagnant water sources and instead find moving water to collect from. Also, if you point the bottle down stream while filling, you can avoid a bunch of stuff from getting in your container to begin with.
"Bunch of stuff" as in debris (seeable to human eye -floaties/sinkies) or "bunch of stuff" as in bacteria & microorganisms (invisible to the naked eye)?? Because although it may slightly cut down on actual chunks of shit getting into the bottle but it will make absolutely zero difference which way you hold the bottle either with or against current as far as bacteria and microscopic organisms go. Sorry not trying to undermine you or anything i just want to make that very clear to people who may have mistaken that comment. So again, it does NOT matter which way you hold your bottle/container when filling up in (flowing) unknown water source in regards to bacteria getting inside or not, just treat it as tho there is indeed bacteria inside cuz most likely there is (assuming you suspect contaminated water source obviously). That is a common myth or misconception that people have that could potentially leave you up shit creek... Litterally.
@@kodyschmautz7799 sorry about using such an ambiguous phrase. By “bunch of stuff” I meant particles of debris like bits of leaves and sediment that would be unpleasant to drink. Granted, you can just wrap a tshirt or handkerchief over the opening to keep some of the larger particulates from getting in your bottle, bit pointing it downstream can lessen the amount of floaties that get in your bottle.
You can also pre-filter all that visible debris by putting a bandana over the opening of any water collection container. This will help your filters last longer no matter what you use.
@@kodyschmautz7799@kodyschmautz7799 makes zero difference.. just like your comment Your entire point about pointing out bacteria is completely negated by the fact that everybody who buys these types of filters.. is to filter bacteria not gravel. You should spend more time using your brain and less time trying to virtue signal/be right.
I purchased the Geo Press and have been extremely happy with it. I carry the Grayl and a 32oz stainless water bottle so that I have the option of boiling water too. Yes I paid 80 bucks for the Grayl, but I think it's worth every penny.
I hiked 900 miles of Appalachian trail with Sawyer. It worked great. I would just screw it into a water bottle. Ultra light weight. I would love to buy a Grayl, just can't get around the price.
Sawyer is badass. Upgrading to this so my water bladder doesn’t get all nasty 🤢 or so I don’t have to spend too much time pumping I use the sawyer bag thingy. Sawyer is so small that I plan to take both. 😎 *waits by mailbox 📬 * 😁
I like this idea, but what about the residual water on the outside of the bottle from when you dip it in the lake, river, etc? Do you have to clean and dry off the outside before you drink from it?
I have used the regular Geopress for several years on weekly outings. It is satisfactory but comes with real limitations. My problem is they market it as a miracle and most people sing praise. But ummm... no backwash, low capacity, frequent filter change at $30, fails quickly with substandard water and NO BACKWASH. It leaks. I have never had a filter last more than 15 gallons on clear rivers lakes. The outer case will warp in a hot car. The gasket leaks on push. Push time grows quickly. And buy more filters. Honest review after 3 years of challenging use. I'm outdoor professional and not convinced. A pump filter that backwash is really best for serious treking. The Grayl is used more by travelers drinking bad tap water. Be warned. Don't trek without at least 2-4 filter cartridges.
I used grayl and honestly the leakage bothers me badly.. what else are you using now? I'm looking for another purifying bottle with at least the same performance as grayl, but not to melt when I'm drinking on the sides, this bothers me badly
I was stuck between the befree and the Grayl and was leaning to the befree for ease of use and storage. Yet the Grayl will filer out viruses. To me thats the whole reason you want a filter is to keep from taking chances and staying healthy in the bush.
What y’all don’t realize is that chemicals are sprayed along the bayous and ditches and water flow down stream. A also farms which have other chemicals that e d up in the water.
Have you tried the Sport Berkey water bottle? It’s cheaper in price and berkey is also suppose to filter out viruses. Their sport bottle uses the same filter as their larger systems and is classified as a purifier not filter... from what I’ve read.
I didn’t know about this product. Thank you for mentioning it🙂 it is made in the USA while the Grayl is manufactured in China. I’m going to get one😀 have you used one?
spider Outdoors just bought them this year for my family to use on vacations and on hikes. After flushing them through a couple times in the beginning, they can still be pretty hard to suck through the straw (at least I find) but my kids all love them and find it pretty easy. Water still taste great and fresh.
@@momck8168 Most people I see with the Berkey Sport are squeezing the bottle rather than sucking or maybe a combination of both. It remains the only water filter bottle that you can drink from without turning it upside down and has the straw protected from contaminated water during fill up!
This isn't just a filter system. It is a purification system. As well as all the "bugs" that you mention, it also removes pesticides and other chemicals, heavy metals and the new bane on our water sources, microplastics. I don't think there is another product on the market that can make the same claims, so it is unique. It is more like a municipal water purification center than a Sawyer filter.
Yes, that is why I think I am going to get a Grayl is because of the purification, the filters will not last anywhere as long as Sawyers but the Grayl would be my go to for really sketchy water and I have been in a few places where the water is pretty sketchy. Also I hate the taste of water that has had aquatabs dissolved in it and if a filter with carbon in it can handle the purification as well I will take that.
@@billcarpenter5615 One thing to be aware of is that the filters expire for some reason. I believe the packaging says that once the filter is used to clean up some water it will only last 3 or 6 months from that date. It could be a shorter period but I know it isn't longer than 6 months. That means that you probably shouldn't "practice" with it when you first get it as that will start the clock running. I bought a spare for the Grayl that I keep just for emergencies. I haven't had an emergency yet so I don't know if it works. The filters cartridges are pretty expensive. I think I had to give about 5 dozen eggs for mine. ;-)
@@billcarpenter5615 One other thing I should mention, Bill. You will see products that are marketed as cook pots/cups specifically designed to nest the Grayl. I wouldn't buy or use those because one of the big selling points of the Grayl is how effectively it keeps the bad water separated from the filtered water. The bad water will be present on the outside of the Grayl because that's what you use to dip the dirty water out of the muck. Now if you slide the whole deal into what is basically just a tall metal cup, you've just put the bugs on the OUTSIDE of the Grayl onto the INSIDE of the cup. If a buddy pours half his oatmeal into your cup or you decide to mix up a electrolyte drink, you will have the bugs in your food or drink and then in your body, unless you remember to boil the cup or put it in a fire for a few minutes. I personally think it is a dumb product to sell, but it's out there marketed by folks who should know better.
There is also a tap water cartridge that's good for travel that makes tap water taste better and you can save the purifier cartridge for emergencies or backpacking.
Hey, thank you a lot for this very informative video, really appreciate it. I am soon going to SE Asia -- not the first time, so I know how confused my stomach normally gets :), and I've decided to opt out of local plastic water bottles and get the Grayl instead. But I was wondering... Is buying a Grayl more environmental than buying 30 to 60 plastic bottles of water? The Grayl cost of water per liter would be about 50 euro cents, so the price for me literally be the same, at least before the first filter change. But I wonder about those filters... production and recycling of them must also take a toll, no?
'If you're in a 3rd world counry, so basically any other parts other than north america' 😂😂 Chill dude there's A LOT of other well developed countries out there;)
I don't own a grail but my buddy accidentally drew water from a location 6 feet from a deer head that was in the water stuck on a tree branch. After he didn't get sick I've be I'm looking into it lol
The most biggest questionmark using Grayl is hight contamination risk because of wet container. But there is one general issue that you or all other youtubes don’t warn - because of where you all live I guess. The blue-green algae - any of system can’t filter out those toxins.
Well not in all parts of Europe, here in Sweden for example you don't need a filter. The water in springs and sutch are fresh and you can drink it as it is on your hike. (if you know the basics of course when it comes to water). I've backpacked and hiked my hole life here without filter, no prob. But of course Its importaint in some countrys.
There's something that creeps me out about leaving all the impurities at the bottom of the container I'm drinking from. Any chance of cross contamination when changing altitude increases or decrease the pressure inside it, or when it's getting jiggled around a bunch while climbing/scrambling?
It was a concern of mine and while I don't hike at extreme altitudes, I haven't gotten sick while hiking some rugged trails here in Pennsylvania. I've dropped it, tossed it in my pack and it would go upside down. So far, so good. The seal is pretty tight. I do dry the outside off before I drink from it. Just to avoid anything that might be on the bottle or my hands. It's held up after a year of use.
There is no chance of cross contamination. Even if the gaskets failed, all that would happen is the water would pour out over the outside of the "dirty" container. The only way into the clean portion is through the filter. The impurities stay inside the filter anyway, just like they do with the Sawyer until you back-flush it.
I most commonly use my Sawyer while canoeing. Take off the top, fill it in the lake, top back on and good to go. The Grayl doesn’t seem as convenient from the looks of it.
I use the Sawyer on normal hikes but the Grayl if I am hiking near farmland where they might have sprayed with chemicals. I like in an area with a lot of peaty water and it makes the Grayl filter really slow and hard to press down, takes a minute of hard pressure per filling.
It only filters 40 gallons per filter$70.00 to start. Each filter is 25$. NO FREAKING WAY would i buy that. Nope! It would cost about $10,000.00 to do what sawyer can do for $50.00
Technically they don't do the same thing. The Sawyer filters, the Grayl purifies. There is a big difference between the two. It's comparing apples to oranges...
Thanks for the detailed video! This will be great for a get home bag in the vehicle plus hiking. I think function and safety outweighs the extra cost to me.
the function on this product is the problem. it will fail insanely soon and end up costing you far far more than bottled water delivered by a celebrity. This was born as a bad idea in a garage. and will sood fill the dumps. its a one use product - in other countries
It's a great idea and design but the price I think is a bit high. Especially the $25 replacement cartridges. In time the price should come down and it will be more accessible to more people.
I have been rocking the Grayl since Oct and love it. I have used it in 3 different countries, and knowing that I always have good drinking water is such a piece of mind. It also saves a lot of money from having to buy bottled water! Grayl also has a blue filter that is just for tap water. I have seen a couple other channels who switch between the two depending on what they are doing. The blue ones are half the price, so that definitely plays a factor.
Very excited for this video! Got the ultralight through your amazon link Aaron. Your recent videos have been really fun and informative as always. God Bless you and your family! 🙏🏻💜
Good video, i think the gryal (virus removeal one) is great especially for traveling to 3rd world countries. You know the Sawyer will go on top of a bottle right, so you dont have to camp at a water source to filter the water as stated. I dont like the price or size of the grayl 16oz aint much for over 100 bucks
Plus the filter has to be replaced every 1000 gallons. At about 40 dollars a pop. In an apocalypse scenario where are you going to get a replacement filter if your filter stops working?
You should check out the katadyn be free water filter. Very similar to the sawyers but a lot better and with a faster flow rate. Added bonus you can drink from it as well.
Great video. It is worth mentioning the Grayl is made in China and the Sawyer is made in the USA. I bought a geopress thinking it was made in Seattle. When I found it was made in China I sold it without a single use
Thanks Aaron. Very good review as always. Liked very much your Ferrari metaphor. It was very accurate and illustrative. Have you tried the Liberty Water filter by lifesaver? Best wishes to all your beautiful family.
Im happy we have relatively clean watersources here in Norway. I dont think we have much issues with viruses, so the Grayl seems like overkill. I got a Katadyn Pocket, and the only things i dont like about it is the weight and size. But this is not a big issue (for me) when bikepacking. For hiking trips im gonna go with either a Sawyer or Befree, but i will use the Pocket for trips where size and weight is not an issue.
I use the Katadyn BeFree, 3L bladder for bikepacking. Neat trick: tie about two feet of cord to the bladder, after you fill the bladder hang the system from your bike handlebar and fill directly into your bike bottles. I did that on the GDMBR and it worked great. Happy trails!
Aaron, Because you got that kind of CASH! LOL We have to face it that Grayl sure filters water quick. I have two Sawyer mini's I too wish they would re design their filter to eliminate viruses, it makes for better business.
Definitely gonna get a Geopress from Grayl. As someone that likes to camp and explore as well as wanting to get more into backcountry hunting, I feel the Grayl is an invaluable piece of gear honestly
Question, are you supposed to dry off the outside of a dirty water bag before filtering? Is there not a concern that the water droplets on the outside of the dirty water container are not going through the filter and may contaminate the filtered water?
As someone who's had beaver fever before trust me when I say if your filter doesn't filter out EVERYTHING you don't want to risk it. I got the geopress and if I pre-filter with a cloth to extend the filter longevity and keep it from getting clogged I can get enough water for 4 people all day in a matter of minutes
you make a good case for having both! i have a sawyer inline filter rigged up in my kayak for endless water supply on the water (fresh water only!). I'd keep that arrangement. i don't mind sharing straws, but, I get that not everyone is as relaxed with germs as me. the grayl looks awesome as the filter for the team, and refill everyone's personal containers. Love the concept. But, the whole speed advantage mentioned goes out the window. Since I want 2-3 ways to do everything anyway, I'd have no problem carrying one system and saddling up my kids (or friends) with the other. Not only for options, but also having two systems running cuts the water-stop time down. Obviously, the more systems in play, the quicker your group can be about it. i've got the bottle and the inline systems. looking forward to snagging a grayl, too. Another advantage of using both....don't go through your grayl filters quite so fast. so, as the Hollywood starlet said, when confronted with two temptations...do both.
If you have limited upper body strength/neck problems or related issues you might want to try using a friend’s grayl before buying. Most reviewers I’ve watched are fit young men, and some have even edited their videos to make the pressing time appear shorter. Thanks Aaron for not doing that.
Untill other manufacturers catch up with survivor filter's 0.05 Microns filtration at £25/$30 I personally will stick with Survivor. I'm actually shocked in this current age of viruses being so prevalent that they haven't upped their game.
The .05 microns won't stop the majority of viruses. I've been doing a lot of research the past few days and only a small amount of filters can purify waterborne viruses. Survivor makes a bottle that is rated to purify water of viruses, Grayl is rated for it. The Survivor straw is one of the best heavy duty filtration systems as far as a straw system goes, but it doesn't do what Grayl or even other products from Survivor will.
"If you go to basically any other parts, other than north america" Lol, what an ignorant comment. The water in North America is not special... Last time I visited USA I was told not to drink even tap water and to buy bottled water because the tap water there was of such poor quality, and that's supposedly already filtered water. I believe this was Florida if I recall correctly. In most of the world you can drink the water from streams and lakes with very basic water filtration. I have been drinking water from stale small lakes in Sweden, multiple days in a row, and filtering it only with a Katadyn BeFree, so very basic filter system, and I did not even get an upset stomach.
@gideonstactical You failed us here... You’re comparing apples to oranges... Sawyer has had a comparable product for a while called the S3 Select Filter that filters 62.5 Gallons and Viruses, Protozoa, Heavy metals, etc... Did you not research before committing your valuable time to this piece? Or are you merely selling Grayl products to viewers?
I have sawyer mini and grayl. Sawyer mini will last forever. Grayl will have to be replaced over time. I believe it’s 1000 gallons or something and the sawyer is basically unlimited. Grayl is very compact. Easy. Don’t need extra storage for it, water bottle. Is. Very easy to refill and filter without contaminating the clean side. Also works great for travel like Mexico where your unsure what the water quality is. I drank tap water filtered through mine and never got sick or had any issues. Others weren’t filtering and were having stomach problems. Could be unrelated. I like the insurance. I also take on lake trios and kayaking to filter that water shiiidk the need arise. Just works. I highly recommend it.
I don't think this product has any place at all in backpacking or hiking. In fact I'd call a backpacker reckless for using this product without another system when this clogs. Its not subjective. This product 's only use is a person traveling to a place where the tap water is worse than a cow can on the CDT. This would be a bigger and more reckless fear packed product than a gun...and the gun might filter water better. Sorry to poo poo. Your presentation was great but this is not the product - which is why every youtuber got one for free.
I saw the grail at REI and they wanted over $80!! Instead I chose the Sawyer brand new model water bottle with a mini inside $19 at Walmart mine is more for emergency and traveling possibly
Thank you for this video! I didn't even know the Grayl existed. Everywhere I looked the recommendations were for, Sawyer, MSR HyperFlow, and Katadyn. None of these are as good IMO as the Grayl.
Am I missing something here? I just purchased the new Sawyer water bottle it says it filters down to one micron which is all bacteria viruses and protozoa so why couldn't I use this overseas?
I'm looking for a bottle to simply make my well water taste better at my house. I have several sources for clean water in my get home bag. What would you recommend for a water bottle that will filter calcium and metal taste out of my well water? Sure I could continue to buy case of water after case of water but that creates trash and feels my bags up faster and its just wasteful when I could use one bottle in the place of thousands of plastic bottles. Definitely not interested in spending all the money to put a inline filter in my plumbing.
Grayl molds a loop onto the collection cup so it can be thrown or lowered down a bank with cord then they'll have the ultimate. Walking to edge of water source in winter or injured and having to try and reach down a steep bank to reach water needs to be addressed. I have one rigged but for the price it shouldn't have to be rigged.
Sawyer has virus filtration models available too(0.01 and the 0.10 you compared the Grayl to). So comparison between that and the grayl would be a much better "test". For mission trips and overseas travel the virus filtration from Sawyer has been available for years and is proven.
@@veni1995 Sawyer site has the info and can order it from there. Also Amazon sometimes and I got mine at REI some years back. It's primarily used for those trekking in Africa, South America etc where water borne viruses are common. It's also twice the cost or more because of the extra filtration capabilities.
Thank you for your informative review. Clearly, you are much more knowledgeable than I am. However, for my purpose, the small sawyers win in winter. Once the filter is wet, if it freezes, it's no longer effective. Stuff the small sawyer inside your shirt next to your skin to keep it from freezing. It looks like the Grayl is too large for that.
during shtf , the grayl doesnt have a long lasting application. u need to keep replacing filter, what happens when filters are no longer available ? id rather boil the water then pour it in the sawyer problrm solved .
Used my Grayl yesterday on a day hike in the Whistler area. It's a well traveled trail so it's filter supplies me with piece of mind. One question, is there any recommended maintenance for the filter?
Mine just arrived. I purchased the 24oz and though I haven't used it yet, what a sense of security to have this in my possession! Many thanks for recommending as I also have the Sawyer but this is EXACTLY what I wanted to enable my wife and me to have a secured way of accessing clean water in any situation.
Sawyer does filter out viruses and stuff. Around 5:12 you said it doesn’t. When you buy one about half of the money is used to send these filters to Africa. Where they are used to provide clean water. Some of these people it’s the only clean water they have. Literally taking sewage from the street and purifying it.
The Sawyer Squeeze Filter (and Sawyer Mini) both eliminate protozoa and bacteria. But they don't eliminate viruses, chemicals, pesticides, or heavy metals. And they don't improve the taste or odor of the water. Only Sawyer’s S3 filter removes virus’s and I don’t think that filter was available when I made that video.
Yyyyep. It's definitely a niche item for that. Something that gets me is the idea that viruses can survive through a Sawyer but it seems no one is considering how you can boil and then filter water through your Sawyer. I'd honestly trust that more in a situation where viruses are a concern than a single filter system.
I've used a Katadyn pocket (type) filter since the early 1980s. They are sinfully expensive now. There weren't many options back in the day. It filters down to 0.2 micron. ... On a dogsled trapline in Alaska in extreme cold, your options were to melt snow for water (incredibly laborious and fuel intensive) and boil to purify water. I'd get water by chopping a hole in a frozen lake with an axe and fill bottles there with the Katadyn. An unanticipated problem I encountered was the Katadyn uses a replaceable ceramic filter. It stays wet/damp after use. Riding in the dog sled basket is an incredibly bumpy ride for any cargo. At the end of one of the trips, the ceramic filter was cracked. I surmise the water within the semiporous ceramic had expanded when frozen, and with all the bumps and collisions with spruce trees, cracked the filter. I'd been drinking questionable water with little visible shrimp-like animals in it. ... What most water filter reviews leave out is cold Wx performance of the filters well below freezing. Winter camping, snowmobiling, Nordic skiing, snow shoeing, mountain biking (check out the Iditabike), skijouring, etc. have gotten much more popular. ... What say you about water filter cold Wx performance, Aaron? ... ... ... EDIT: Many, if not most of Alaska's rivers are glacially fed. The weight of the rivers of ice (which is what glaciers actually are), grinds the underlying rock into a powder called glacial silt. At the end of the glacier there is melted water run off full of silt that feeds the rivers. Far, far downstream, there is so much silt in turbulent suspension, that you can't even see down an inch into the water. The amount of silt in 32 oz of water totally overwhelms most water filters. Pre-filtering is necessary. Some folks use drip coffee filters and a cone for starters. There are also, inline paper filters that can be integrated into the suction hose, downstream from the filter on pump type water filters. ... Staying hydrated in Alaska, no matter the season requires very careful planning.
Two questions (hopefully I didn’t just miss the answers). 1. Do you have to replace the filter on the Sawyer? I didn’t notice you mentioning that. It would make a huge difference if you never had to replace it. 2. Do either of the products affect the taste? I bet that mountain stream water tastes wonderful, but if the water source wasn’t as nice, does it help with bad tasting water? Thanks.
Yes you do not have to replace the filter on the Sawyer till you pass that 100,000 mark. Taste is about the same through both of them from what I’ve experienced. Hope that helps.
On the saw Sawyer, you can clean the filter. You can fit on most bottle water you buy at store. To clean hook filter backwards (basically going in reverse). I’d do at end of few days hiking or if in hotel if doing a thru hike. Also depending on how often you use, you may never need to replace/buy another filter. I do like the fact of filtering viruses and hope to get a Grayl soon.
I would be very careful about cross contamination with the external cup. Several shots of you putting you lips right up to it. Considering you collected water by dipping the whole thing underwater, you might want to be careful with that. Also, before you pour it into you friend’s bottle, I’d wipe down the outside so those drips don’t run down and end up in her container. Don’t know about a “high probability” of having viruses in third world water supplies. Probably higher than here, for sure. But much more likely to be dealing with bacteria there. Viruses don’t know what country they are in, so the same thing that destroys virus here will do it there.
I have both and can say hands down the lifesaver liberty is the winner for me. I’m in Asia so needed the virus capability but the added functionality of the Liberty is the winner for me. The ability to reach harder to reach water sources with the hose, the ability to quick connect to a bladder system and direct pump to fill it and, my favourite, makeshift shower for hygiene in the field make it such a brilliant system that it’s worth the additional weight and cost. penalty. Hope that helps.
Hey bro hope you are well and having a great weekend so far. Just found you today and really pleased we have your videos are awesome bro. Love the outdoors and used to live in the lake district England. Really useful video bro. Thanks so much for your knowledge with us really appreciate it. Stay safe and take care my friend catch up soon, keep up the great work. 👍❤️🙏
Would someone PLEASE do a review using the Grayl to filter NASTY water? Its all well and good to filter and purify mountain glacial water thats already crystal clear and looks good. dip that thing in scummy, fetid water and drink it, THATS what we want to see, thats how you sell this thing to skeptical people.
I just picked up the brand new Sawyer water purification water bottle.. only $19.99 at Walmart (As opposed to the original Sawyer at $39) .. this thing is great in lightweight it will filter down to one micron
Thanks for this info on Grayl, exactly what I needed. Do you possibly know how/if I could connect a Sawyer mini filter to a gravitybag? Or to have a similar system in a "base-camp" where more amounts of water is needed. Susanne
When the flow rate gets bad, it is time to change filters. The standard is about 15 seconds to press the filter, if it starts taking closer to 30 seconds, it's time to replace.
