Filling Platypus

[Roman Ryder]

I've been using a filter, but I'm swapping to an Aquamira Frontier Pro. I was thinking about using my cooking pot to fill my Platypus. Anyone have a better idea?

[Steven Evans]

I usually use my pot to fill my platy, but a small ziplock bag with the corner cut off works nicely if you don't want to unpack your cook set. I use both.

[Devin Montgomery]

I also use a small plastic bag – a technique adapted the first time I came to a shallow water source with a hydration bladder and thought "Well crap, I can only get this 1/4 full." Out went the oatmeal, in went the water. That may have been my first, albeit small, trail innovation. Solving those "oh crap" moments are some of my favorite times hiking.

[Michael Wands]

I use an old platy with the top cut off. Weighs next to nothing and it will fold up small – gusseted bottom will allow you to stand it up when full of water. A good way to recycle the old bottle.

[todd]

I second the cut-off Platy method. Works great.

[EndoftheTrail]

I third the platy and raise you one pre-filter:

1. Cut off NOT the top but the bottom of your old Platy — the wide bottom makes for the perfect scoop in shallow streams.

2. Replace the old screw cap with a Platypus "push-pull" screw cap (costs only a few dollars at REI, etc.).

3. Cut a small round piece of metallic coffee filter and insert it into the "push-pull" screw cap (you can buy metallic coffee filters at Wal Mart, etc.). Screw the cap onto the bottle. Pressed between the screw cap and the bottle opening, the metallic filter will stay firmly in place.

Now, with the cap pushed closed, you scoop your water. Once placed over your receiving water bottle/bladder, you pull the push-pull cap open — and water will flow through the metallic "pre filter" and out — trapping pretty much all visible sediments and gunk.

[Roman Ryder]

Thanks for the quick replies. I'll start with a ziploc and swap it out when I wear out a platy. Thanks!

[todd]

Dang, Ben!

Why did I not think of keeping the top of the old Platy intact??????????

Am I gonna have to sacrifice a decent Platy? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm……You truly are an enabler……

[Miguel Arboleda]

I always carry a very light, heat-resistant, plastic mug for all my drinks and soups and cereals. I carry it on the outside of the pack and use it to fill my Platy or (it's safe here in Japan) drink directly from streams. It used to drive me nuts trying to fill the Platy from the horizontal trickle of tiny streams!

[EndoftheTrail]

Todd:

I like having my water poured through the metallic coffee filter screen. While the chemicals will supposedly render the water safe to drink, I rather not see bits and pieces floating about in my drinking water.

If you feel the same, then yeah, go ahead and sacrifice another 1L Platty. You'll be happy you did.

Ben,
The Gear Enabler.

[Steven Nelson]

I like the filter in the cut-off top of a platy idea – nice.

Here's what I do:

I always carry an ultralight silnylon bucket and an elasticized pouch of mesh cloth (came with a GossamerGear Aqua Mira kit).

I make one trip to the water, scoop up however much of it I need, and then can comfortably pour out of the bucket into the platy wherever I like. The mesh pouch goes over the opening of the platy and filters out any bits of stuff in the water.

The bucket is nice because it can hold as much as two gallons of water, and I can hang it from a branch in camp, saving trips to the water source and/or allowing me to go somewhere more comfortable to sit, pour, and treat.

[Mike Clelland]

I carry my mug near the top of my pack for easy filling. I have my aqua mira set of bottles inside the mug.

If the water is still enough (and deep enough) you can:

a) Blow up your bottle
b) Push your bottle, opening down into the deep water.
c) with the bottle fully underwater, turn it right-side up – and wooosh.
d) bottle full!

[victoria maki]

roman. antigravity gear sells a setup for your aquamira frontier. a bag holds the water which you can dip into the stream. the frontier is connected to the bottom of that bag, then a tube comes off the the filter. you just let gravity fill your platy. very light wt. when you go to website, look up cooking section, then hydration. on that page it is the second item down. 4.2 oz set up.

[Roman Ryder]

"a bag holds the water which you can dip into the stream. the frontier is connected to the bottom of that bag, then a tube comes off the the filter. you just let gravity fill your platy."

Ahh…cool…it's a fancy version of the homemade one on the page in the shop.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/aquamira_frontier_pro_filter.html

I'm not sure it would be worth it to add the weight. I can actually get my MSR Hyperflow down to 5.5 oz. Thanks for the tip on the web site though. I've never seen it and there's a ton of great stuff!

[EndoftheTrail]

That's what I like about the Frontier Pro — it is so versatile: direct screw onto any Platy bottle/bladder, inline use, or gravity feed.

In lieu of the AGG water bag, I use a 3L platy for my dirty-water resevoir (after punching two holes near the bottom, hammering in two grommets and stringing a length of cord for easy hanging). From there, it's just like with AGG: screw on the Frontier Pro and then let gravity draw the water through the filter, the hydration tube — and into the receiving 'clean water' Platypus bladder(s).

One caution: the ultra compact and light weight Frontier Pro has a pretty big 3.0 micron pore size — so it's only good for blocking protozoa cysts — NOT bacteria and obviously not viruses either (if present). I treat my water with regular bleach, let stand for 30 minutes to kill bacteria and viruses– then start the filtering to block protozoa, clarify water, and remove any bad water taste — including chlorine.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I use my drinking cup to get water (comes handy in those barely dribbling water sources in September….) then pour into my bladder. Usually I put a bandanna over the top of the bladder if it has floaters.

[Paul Tree]

<< DISCLAIMER: Although the Hiker filter is heavy, it is more economical for me. >>

<< DISCLAIMER 2: And I often use a drinking tube in the summer, hydration is critical here. More weight.>>

By far the most trick way to go, if you have a filter.

Pop off the bite valve, plug in the hose to the filter outlet and pump. No getting your platy out of the pack. No contamination worries. No spilling. Only one of the filter hoses is needed, except for my lagger friends need it.
No adapters etc.

[Chris S]

I recently switched from Filter to Aqua Mira drops and came across the "Well crap, I can only get this 1/4 full." issue Devin mentioned. If using a mug to fill your Platypus, how long do you have to wait before you can use your mug? I'm assuming some of the bacteria, etc. could potentially still be on the mug for at least a little while.

[Steven Hanlon]

if you can't get the bottle to the trickle, bring the trickle to the bottle. my long handle spoon has been used to "bridge" water into the platy. if the water is low to the ground, i carry a corner from a mailing envelope – the plastic fiber kind. basically it acts as a scoop and is free and weighs zero.

[Dale Wambaugh]

"Pop off the bite valve, plug in the hose to the filter outlet and pump. No getting your platy out of the pack. No contamination worries. No spilling."

Katadyn sells quick-connect adapters for bladder hoses. I use 1-1/2 sets, with one matched pair mounted in my drinking hose and one end on the output hose of the filter. I can disconnect the hose, plug in the filter and then pump, even while wearing the pack.

Quick Fill Hydration Adaptor Kit
http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-water-filters-accessoriespartskits/quick-fill-hydration-adaptor-kit/

[JJ Mathes]

"if you can't get the bottle to the trickle, bring the trickle to the bottle. my long handle spoon has been used to "bridge" water into the platy. if the water is low to the ground, i carry a corner from a mailing envelope – the plastic fiber kind. basically it acts as a scoop and is free and weighs zero."

Steven- this is exactly what I do, only I use my windscreen or a leaf
http://gossamergear.com/wp/tips/ever-have-trouble-collecting-water

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