Stansplace 414 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 (edited) I had plans to buy a Berkey water filter based on friends recommendations for them. But apparently theirs were over 2 years old and Berkey has had serious issues over the past 2 years from a quality standpoint. I have been doing some research and reading reviews on the internet, but was curious if anyone in the Saiga community had experience with any other water filters such as the Sawyer .02, Katadyn, or ProBlack-BR. If you have experience with anything else I haven't seen, that would be great as well. I am in need of a long term solution due to the crappy water in my municipality. A filter that can be used in a two bucket setup would be ideal. Please let me know what you have used and what your recommendations are. Cost is irrelevant, but I do want something that will filter lots and lots of water and will last a very long time. Simplicity is a big bonus as well. Edited February 17, 2013 by stansplace Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dad2142Dad 6,559 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 Like this one? Shout out to Yakdung for posting it a while ago. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dolomite_supafly 56 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 I bought a Big Berkey a few years ago and it is worth every penny. We use it every day to filter water we drink and cook with. You do have to periodically clean the filters but it is easy using 220 grit sandpaper to remove the top layer of filter material. I have well water and I have to "clean" the filters every 3-4 months or so. We are filtering about 3 gallons of water per day. They say you can get up to 3,000 gallons of water but I think we are going to exceed that. When the filtering slows down we clean it. Your friends having issues with their Berkey is likely because they have not cleaned the filters. Every filter system needs maintanence and the Berkey is about as easy as it gets. Take the sandpaper and wrap it around the filter. Twist the filter in your hand until it changes back to a black color then rinse off the black filter material. It normally only takes 5 revolutions to have it working good again. You could do it on the cheap using the bucket method and the Berkey filters. Or you could build a sand filter for even cheaper. Dolomite 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
devildogdakota 804 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 I have the Sawyer Point Zero Two. I bought it about five years ago and used it for the first time last fall in the mountains drawn from a creek. It was a little work at first to initally prime it to get it going, but after that, it was smoothe sailing.I have two dedicated five gallon buckets with lids for mine, as well as large bandanas with bungees that go over the top of the bucket for pre-filtering. The reasons I went with the Sawyer was the 1,000,000 gallon rating, and it removes everything all the others do, INCLUDING VIRUSES, which most of them at that time didn't do. I paid around $150.00 for it. It's great peace of mind knowing that I have a water filter that should last me the rest of my life, as long as It doesn't get lost, stolen, or riddled with bullets. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunman1 1,753 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 I'm going to by four of the Berkey Black filters and put them away in my bug out bags. I already have whole house deionizing and filtration, with additional charcoal filter under the sink, our water aint to bad here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Conscript 99 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 I use: Doulton 10" Super Sterasyl Ceramic Gravity Filter Candle W9121709 x2, in my buckets...Because I'm cheap, but they work well for river water and gutter downspouts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stansplace 414 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 Like this one? Shout out to Yakdung for posting it a while ago. This is exactly what I am going to do, I am just trying to figure out which candle filter I am going to use. It certainly won't be the $35 one mentioned in the video. I bought a Big Berkey a few years ago and it is worth every penny. We use it every day to filter water we drink and cook with. You do have to periodically clean the filters but it is easy using 220 grit sandpaper to remove the top layer of filter material. I have well water and I have to "clean" the filters every 3-4 months or so. We are filtering about 3 gallons of water per day. They say you can get up to 3,000 gallons of water but I think we are going to exceed that. When the filtering slows down we clean it. Your friends having issues with their Berkey is likely because they have not cleaned the filters. Every filter system needs maintanence and the Berkey is about as easy as it gets. Take the sandpaper and wrap it around the filter. Twist the filter in your hand until it changes back to a black color then rinse off the black filter material. It normally only takes 5 revolutions to have it working good again. You could do it on the cheap using the bucket method and the Berkey filters. Or you could build a sand filter for even cheaper. Dolomite The Berkey's were fine pre-2010, but apparently they have had trouble with the adhesive that holds the filter to the base since then. My friends haven't had the opportunity to use theirs long enough to require maintenance yet. They were purchased since 2010. If yours is pre-2010, take care of it and it will last a long time. The ones on the market now, not so much... I have the Sawyer Point Zero Two. I bought it about five years ago and used it for the first time last fall in the mountains drawn from a creek. It was a little work at first to initally prime it to get it going, but after that, it was smoothe sailing.I have two dedicated five gallon buckets with lids for mine, as well as large bandanas with bungees that go over the top of the bucket for pre-filtering. The reasons I went with the Sawyer was the 1,000,000 gallon rating, and it removes everything all the others do, INCLUDING VIRUSES, which most of them at that time didn't do. I paid around $150.00 for it. It's great peace of mind knowing that I have a water filter that should last me the rest of my life, as long as It doesn't get lost, stolen, or riddled with bullets. This unit has caught my attention in particular, I am on the fence about whether to by this one or the Katadyn ceradyne. I really want to hear from other people what they think about these two and if there is an alternative suggestion they may have. I may be wrong, but the one mentioned in the video posted by Yakdung via Dad doesn't have the capabilities of the two I just mentioned. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 (edited) I have a Sawyer .02 micron filter with my supplies (approx. $40.00) It's small enough to fit in your pocket and can be rigged to a 5 gallon bucket gravity-feed system, with the right fittings and tubing. Just knowing how to make your own sand/charcoal filter is also a huge plus. Sodium Hypo chloride (bleach) has a limited shelf-life. So do treatment tablets and iodine. You could also boil it and drink the dead bugs. BTW...Don't drink the water that comes off of a tar-shingled roof. Or from plastic water bottles that have been exposed to UV rays for a long time. FYI Edited February 18, 2013 by Sim_Player Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stansplace 414 Posted February 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 Thanks for the replies, I think I am going to go with the Sawyer. The .02 has a low flow rate if there is anything in the water much so I am going to get a .1 and a .02 and run them in series. The .02 eliminates the need for chemicals etc. Don't drink the water from a plastic bottle you have sterilized over the fire either unless it is a true survival situation. I got sick as hell from the plastic that leached into the water while it was over the fire. I know it was the plastic, because I was using bottled water I took with me. I was just trying to see if you really could boil water in a plastic bottle over the fire. You can, and it makes a good hot water bottle for when it's cold. Just don't brush your teeth and make your coffee with it in the morning. Unless of course you want to use all the toilet paper you brought with you. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I have a Sawyer .02 micron filter with my supplies (approx. $40.00) It's small enough to fit in your pocket and can be rigged to a 5 gallon bucket gravity-feed system, with the right fittings and tubing. Just knowing how to make your own sand/charcoal filter is also a huge plus. Sodium Hypo chloride (bleach) has a limited shelf-life. So do treatment tablets and iodine. You could also boil it and drink the dead bugs. BTW...Don't drink the water that comes off of a tar-shingled roof. Or from plastic water bottles that have been exposed to UV rays for a long time. FYI Boiling does not eliminate naturally occurring heavy metals or minerals.. Supposedly the water around me gives you kidney stones due to all the minerals, which would suck big time in any survival situation. We have reverse osmosis for cooking and drinking, and to make the coffee pots last longer. System we have requires pressure but its simple to use and no one forgets to fill it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Piratesailor 14 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Like this one? Shout out to Yakdung for posting it a while ago. Excellent. That's all that's needed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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