Platypus Quickdraw Microfilter

[Robert Spencer]

Wondering if anyone has been able to give the new Platypus Quickdraw filter a try or heard of any initial reports of performance?

I’m aware of the concerns by some that there is no way to backflush the filter, but everything else is very appealing and I consider Platypus to be the maker of many reputable products.

Getting comparisons from the trail will determine if we have a winner, especially with all the dedicated Sawyer Squeeze fans to win over. But I do welcome something new in this category because even good gear can be better and competition can’t hurt.

[Jerry Adams]

https://www.platy.com/filtration/quickdraw-microfilter/11458.html#product-info

“The filter weighs just 2.2 oz (63 g)”

“Filter pore size (microns): 0.2” (Squeeze is 0.1 microns, but likely that’s not important)

“Shake-to-clean or tool-free backflush methods make for quick and easy cleaning of the filter, so you can have fast filtration for your entire trip”

“The I/O dual-thread design allows the filter cartridge to natively attach to the QuickDraw Reservoir, smartwater® bottles, the Platy Hoser, most Platy bottles and certain common 28mm PET soda/water bottles.”

That’s weird because Sawyer Squeeze has common PET soda/water bottle threads, but it has problems screwing onto a Platypus bottle.  The pitch of the threads is slightly different.  But if the length is short (few number of threads) then the plastic can stretch to accommodate slightly different thread pitches.

https://www.platy.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-cdiSharedLibrary/default/dwbc9273a1/pdf/manuals/34-217-WEB_Instruction_Platy_QuickDraw_EN.pdf

shows how you can backflush by putting a bottle of clean water and screwing it to the output side of the filter and squeezing it through to backflush

interesting that the instructions say you can disinfect with bleach.  But, as discussed in other threads, if you have hard water, this can cause deposits which plug up the pores

[Brad W]

If it can be taken from a trickle to near full flow in the field after a clog I would be interested.

[Michael B]

Maybe bring a little dropper bottle of white vinegar to help cleaning? I’ve used it on my faucet aerators at home with good success (I have very hard water).

[Ross Bleakney]

@Jerry — Yeah, the different threading between the various bottles/filters is a real pain. You have to make sure you have the right caps, for example.

In any event, having threads on both sides means it would be trivial to create a drip system, right? Just attach a platypus to both ends. This is a system I’ve used for years. Drip when I have time, squeeze when I don’t. These days I use a BeFree filter, a HydraPak Seeker bladder (for “dirty” water), a Platypus, and an adapter. The adapter is where I struggle. I’ve used both the Sawyer couplet (which is meant for cleaning) or a trimmed down Tornado Tube. Neither work quite right. The ability to just screw it right on the filter is a very nice feature, even if it means I can’t use the Seeker as my dirty water bottle (I much prefer it because of its wide mouth).

 

[K2 Travels]

Have one and can confirm it is sexy. Basically a better version in every way of the befree.

Found extra time:  This filter is sort of a mix of the sawyer squeeze and the befree.  It fits lots of bottles, back flushing is same as sawyer and the befree, both ways for the win.  Fits evernew bags and smart water bottles.  Flow is same as a befree, with same amount of pressure.  The fully contained filter is nice for keeping it clean, great grip as well.  Love this thing so far, time will tell I suppose.

K2

[Jerry Adams]

I screwed a platypus bag to a squeeze once and did gravity mode.  The threads aren’t quite right but with care you can get them good enough.

I forgot about it and it overflowed my output bottle.  No big deal, just slightly annoying

I find squeezing a bottles worth easier.

[Robert Spencer]

It is interesting to hear of the lengths people are willing to go to rig their systems with various adapters, hoses, and bottles to achieve a favorable setup. Many of you are creative and resourceful. I am not. Just give me a simple system with decent flow and longevity.

The Be Free was fabulous for me at first, but I had to switch to the Squeeze after one trip when output slowed to a trickle last summer. Very disappointing.  The Squeeze works well, but I might try the Quickdraw if K2’s feedback is repeated by others. I’m sure someone will have a negative review, but so far I would say that is a strong endorsement.

[Rex Sanders]

More than you probably want to know about roughly a dozen slightly different “28 mm” bottle threads:

https://cnocoutdoors.com/blogs/blog/lets-talk-about-threads

— Rex

[Bill in Roswell]

The new Quickdraw has the same filtration life rating as the former model, 1000 liters. Same for BeFree. Sawyer and Hydroblu have a rating of 100,000. If you only hike once in a while, 1000 liters is fine. If you’re a long trail hiker, 100,000 makes a lot more sense. A big reason why Sawyer still dominates on long trails. Personally, I prefer the Hydroblu as it fits common bottle types as well as the popular CNOC Vesto bag and it has captive caps for inlet and outlet – no more lost caps. IIRC, the life rating test is determined by mandated Federal test standards (don’t recall which agency, EPA?).

[K2 Travels]

Ah found the lifespan on website, wasn’t there a few weeks ago when I bought her.  Still with how much better it is than my Sawyer squeeze it’s worth buying one every 1k liters.

K2

[Jerry Adams]

I’ve used my Sawyer Squeeze for about 8 years.  Never had a problem with it.

I don’t have hard water at home which probably helps.

[Ross Bleakney]

I forgot about it and it overflowed my output bottle.

How was the output connected to the filter?

I don’t think that is possible with most systems. That’s the whole idea, really. Hook it up, go do something else, then come back and you have filtered water. On occasion I’ve had to burp it to get the last little bit.

By the way, I’ve used the same system I described earlier (with both adapters) for a squeeze as well. The advantage of this filter is that you don’t need an adapter (from what I can tell). Just connect a platypus to the clean water side, and you are ready to go.

I have a few questions though. These are for the dirty water bladder:

1) How wide is the opening? Is it as wide as a Seeker?

2) Do they sell bigger dirty water bladders? 1 Liter is pretty small.

3) Is there a way to use the bag in a drip system? It doesn’t look like there are any places to tie a cord (unlike a Seeker bladder). Worse yet, it looks like they trimmed the plastic on the outside, so you can’t even punch holes (as I’ve done with previous Platypus bladders back in the day).

And last:

4) Can I use a Seeker bladder as the dirty water bladder? If so, it would seal the deal for me.

 

 

 

[Jerry Adams]

interesting article about threads Rex, more complicated than I knew : )

those cnoc outdoors water bags look pretty good, anyone use one?  They fit all filters.

[Bill in Roswell]

Squeeze and Hydroblu fit CNOC Vecto bags. My setup is a Vecto dirty water – Hydro blu filter – Evernew Water Carry bag filtered water.

I prefer the Hydroblu filter because the threads are inset on both ends to accommodate bags/bottles; no adapter is needed ala Sawyer; hoop captured caps to cover inlet/outlet; same flow rate as Sawyer (I back flush every 3-4 uses to keep things flowing well). Same lifespan as Sawyer. Hydroblu is more user friendly than Sawyer due to these features in my opinion. Every 3-4 months I run some diluted vinegar through to knockout mineral deposits. For me Hydroblu does 2 liters in under 2 minutes as a drip setup while I get a snack or re-arrange the pack. It’s not a big deal. People take 2 minutes putting on their shoes and socks.

[Dan]

This has been a helpful thread. It motivated me to look into some of the newer products and re-think my water treatment system. Bill’s setup is appealing to me, and I suppose it could accommodate tubing as an option for convenience and to increase the flow rate.

[Jeff McWilliams]

CNOC Vecto vs Sawyer and Evernew bags:

I’ve had Sawyer squeeze filters since about 2012-ish.  I’ve used the original Sawyer bags, Evernew bags, and I’ve had CNOC bags for about 2 years.

Pros:

That big opening on the back end of the CNOC bag sure is nice to fill from water sources like lakes and ponds, where scooping with a Sawyer/Evernew bag alone is frustrating.  However, I solved the scooping problem years ago by cutting down a 1L or .75L Platy softbottle into a scoop.  On the threaded end of the soft bottle I threaded a pop-top sport bottle cap. Inside the cap I glued a fine mesh filter from a kitchen sink aerator so I get some coarse filter action when scooping and letting the water drain through the cap into my 1L Evernew bags.   Still, the CNOC Vecto bag lets me skip the scoop & drain step, mostly.  For smaller trickles of water that gather in shallow puddles of water, collecting water with the home made scoop seems to work better than the open end of the CNOC Vecto, because it’s a smaller bag and there’s no “lip” on the open end.

Cons:

When squeezing, the Vecto behaves somewhat like squeezing a balloon, in that you not only get pressure on the outlet of the bag, but the bag itself bulges around the middle.  I find this aggravating.  It feels like some of the pressure I’m applying to the bag doesn’t result in higher outlet pressure but just makes the Vecto bulge more.  Even when I roll the bag from the closed end it does this, and so in the end, I find I’m going back to my Evernew bags and my scoop and leaving the CNOC bags at home.  Maybe it’s a psychological thing.  I honestly have seen no-one else online talk about this.

Also, the CNOC Vecto bags seem notorious for getting pinhole leaks, and there are now at least two Youtube videos on how to fix that.  One is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dATf-yHBiM

One of my Vecto bags sprung a pinhole leak and I didn’t realize it was fixable so I threw it away.  I assumed that the textured bag wouldn’t take an adhesive tape well, but I guess I was wrong if you use the correct kind of repair tape.

This isn’t to say that Sawyer/Evernew bag haven’t had their problems.  The Sawyer bags are notorious for failures, and I refuse to carry them.  I’ve had 1, may 2 Evernew bags fail in almost 9 years of occasional, “weekend warrior, summer trip” type backpacking use, and that was  where the bag is welded to the threaded spout.   I remember one failure specifically, because we were coming down from dayhiking Giant in the Adirondacks.  I had stopped at a creek to filter water and it sprung a bad leak. Fortunately, I had a backup bag so it wasn’t world ending or anything.

Finally, the threaded end on CNOC Vector bag is more de-formable than the Sawyer/Evernew bags.  If you’ve just filled the 1L bag full and you’re trying to screw the Sawyer squeeze onto the bag, you have to be careful that you don’t inadvertently pinch the threaded end too much while screwing on the filter or it will deform into an oval and you won’t be able to get the filter threaded correctly.  To me, this took some practice.  I’m holding onto 2 pounds of water in a soft bag while trying to attach the filter.  The bag doesn’t have a lot of grip points, and holding it around the threaded spout seems like the obvious choice.  That technique works well with the Sawyer/Evernew, but it’s tricky with the CNOC Vecto.

Also, because the threaded end is more deformable, I trust the CNOC Vecto less in my pack as a water hauling bag.  With the Evernew bag, I have a lot of faith in being able to fill the 1L bag and put it in my pack when I need to haul extra water.  I just don’t have the same amount of trust in the CNOC Vecto.  I’m afraid that with enough pressure or jostling around in my pack that the threaded end will deform and it will leak, or the sliding clip keeping the back end closed will leak.

I still like the idea of having a large opening on the back of the bag.  I know some Platypus bags do the same thing.  I wish Evernew offered a model with the same feature.

[Jerry Adams]

thanks for the information

[Robert Spencer]

Good info everyone.  I have an Evernew bladder on order to see how it works with my Squeeze — maybe try the CNOC next time. Decided to pull the trigger on the Quickdraw too so time will tell if it’s a flop or serious contender.

Jeff’s pros and cons summary is thorough and speaks to the finicky outlook I, and many others, hold dearly. We want the wide-opening ease of filling the bladder of this one combined with the grippy feel and leakproof properties of that one to perfectly thread onto another brand’s filter that will transfer the fastest, cleanest water into our favorite carry bag/bottle. And it needs to be really light, last for years and years and be inexpensive. Is that too much to ask?

It makes me think that we are fortunate all these brands which are competing for the holy grail of water filtration and carry, are willing to offer somewhat compatible components. Based on what seems to be a vast array of set-ups mentioned here, everyone is sort of satisfied yet everyone is still searching too.

[Alex Wallace]

Looking forward to trying it out this season.

[Jenny A]

I gave the Quickdraw filter a field test this past week, using it to filter dirty water from a Smartwater bottle.    Flow rate was great, faster/more volume than my BeFree filter, and a good solid connection with the bottle.  Shaking to clean is-brainer, and the caps on both ends effectively prevented any leakage.  I’m not quite ready to totally replace the BeFree yet, but the Quickdraw seems to be a very well made product that is more versatile and slides into a pack pocket more easily than the BeFree.   So far after 3 days I like it.   We’ll see how it fares after a few more trips.

[Arthur]

Any updates on the Quickdraw filter now that its been around for a summer?  Is the flow rate degrading  in time?   How about use in silty water?  Thanks

[Chris K]

How do you folks prevent the filter from freezing if daytime temps are below freezing? Keep it in an interior chest pocket? Bring a different water treatment method?

I understand the Quickdraw has an integrity test to determine if the filter has been frozen. Can someone describe this test? Sorry if I missed this in the article or previous posts…

[Brad W]

You could keep in on your person, just be diligent. Chemical treatment maybe easier though.

[Robert Spencer]

Only used the Quickdraw on a few trips this summer, but was pleased with the performance.

Output is not as fast/easy as a brand new BeFree filter, but way better than one that has been in use for a few trips. Without data to prove it, I would say the Quickdraw is similar to the Squeeze in timing and effort. No silty water trips to give feedback Arthur.

As others have mentioned, the shape, feel and build quality is where the Quickdraw shines. The clean side cap is permanently attached and stout. The dirty side cap allows you to store everything more or less dry. (Especially helpful if close to the body or in the sleeping bag during freezing temps.)

The dirty Platy bladder that comes with it is the best option out there. Easy to swoop up water with the wide mouth and handle. Rolling or crushing the Platy bladder to filter is way better then a crinkly Smartwater bottle, but knowing you have a back up is reassuring too if you use a Smartwater bottle in camp like I do.

My only real gripe is you have to be careful when threading the bladder or even threading the dirty side cap. Be sure to apply downward pressure while twisting so the threads seat and engage the o-ring properly. If you only rely on twisting the plastic threads can get deformed — you’ll know if you see them turning white.  I caught mine soon enough, but still a little upset I didn’t foresee that one coming. Never used the smaller set of threads since the wider bladder that comes with is a great option, but again, nice to have that backup if you have to change up your set up.

I’m not a heavy user, but my conclusions are:

BeFree is best for weekend use (1-2 nights) or day hikes.  Mine slowed to a crawl in a few days.

Quickdraw is best for weeklong trips. Easy to use and good-enough output.

Squeeze is best for thru hikes or multi week trips. Tested and reliable over many years.

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