Platypus QuickDraw Microfilter & Reservoir System

Product Information

A note on flow rate: Platypus claims it can filter up to 3 L per minute. I don’t have a 3L reservoir (I have several 1L reservoirs and a 2L version). So I performed the flow rate test based on 1 L of water. Multi-cleaning: There are two ways to clean the filter — no accessories needed — which is required to maintain anything close to an acceptable flow rate. The easiest, yet least effective is the slosh method. Put a quarter-liter of water in the dirty reservoir and shake it all up for 30 seconds. This splashing dislodges some of the grit built up on the exposed filter fibers. In practice, I found this easy enough to do regularly, but not useful in noticeably restoring flow rate. Over the last few years I’ve increased my amount of hiking and wild camping trips. In 2019, I tried out my first filter water bottle for my E2W Challenge, hiking 950-miles across Britain and it was a total game-changer!

For thru-hikers, especially solo hikers, the gold standard seems to be the Sawyer Squeeze. But possibly not for long. As someone that hikes in the Peak District this is something I’ve got used to! But I appreciate it’s not for everyone. In the instance of being dehydrated or drinking peaty water I know which option I’d choose! It has a shake-to-clean mechanism that allows it to keep working throughout its lifetime with no need to take it to pieces or wash it out. The fill and squeeze method considerably reduces the weight and complexity of the filter. In testing, I filtered from several clear and fast-running alpine streams, and then one not-so-ideal creek source. This dirtier source made for the best (most brutal) time flow rate test. The dirty water reservoir is made of the same taste free and durable film as other Platypus’ products. The filter is also compatible with multiple bottle types. Additionally, users can drink directly from its spout.But either way, it’s fast enough for what I want! Does the water taste funny or is it just off colour because of the peat? Does it make peaty water clean? If you’ve drank filtered peaty water depending on the colour of the water you can notice a slight soil taste, but it’s not something I’ve ever been bothered about, the darker the colour the stronger the taste of peat you’ll notice. There is really only one bad thing about the filter. For some reason, Platypus decided to use 2 protruding plastic pieces instead of a traditional thread on the filter bag. The filter bag uses a proprietary design instead of traditional threads. That little filter chugged along for four months, keeping me hydrated and safe from microscopic boogymen. However, at hike’s conclusion, I hid my Squeeze away, vowing, “never again.” I was fed up with the leaking pouches, slow flow rate, and Herculean grip required to produce each drop. At the cost of half a pound, I moved to a gravity filter system and looked forward to living the good life.

While the filter itself is better than the Sawyer Squeeze or BeFree, the design problem with the dirty water reservoir makes it hard to recommend buying the kit that comes with the bag.In the field, I noticed the water I retrieved from a mountain stream at 12,000 feet tasted a bit purer than the dirtier creek water (which also had a slight color before filtering), but other than that, no difference. During those 20 seconds, look for a steady stream of bubbles in the spout emerging from the hollow fibers on the clean side. By using the Platypus reservoirs and soft flask by total weight for the water containers was about 200 grams, then with 3.5 litres of water (3.5 kg) the total weight was 3.7 kg. Then depending on where the next water source was I’d fill the 1-litre reservoir and maybe my 500 ml one too, if it was a distance to hike. Yes, there’s not really much you need to do other than fill the reservoir, screw the filter on and turn upside-down, gravity does the rest for you!

The wide-mouth bag has a handle which made it easy to scoop up water from lakes and streams. The bad Effective: Each micro-filter is individually tested to ensure it meets all EPA & NSF guidelines for the removal of 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoa*. Effective: Each microfilter is individually tested to ensure it meets all EPA & NSF guidelines for the removal of 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoa*.

Quick Specs

Platypus has developed a solution to this conundrum. A few simple steps are all it takes to do a filter integrity test. Remove the clean-side cap. Put half a liter of water in the reservoir and squeeze some through to wet out the fibers. Next, flip the filter up and squeeze air through. A steady stream of bubbles indicates a compromised filter, in which case it should be trashed. As a solo hiker it was great that I could hike with less water and then filter on the go.But I was also able to help a few fellow hikers who were low on water during the hike, especially when the weather was insanely hot.

Hollow Fiber Advantage: Hundreds of tiny hollow fibers enable the microfilter to filter water faster than traditional filter media. The water filters at a good speed! No waiting around for your water, you can fill, filter and drink! Each end of the filter — the threaded “dirty” end and the drinking end — are labeled clearly. Each comes with a cap, so you can keep the clean end truly clean and protected when filling up. A cap for the bottom so you can store it without getting everything wet (like in your sleeping bag when it’s code)The filter system is so easy to use and I loved how it was versatile so you could switch to how you wanted/needed to use it at a particular time. The loop by the lid makes it easy to fill without a fear of letting go and losing your reservoir downstream and it’s handy to use to hold it too. If you’re looking at lightweight, robust and non-plastic tasting water carriers then I’d certainly recommend Platypus. They design their products with a double layer film which means you don’t have that plasticy taste and they are also durable and they have a lifetime warranty on all their products.