Question:
my gf and i are going to boundary waters canoe area this summer for 5 days, and we need to get some kind of waterpurification device; i've ruled out the tablet type. has anyone tried these water filters that look like a regularsquirt/sport bottle? the salesman at eastern mountain sports tried very much to talk me out of the bottle kind and to gowith the PUR pump/hose type. he said the pump type is a much better filter/purifier, less likely to clog from sedimentsand will last a lot longer. i don't expect to be a real heavy user.

i'm not real concerned about the price difference, although it is a bit significant:

PUR: $60; add'l filter (200 gal cap): $20; this model does NOT remove viruses

bottle type: $45; add'l filter (26 gal cap): $25; this model claims to remove viruses

my thoughts on the bottle type: just fill and drink when you're thirsty; no water to lug around and no separate watercontainer needed. i can also use it for fishing/hunting/hiking back home in pa: carry it around empty (thus lighter) andfill and drink when thirsty. up till now i've been freezing 1/3 of a regular water bottle, then filling with cold waterbefore i go, and carrying the weight around with me. not too much trouble, but the bottle type filter might be a betterway...

thoughts on pump/hose type: need separate water container. i would not be likely to carry this (and separate container)around when fishing/hunting in pa.

Answer: Last September I went on a five day canoe trip through the BWCA. One other thing is that the water isn't very clear,there is a lot of material floating in it. It almost looks like tannin or some other kind of material. This might clog up aconventional pump very, very fast. If your'e canoeing, as I suspect you are, wouldn't you be able to take the necessaryamount of drinking water in?