User Review: Platypus GravityWorks Filter System

Summary

OMG! Seriously? If you haven't already drooled all over one of these like a lifeless zombie online or in your local shop for hours by now than you've probably already bought one. Here's why you should too. It's perfect in almost every way. Period.

I could just list everything above in the Pros column but I have to get something in here too. 

The Platypus GravityWorks Filter is a God send. It filters out everything I'm worried about accidentally ingesting plus... No more endless trips to hand pump out of the stream! No more iodine and chlorine tablets or boiling or any other negative thing any experienced backpacker can come up with when it comes to getting their potable water. It's a drag.

Well, no more. Because these guys invented something called "Gravity". Okay. They didn't invent it but they did find a way to harness its power to make backpacking just a little more fun for everyone.

I recently bought one of these for myself, but I have been using a friend's for a few trips. Including a couple weeks in Hawaii.

Imagine hiking into your campsite and you still have to go a 1/4 mile to resupply your water for the night and breakfast tomorrow. Thinking about having to pump four liters would have been a nightmare. I don't care how good your pump is. But instead you just fill up your four liter bag and off you go to camp.

If you wanted to be really nice and bring more back you can sit there and let the filter do its work and when done fill up the "dirty" bladder one more time for later. We often bring a plethora of bladders when we know water won't be close and know we'll be at the same spot for a while. This is convenience at its best. 

Now, once you've filled the "dirty" bladder through its Big Mouth opening at the top, just zip it up and let gravity do its thing. The instructions tell you to back wash it after a little water comes out of the clean side of the filter. This does work. If you don't the air bubbles will get caught in the filter and stop the filtering process cold. One note about filling the bladder. Bring a little shovel and something to ladle water out of streams just in case you can't submerge the entire bladder. I'd say bring a pump for that too but that would defeat the purpose.

Your bladders are full and they're hanging from a tree or post and all you have to do now is use that nifty little plastic stopper to release water from your clean bag directly into your mouth or cook pot, water bottle, over your head or whatever. It's great. The plastic piece is a little odd in its design but very effective. Once you get the hang of it you wont feel like you're all thumbs trying to manipulate its springy latch system.

Another cool thing about this filter is you can detach it from the bladders and submerge it directly in water and use it like a straw. There is hardly any resistance from the filter itself. Great for day hiking or whenever your out in the woods. 

The filter is very light and can be damaged if dropped more than a few feet. You can test it to make sure if you aren't already. Spare filters are like $45 I think. Get one and bring it just in case. It's always good to have a backup. Even better when that backup is the same filter. 

So this filter is versatile enough for any person on any trip short of excursions where freezing temperatures are expected. Even than, you could probably keep it close enough to your body to prevent that from happening but I wouldn't take the chance. Great product.