So… you just wanna know what kind of water filter to buy.
Not a problem!
You wanna be ready for the next big disaster. But you hate reading all the fine print on all these different types of filters. You loathe deciphering their marketing claims. LifeStraw. Sawyer. Berkey. Alexapure. Guardian. Grayl. On and on. It’s worse than trying to pick out a mask in a pandemic. (Sorry, too soon?) You have quite enough problems on your plate, thank you very much.
You can only last a few days without water, and those few days aren’t fun. We’re looking at a rough year with multiple threats inbound, from supply chain failures to major storms that knock out water treatment plants. In the end, my family has wound up using several different kinds of filters over the last three years. We’ve tried them. We’ve researched them. We’ve tested them. We have different kinds of water filters for different situations. But there’s one water filter to rule them all, and by the time we get to it, you’ll understand why.
TL;DR?
Okay, I get it… Just scroll down to the bottom. It’s the Outback Emergency Gravity Water Filter System. I don’t want to waste your time. But you’ll appreciate why it’s so effing cool once you understand all the other options.
(Btw, they aren’t paying me any money. They have no idea who I am. They don’t need me. I’m a small fish to them.)
This is what we’ve learned:
If you want a portable filter…
Look, I love filters. I have a 3-stage RV filter and about five different kinds of replacement filters that all do slightly different things. But you’re not a filter nerd like me. You just want something you know works.
So let’s get into it, shall we?
Let’s say you want a filter that fits inside a backpack. Well, then you’re looking at filters that mostly focus on weeding out parasites and bacteria. It’s hard to find a portable filter that stops viruses, VOCs, and heavy metals. That matters, because you need to understand the limitations of your filter. You probably shouldn’t be drinking rancid floodwater through these things.
They’re better than nothing, but they might not be enough. That’s really important to know for all the newbs out there who think they’re going to survive the end times with a LifeStraw. I’m sorry, you won’t.
Why?
LifeStraw
This is your basic, entry-level device. A LifeStraw filters down to .2 microns, blocking more than 99 percent of bacteria, parasites, and microplastics. Each filter lasts up to about 1,000 gallons (3,700 liters). Here’s where things get messy: The basic LifeStraw doesn’t block viruses or heavy metals. For viruses, you have to upgrade to LifeStraw Community, LifeStraw Escape, or LifeStraw Mission. These filter down to .02 microns. For metals, you have to get the LifeStraw Go or a LifeStraw Home pitcher. There’s only two models that do everything: LifeStraw Community and LifeStraw Escape. These aren’t small, and they’re not cheap. You wouldn’t be fitting them in a backpack, but they’d be easy to toss into a car.
LifeStraw breaks down when you start needing to filter dirty water from floods that might contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals like lead, and petroleum byproducts. It’s a lot better than nothing.
It’s not the best.
Sawyer
Their basic models only filter down to .1 microns. They stop parasites and bacteria. They last a long time, up to about 100,000 gallons (378,000 liters). But if you want a filter that also stops viruses, you have to upgrade to the Sawyer Point ZeroTwo. Unlike their other models, the Point ZeroTwo is basically a kit that lets you convert a bucket into a serious water filtration system. There’s also a version that you can adapt to a regular faucet. None of their filters remove heavy metals or VOCs.
You can do better.
MSR Guardian
The MSR Guardian offers military-grade filtration down to .02 microns, stopping more than 99.9 percent of viruses, bacteria, and parasites. When it comes to turbidity (nastiness), the Guardian blows almost everyone away. The rugged design can handle some pretty muddy water without clogging. It has a unique self-cleaning feature that works as you pump. With MSR, you don’t have to fuss with seven different models. They offer two, doing the same thing in different ways. The pump model is the easiest to pack and lasts the longest at 2,000+ gallons (7,000 liters). The gravity model doesn’t require you to pump, and it also fits inside a bag pretty well. The only downside is that it carries about a third of the lifespan at roughly 800 gallons (3,000 liters). Unfortunately, neither model truly removes heavy metals or VOCs. If that’s your concern, you have to keep shopping.
Grayl GeoPress
The Grayl GeoPress matches or outperforms the other filters across the board. While it only filters down to 1.25 microns, it uses an ion matrix to trap viruses and bacteria. The filter material also contains carbon, allowing it to trap trace toxins and metals. On that front, it’s a big step up. It’s still not quite up to the task of handling industrial toxins in floodwater. It also clogs easier than the MSR Guardian. So if you’re dealing with truly muddy nasty water, the Grayl is going to fail.
Ketadyn
Manufactured in Switzerland, these filters have a strong reputation. However, they still come up short on metals and VOCs. Their basic model, Hiker Pro, filters down to .2 microns, stopping almost all parasites and bacteria. Their BeFree model filters down to .1 microns, which still won’t stop viruses. Their Vario model absorbs VOCS and metals. Again, it only filters down to .2 microns. The carbon block also only lasts for about 100 gallons (400 liters).
Survivor Filter Pro
This filter has undergone rigorous testing by Intertek and BCS laboratories. It outperforms all of the other filters, while also achieving a 93 percent reduction in lead. We’re talking about a serious filter with a carbon core and a .01 micron stage. It’s rated to last roughly 26,000 gallons (100,000 liters). Of course, like with many filters, the carbon component burns out faster, at 500 gallons. It enjoys a strong reputation among backpackers and survivalists.
The Verdict
If you want a portable filter that can handle it all, get the Survivor Filter Pro. Go ahead and stock up on a replacement kit or two.
You’re done!
If you want a gravity filter…
Bigger filters offer better filtration for VOCs and heavy metals. They won’t fit in a backpack, but they’ll fit in a car. They’ll fit on a counter. They’ll fit on a bench. In a worst-case scenario, ask yourself: Are you really gonna be hiking through the woods, or will you be hanging out in the ruins of your neighborhood and drinking whatever comes out of your pipes for weeks to come…? Or maybe you have rain barrels, or storage tanks, but you’d still like to filter that water…?
If it’s Scenarios B and C:
Alexapure
Their gravity system relies on carbon block filters with an ionic core. They offer transparent testing to document the removal of 99 percent of viruses, bacteria, and parasites. They also remove heavy metals and VOCs. The downside? While they advertise a lifespan in the thousands of gallons, they only filter heavy toxins and viruses up to 200 gallons each. If you drop two filters into the chamber, that’s roughly 400 gallons of safe drinking water during an emergency (1,500 liters). Also: These carbon block filters clog easily. You really can’t pour dirty water straight into the chamber and expect them to last very long. So if you go this route, you absolutely have to prefilter out the mud and other turbidity first.
And they’re expensive…
Boroux/Berkey
These gravity filters work in a very similar way, but they last longer for VOC and heavy metal removal, up to 800 gallons for a pair (3,000 liters). The downside? They haven’t gotten along very well with the FDA. They had to remove their virus claims. So with Alexapure, you’re getting a filter that does it all but only up to about 400 gallons for a pair of filters. With Boroux, you’re getting filters that last 4X as long, but they can’t promise you virus removal.
It’s quite a dilemma.
British Berkefeld/Doulton
Doulton has been around for 200 years. They know what they’re doing. They have the official NSF certifications the other brands lack. They filter down to .9 microns, removing bacteria and parasites (not viruses). Their filters have a thinner carbon block, but they still remove VOCs and heavy metals. Their lifespan runs about 800 gallons (3,000 liters). With Doulton, you’re getting assurance.
They’re also a lot cheaper…
Outback
At last, the one water filter to rule them all…
These kits have started showing up in stores more recently, but the company has been around for 20 years. They’ve got serious street cred. Originally developed for the Peace Corps, the Outback Emergency Gravity Water Filter System has seen disaster zones all over the world. And yes, the Peace Corps, the actual U.S. federal agency, has been deploying these in the field the whole time. The Red Cross has also been using them, along with many other organizations. This same company has supplied water purification systems for the Department of State, the CDC, and the Department of Defense. They’re the real deal.
It’s a simple design that uses 4-stage filtration in two buckets. The top bucket and filter handle the turbidity (nastiness). The bottom bucket does the finer filtering and chemical removal. These kits achieve 99 percent reduction in viruses, bacteria, and parasites, according to official lab tests done by BioVir and Aqua Diagnostics. They also strip out VOCs and heavy metals. They meet strict EPA guidelines for handling heavy chemical spills and toxins.
As for lifespan, a set of filters lasts roughly 1,800 gallons (6,800 liters) in normal conditions. For disaster water that’s full of god-knows-what, the lifespan drops to about 500 gallons (1,890 liters). Unused and unopened, these filter kits are verified to last up to ten years or more.
So…
The Verdict
Yes, it’s Outback.
If you want a lightweight, semi-portable gravity filter that can handle almost anything, then go with the Outback Emergency Gravity Water Filter System. It’s simple. It’s two buckets. You don’t have to crouch beside a river and drink through a straw. You don’t have to hang anything off a tree branch. You literally take the water you can find and dump it in the bucket. The bucket filters it.
You drink it.
In a disaster, there are no guarantees. Jesus isn’t going to stop by and turn your floodwater into wine. That would be nice.
If you’re faced with drinking water with god-knows-what in it, or dying of thirst, I think we would all feel a lot better with a sturdy filter with good job references, and not something that Alex Jones used to sell to morons.
(No offense…)
If you just want to know what works, if you just want to get something to stick in your closet and feel a little bit better about the future, then it really comes down to two filters: One, get the ultra-portable Survivor Filter Pro. Two, get the lightweight bucket-style Outback Emergency Gravity System.
Obviously, I have to put a disclaimer down here telling you that it’s not my fault if a worm eats your brain. I just gave you the best information I had. But honestly, if a worm eats your brain, then it’s probably going to eat mine too.
Stay safe out there.
—Jessica
Sentinel Intelligence is a reader-supported publication that also receives funding from organizations like the Alfred Kobacker and Elizabeth Trimbach Fund. You can offer one-time support here. To receive new posts and support this work on a more regular basis, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
