One of the most important things for me is always the weight and the size of the gear that I need to carry in my backpack. For use with the Grayl Ultralight Compact Purifier bottle, this replacement cartridge provides full-spectrum protection against virus, bacteria, protozoa, sediment, chemicals and heavy metals. Mary Murphy is the Managing Editor of GearJunkie. While made out of plastic, the seals seem to be bomber while the plastic (with water inside) holds up to drop tests. We did three different tests in clear water, just at the kitchen sink at home. To make sure everything was in working order, I tested it all out at home before heading into the great outdoors. As a fan of your website I Hi, Do you really know who the One is? Here are some tips based on my own experiences: This issue ties back into the carrying capacity. GRAYL's top-rated and best-selling water filter and purifier bottles are unequalled in speed, simplicity and effectiveness. Ease of use One thing that you should be aware of when using the Grayl is cross contamination. This allows you to use only the filter you need, such as using the Tap filter at home, and swap it out for a Travel filter when youre heading off to the Sahara or someplace like that. Each filter lasts 300 uses, or 40 gallons (150 L), and willslow down when its time to replace it. I deliberately overfill the bottle. This can happen when I take water from a stream for example. Anyone can join and everyone belongs. The Grayl Ultralight Purifier is a super-efficient, lightweight and reliable water purification system that simplifies and speeds up the whole water purification process when out in the wild. When the electro adsorptive media has attracted the pollution towards the filter, the media for ion exchange makes sure the pollution stays into the filter by exchanging a harmless component with the pollution. If youre having problems with either issue, try unscrewing a full turn, or a little more. We couldn't filter our water is this medium. But everyone has different priorities and I would rather carry more weight than have to purify more often. But I liked it long before then anyway. All opinions are my own. But as an added bonus, its also estimated that its going to retail for $30lessthan the original stainless steel Grayl (now called the Legend), and $20 lessthan the hybrid steel/plasticversion (known as the Quest). Be sure to place the top in a safe place and don't put it near the water that is contaminated. I usually just clean the mouthpiece with an alcohol swab every so often, and I wait until a trip is over and I get back home to clean out the whole thing. E coli, Salmonella) Removes 99.999% of protozoan cysts (e.g. As for how much pressure it takes to push down on the unit, my troop of 10 year old Girl Scouts could all do it without any problem at all. But I think youll probably be fine. In either case, Ill just run the GRAYL through as many times as necessary to fill up the bottle or bladder whenever I get to a water source. All rights reserved. And it makes water simply taste better. However, compared to the ongoing expense entailed in using other options, and given all their other drawbacks . Itoffersthe same great filtration performance, usingBPA-free plastic to bring the weight down to 10.9 ounces. Value for money As a result, the UltraPress is easy to recommend for hikers and travelers looking for a simple, effective water purifier bottle. The kickstarter page for the Ultralight claims Fast Flow Rate: 15 seconds per 16 oz (2 liters/minute) However, the Grayl website states Press time: 30 seconds per 16 oz (473 ml) Pressing the inner bottle in the outer bottle and squeezing the water through the filter takes some force but everybody can do this. Shop similar products Available right now Katadyn BeFree Replacement Filter (93) $26.95 Aquamira Water Treatment - 1 oz. This is frankly unacceptable. But its usually hot in Central and South America, so you might be drinking 2 or 3 liters a day or more, so plan on them lasting about 2 months each at the most. By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to GearJunkie's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). You can make donations from 3 and that helps me keeping the site free from advertisements and making more YouTube videos. Avoid filtering muddy or cloudy water if other clear water sources are within reach. For reference, a stainless steel Klean Kanteen of similarcapacity is about 6 ounces (170 g), so the difference between having a filter andnot having a filter is a mere5 ounces. (503) $14.95 Grayl GeoPress Replacement Purifier Cartridge (267) $29.95 8.8 As a result, we'd recommend it for the backcountry. Add gift options Have one to sell? The plastic is actually pretty thick, so I actually wouldnt get too worried about it. In testing both purifiers, I didnt notice a huge difference in speed. The electro adsorptive media captures these pollutions like a magnet. While it's in the same weight class as gravity filter kits, it's still relatively heavy when comparing other filtration options (with the exception of the MSR Guardian, purifying hand pump). Everyones favorite topic. REI is one of Americas biggest and most-loved outdoor gear retailers. Dont let your cartridge freeze and thaw repeatedly. Grayl pledges 1% of all sales to the preservation and restoration It has proven to be a good solution to be guaranteed with getting fresh safe water during our hikes. Good gear just requires an investment. Great! The price for the replacement filter is about 35,00 ($30) and the Grayl Ultralight Compact Purifier retails for 75,00 ($ 70). The other slight differences are in the design. For lightweight backpackers on a budget, this is a win-win. Price In the last few years, certain worthy competitors have haltedoperations, while several others have been shown to have wildly unrealistic marketing claims, and somecontinue to be inexplicably famous despite their insufficient performance. At 10.9oz (309g), the GRAYL Ultralight Purifier [+Filter] Bottle is perfect for the international commute, outside adventures and emergency kits! Overall, filtration is difficult and not our favorite. Thanks for taking the time to read this Grayl Ultralight review. We currently take stainless steel ones which are easy enough to clean with some vinegar and bottled water, but take a while and bottled water defeats the purpose. Grayl makes two water purifier bottles: the Grayl Geopress and the Grayl Compact Ultralight bottle. Kasia enjoys a hike high up on a bluff in unknown lands. The capacity of the Grayl Ultralight bottle is 16 oz (473 ml). Required fields are marked *. Thanks to the pandemic I havent (yet) been able to test the UltraPress while traveling overseas, but given how well the previous model worked in Mozambique, I dont have any concerns about its effectiveness there either. Grayls all-in-one premium titanium filter bottle. You can pour the clean water into another container. That rubbery band is also bigger than before, jutting outward just a bit, rather than being recessed slightly, providing a non-slip grip for your thumb and forefinger. In other words: Anywhere. We dropped it from knee level, chest level, and head level on a concrete surface. Cross contamination risk Its reallyjust that simple. I just am wondering- I usually throw it in a backpack with other stuffs including metal objects. You know how you have to rotate certain caps three or four whole times to get them open? Details Select delivery location In Stock. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support, Geopress that seems to perform better overall, How to Select a Backpacking Water Filter and Treatment System, the world's most carefully tested and objective gear reviews, Better claimed filtration rate (8 seconds vs. 15 seconds per container), Better filter cartridge longevity (250 liters vs. 150 liters), Makes more water per press (24 ounces vs. 16 ounces), It is heavier than the ultralight (weighs about 5 ounces more). Quick to respond, attentive, and incredibly helpful. When he's not playing with the latest tech toy or working out how to keep his phone charged for just a few more minutes, he can probably be found sitting in a broken-down bus in some obscure corner of the planet. The Grayl Ultralight Compact Purifier is made out of BPA free materials; polypropylene, TPE and foodgrade silicone and ABS. This bottle is a bit bigger, but the real gain is that this one has a drinking nozzle and the risk of cross contamination is reduced a lot. Whether you are hitting the road in search of backpacker glory for the first time, or are a seasoned bush-craft expert, having a Grayl Ultralight bottle in your kit will pay dividends beyond measure and keep you safe and hydrated along the way. Do I need to get a whole new rig, or do the newer filters fit the original? This is a very easy way of getting dirt on the drinking part. As mentioned, find a low coffee table, or a sturdy chair, or just kneel down and press against the ground, rather than using a high countertop. Vice versa works, too, although in that case the plastic outer cup will be wider than the stainless steel inner cup, kind of like what the Grayl Quest looks like now. It was SLOOOOW. In terms of weight, while its slightly heavier than the Ultralight, were only talking about an ounce and a half here. The company recommends only using a clear water source: the filter can handle sediment and other impurities to some degree, but itll shorten its lifespan. The filter lasts for a measly 150L or 40 gallons. That said, the main concept is pretty much the same; the bottles purifier water using a French-press style system that pushes dirty water up through a filter and into the clean water inner bottle. Countries like Thailand have HUGE plastic waste management problems and unless you have been living under a rock, you should be very aware that single-use plastic is literally destroying our oceans and all of the creatures that inhabit them. Thatll equalize the pressure. Thanks for doing this site. Close. Grayl advices to fill the outer bottle to the filling line. Sometimes filtered, sometimes not. Here are the results from a time test in the field: For context, I had the cap on, and I opened it half a turn to vent air. Made by GRAYL, this a replacement Purifier Cartridge for the GRAYL 16oz Ultralight Purifier and Filter Bottle. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. If you have questions, remarks or suggestions, please contact me by filling out the contact form or by DM or phone. Theyre saying they might bring the Travel filter all the way down to $25. Looking for an efficient water purifier but dont want extra weight or bulk? So, it doesnt need to be an ultimate outdoor experience where the Grayl Ultralight Compact Purifier proves handy. This hand might be dirty h, its an outdoor life and this dirt gets onto the drinking part and so into my mouth. Once its taking half a minute or more to finish purifying, its probably time for a new filter. This system is made from Polypropylene materials and seems fairly durable. The process took a little over ten seconds, and required less downward force than with the earlier models. Check out my in-depth Grayl Geopress review if you want to go down another exciting water purifying rabbit hole. It looks a little weird though, because the steel is a lot thinner than the plastic, so instead of lining up correctly, the top part (the inner cup) will kind of stick out wider than the outer cup. As an added bonus, theyve dropped the Purifier price from $40 to $25. This process is definitely NOT painless. Details Or fastest delivery Saturday, August 6. Actually thats a good way to compare, although I gave away my Aeropress when I was trying to quit coffee (still sad about it), so I cant do it side by side, though as I recall, the Aeropress was a bit easier than pressing the Travel filter (soon to be renamed the Purifier). The electro adsorptive media captures pathogens (germs that make you ill and have a biological origin) like viruses, protozoa and bacteria and also the inorganic components in the water. BPA-Free materials: made from polypropylene #5, food-grade silicone, TPE, ABS food-grade plastic Easy to use Eytan is a pretentious English major whose rant-laden sarcastic tirades occasionally include budget travel tips and other international nonsense. We independently buy, test, and rate all the products we review. Customer service is easy to work with and they are a small company. When our team of adventure junkies discovered Grayl products a few years ago, we felt this big epiphany moment; our water purification needs are sorted forever! Giardia, Cryptosporidium) Filters particulates (e.g. Sturdy Grayl gave me a couple test samples and spare filters, and, given how its currently doing on Kickstarter, there are a lot of people just as happy with it as I am. Only 15 seconds per press No batteries, UV bulbs, chemicals, pumping, squeezing, sucking or prolonged waiting Full-spectrum protection Ultralight and compact Integrated attachment loop Durable, engineered for harsh environments Grayl Ultralight Purifier Bottle Unavailable & Discontinued Models List of Unorderable Models This system does not purify water that can get caught on the threads of the top. But it uses the same exact filters as the one youve already got, so if you have spare filters, you wont have to buy new ones for a little while. But. For hikers interested in going ultralight, folks in the bush-craft scene, or even just the average traveler headed to South East Asia, the Grayl Compact Ultralight bottle has proven to be an excellent tool for both staying hydrated on the road and helping to reduce single-use plastic consumption whilst traveling which is a huge win. Set-up is ridiculously easy. Everyone has their own style, needs, and packing method, so when it comes to choosing a Grayl bottle purely on carrying capacity grounds, that will be a personal choice based on your own needs. I gave it a shot, but couldn't get the dirty water through. If going fast and light is your priority, then the obvious choice for you should be going with the Ultralight bottle. When I do this no water will poor over the edge when pressing the filter downwards. It was soooo hard to press this thing down! To press it down, you need to position your hands at the rim of the interior cylinder and press all of your weight onto your hands, slowly pushing the air out which also forces the water through the cartridge at the bottom. I really, really like the weight reduction on this thing, and for me, its a big enough deal that Im happy to make the switch. I am just here to emphasize that you have the tools here be it a Grayl Ultralight or a Grayl Geopress to essentially remove single-use plastic water bottles from all of your international (and domestic) travel and hikes. Many filters reduce and/or remove this horrific man-made substance because of size exclusion. The bank was quite muddy, so I just found a flat rock nearby to set things up. Enter the Grayl Ultralight, the update that solves the only real problem the original ever had. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. View the 171 reviews with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, 171 reviews with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. I also found that the smaller surface of the Ultrapress didnt mean it was harder to filter the flat surface of the top might even be easier to grip. Too Many Adapters is a brand of Long Way Media Pty Ltd, given how well the previous model worked in Mozambique, my regular two-liter (70oz) hydration bladder. P.S. Score. Grayl has launched the Grayl Ultralight, an all-plastic version that comes in at 10.9 ounces. The Grayl Ultralight Water Purifier has a flow rate of 16 oz. Again, thank you! For me, the capacity limitations of the Ultralight bottle make it so that I find I use my Grayl Geopress (24 oz.) I have never once gotten sick from drinking contaminated water after I have run it through a Grayl bottle. I bet down the road they will sell replacement parts. But this is only a benchmark since the filter life is very much depending on the water that you are purifying. Support Guides & Manuals Help & Support Returns & Exchanges Guarantee Find a Store Store Locator United States Europe United Kingdom Australia New Zealand FREE Returns & Exchanges. Designed for minimalists in quest of the ultimate in performance, convenience, & portability. 9.2 Its definitely easier to fit into a pack pocket, and the updates to the cap are better in my book (namely, the adjustable handle). This is what makes the Grayl Ultralight bottle so interesting; it purifies the water in question. In the years we have been using the Grayls we have two now we never got sick, but we take great care in preventing the drinking part from getting dirty and so we minimize the risk of cross contamination. One thing that you should not do is lay the inner bottle on the ground/grass/soil when you are collecting water. No news as far as giveaways go, and Im planning to be out of town pretty soon, which is part of the reason I try to avoid them. How good is it after two years in use? The activated carbon helps also to remove odors and improve the flavor of the water. This takes longer than the company's claimed 15 seconds. I take the outer bottle to scoop water and I need the other hand to press the inner bottle in. . The air that escapes is pressed down into the housing and escapes through the filtration cartridge. Check this EPIC packing list and make sure you always cover the essentials. With the outer shell on my kitchen floor, I placed the inner section inside, and started slowly pressing down on the lid. Since I got the first Grayl Ultralight Compact Purifier we as a family of four have been using it with great satisfaction. If there is one piece of kit that you should splash out on this year, it is a Grayl water bottle. Replaceable Cartridges Sturdy and Rugged Design Grayl Ultralight Gripes Verdict Features Specs About Grayl Grayl Geopress Bottle Review Purifies water on trail Removes bacteria, viruses, algae, protozoan Removes chemicals, toxins and heavy metals And thatreally sucks. Ladies & Gents, Its Time to Step Your GEAR Game Up. If you go above it, your water will spill out while purifying, risking possible contamination for the clean water that resides in the bottle. In that respect it is not bigger or smaller than the bottles that I usually bring on my trips. With this hand I touch the part that I put my mouth on to too drink the water. Gore Wear Gore C5 & C3 Windstopper Thermo Koga Signature E-WorldTraveller-S Trekkingbike Review, Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical Outdoor Watch Review, Dont use water with tannins (tea colored water), Dont expose it to temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (120 F), Its not designed to filter high levels of chemicals and heavy metals, Its not designed to protect against industrial disasters, Its not designed to protect against coal ash, Its not designed to protect against very high lead levels, Its not designed to protect against mercury, Its not designed to protect against nuclear disasters. And so, the inner bottle is the clean water container. The Grayl has proven to be rugged and very easy in use. Buying 2-3 water bottles every day on a multi-month backpacking holiday. Just because we are doing this on the go and not in a laboratory. As mentioned, no piece of gear is 100% perfect and though the overall performance has left me singing songs of praise from mountain tops, here is what I dont like about the Grayl Ultralight purifier bottle: Pop your email here & get the original Broke Backpacker Bible for FREE. Sustainability Thats why, one warm summer morning, I tucked the UltraPress into the side pocket of my daypack and set out on a multi-hour hike, knowing there wasnt enough water inside it to see me through. The retail price includes the filter and the bottle press system. When doing this again at the Colorado River, we had a heck of a time trying to filter as the particulates were blocking the chemical filter completely. 5 While some would benefit from the greater capacity of the GeoPress, the smaller size and lower weight of the UltraPress is likely to be more important, more often. The differences lie in the details. I dont think you can buy just the inner sleeve, but the inner plastic sleeve does in fact fit into the metal outer sleeve of the Legend, oddly enoughalthough it looks a little weird, as the plastic Grayl is wider overall than the stainless steel one. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Tap filter is a lot easier, though. Benefits include great gear offers, special pricing on events and an annual Co-op Member Rewardfor life. How you could save $1,000 on a flight to Europe with the hub cities method, Cultural appropriation is why we have pizza. The biggest particles cannot pass the entrance to the filter because of the slits on the outside of the filter. And then you wont have to keep the receipt. REI Introduces Its First Trail Running Shoes Since 1970s, Weekly Deals: Significant Savings on Knives, Climbing Gear, and More, Longer, Faster, Luxury EV Van Coming to North America: 2025 VW ID. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Ultralight bottle cartridge is rated for 300 cycles (40 gal. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). The Ultrapress dropped the cap leash for weight reasons, and it has a slightly smaller (albeit 90-degree adjustable) carry handle. It has proven to be a good solution to be guaranteed with getting fresh safe water during our hikes. All Grayl Outdoor Gear Reviews All Outdoor Gear Reviews All Grayl Reviews All Customer Product Reviews We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Reducing the filtration time by half is huge if the kickstarter page is accurate. On long or multi-day hikes, Ill take my regular two-liter (70oz) hydration bladder; for day hikes or when traveling, I drop a little roll-up Vapur water bottle in my daypack instead. Its called the Grayl, and it works just like a French press. A look at the interior cylinder and the filtration unit that can get rid of viruses and other pathogens. Return policy: Returnable until Jan 31, 2023 Have one to sell? First, I filled the outer shell up with tap water to the line marked on the side, then slightly unscrewed the cap on the inner section and rotated the handle to sit parallel to the ground. For backpacking and international travel, the Ultralight is good too because it simply takes up less space and we all probably travel with too much stuff anyway as it is. But theyre still going to offer the Tap filter as a separate item on their website, so you can use it on tap water at home, which is nice, since thats what most people would be doing on a daily basis. It works, but the flow rate is pretty slow, which is agonizing when youre trying to rehydrate on a hot day. If a trip is only a few weeks or even a few months, I dont worry too much about bacterial buildup (especially since the filter is drawing them right out of the water). You could buy the larger GeoPress if you wanted to, but I just carry an extra container instead. Youll appreciate the difference, especially as the filter gets older or when youre using it a few times in a row. , https://www.facebook.com/offtheatlasblog/. I was using the filter press on a surface about hip-high. That shit adds up. Its also worth noting Ive used the Geopress more than the Ultrapress. Make sure to check the junk mail folder! Its a much better approach, since it lets you use it to carry the purifier when youre walking around, then rotate it down so you can press on it when purifying. Itll be coming with me in the future whenever Im going somewhere without potable water, whether thats in the middle of nowhere on a backcountry hike, or to a country where I dont have a lot of faith in the safety of what comes out of the tap. Happy to hear you liked it too, and I can definitely say that the new one resolves the only potential problem of the original (although I think Ill take the stainless steel one if I ever had to go on a fancy business trip with board meetings or something like that). If you want a purifier that can handle the dirtiest water and youd rather carry less weight, the Ultrapress is the way to go. Quality Easier than an Aeropress, I would say. If it takes me two minutes and a lot of effort to filter a liter of water well I am likely to either 1. drink less and dehydrate myself or 2. become frustrated and bitterly curse the filter under my breath (which has been my experience with the Sawyer Squeeze Mini as an example). Weve been fans of GRAYLs approach to creating safe, drinkable water for many years now. In comparison to a normal Nalgene bottle, it weighs more with the filter cartridge and the plastic material. Sure enough, somewhere around the halfway mark, I drained the last drops from the bottle and dropped down off the trail to the riverbank to refill the outer container. This is comingwith me wherever I go. Ive had the original since 2012, and have used it from airport bathroom sinks to jungle rivers. And because of this we didnt need to bring a lot of fresh water with us in our backpacks. For reference, I used the Sawyer Squeeze Mini on my AT thru-hike. of the natural environment. You're now my best friend. Oddly enough, yes. I am not aware of any filter that matches this level of performance (most of them dont bother filtering viruses at all), and even fewer that also offerthe convenience of a bottle, which, if you havent tried it,is the only way to go. Learn how your comment data is processed. You know what else is great? Details Select delivery location Only 3 left in stock Quantity: Secure transaction Ships from Canada and sold by The Outfitters Adventure Gear. GOOD QUESTION. Yes, count up those 9s on the end. In this case in the side pocket. The point being, I am not here to judge you or the way you choose to travel. How secure is the cap? My family has a pathological water Boil rule ( Grampas first wife died from tainted water in the 30s, in Asia) The ultimate in purification and filtration technology, the replacement Purifier Cartridge makes clean, safe water from virtually any fresh water source and is designed for international travel, outdoor adventure and emergency use - anywhere in the world!