Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Recommended water filtration system and the kifaru gun bearer

What’s the most user friendly water filtration set up you use? Headed to Idaho next year and getting prepared now.

Looking for user reports on the kifaru gun bearer too. My 28 nosler weighs 12 lbs ready to rock, wanted to make sure it would hold up and that it is worth buying. I have an eberlestock pack the rifle fits in but isn’t accessible like the gun bearer appears to be if it’s needed quickly.

Can't go wrong with the gun bearer in my opinion. It'll hold the 12 pounds if you can.
Easiest to use water systems are very user specific.
I like the PUR/Katadyn hiker set up, light, easy to use, cleanable filter.
Have used the Sawyer Squeeze and in dirty water, was painfully slow and inefficient.
I like the Aquamira droppers for pretty clean water.

+1 on the Gun Bearer

Are you going to be hunting in the mountains? If so, do yourself a favor and reconsider carrying a 12-lb. rifle. That's the first thing I'd be looking at.

Thanks for the info on both items
Smokepole, I did consider it a bunch, and shot a lot before deciding. I hunted with it all this year deer and elk in Oregon in some big country (up to 2,400 feet of elevation gain in a day hiking) they were day trips or overnights. I’ll carry the weight because I’m comfortable shooting it a long way if I need to and it drives tacks. The confidence I have in it is worth the extra weight. I do agree though, if I could shoot as well with something lighter it’s what I would have. My previous rifle was a 300 weatherby ultralite, great gun I just couldn’t shoot it consistently.

Well then, I like the sawyer squeeze filter myself. You can rig it up to gravity feed which is nice, and no moving parts and no need to pump, which is also nice. Never had to use it in turbid water. You'll need to be able to dip the water out of the source to pour it in the squeeze bottle and that requires that you have an extra vessel along (like a water bottle or a cup) to do the dipping, and a source that's at least a few inches deep. I like the gunbearer too but I've never used it for a rifle that heavy, seven pounds max. One of the reasons I made the comment is, I don't know anyone who backpack hunts regularly and carries a 12-lb. rifle. If you get into it long-term I'd still suggest you look for something lighter, there are plenty of options that shoot well. The gunbearer puts all the weight on the hip belt which is nice but I don't doubt that even though it may work as designed you'll have some problems with putting that much weight on one side. Whichever side you put it on you'll be putting a heavy load and possibly straining that hip to carry the extra load. I'd wouldn't look forward to that personally, and I'd have a plan B just in case it doesn't work for you. Good luck and good hunting!

This^^^^^^ The gunbearer works well but is very dependent on the hip belt for comfort and mobility. My rifle is only 7.5 lbs. all up and for me any heavier would cause a strain on my back and hip. Where I hunt in Idaho clear running water is usually available and I use a Steri-pen and a 1 liter bottle to refill my platy.


mike r

Steri-pen?? Elitist.

I use the gun bearer on my Osprey Aether with an 8 lbs rifle and am very happy with how it carries.

I use a Sawyer squeeze and hang the bags upside down and thread a smart water bottle on the end with the blue thread adapter. Sometimes when I'm out in the winter and don't want to carry it in my pocket to prevent freezing, I use a steripen. Either way, I prefilter any water with junk in it by quickly running it through a rag or mosquito net. They are very easy to backflush by giving a short, firm squeeze to the clean water bottle. The cleaning syringe is superfluous.

I've used pump filters for groups and they can be nice if you're stuck filtering from a weep with little to no flow rate. I don't care for their complexity personally, but I'm usually solo and in the mountains with springs.

A hollow fiber filter is probably the simplest and most user friendly system you'll find, just don't let them freeze, and plan to backflush them once in a while.

I hate any filter that you have to pump and usually give up on them after a couple of days. So, it has been Sawyer for me, and rigged as a gravity filter with 3L Platy "Big Zip" as the dirty bag, to filter into another 3L platy. Always have a hard bottle so you can dip water out of small seeps when needed.

I can't do the gunbearer. Didn't care for it generally, and then broke too many top straps to have much faith in it.
I usually have the rifle on my pack, or if day tripping out of camp, on a sling. If carrying a 12lb rifle, it would be on my pack.

A 12# rifle in Idaho's mountains, I admire your moxie!

I don't use a Gun Bearer, so no help there. But I agree with others who mentioned that a 12# rifle is too heavy.

I own and use several water filtration systems depending on the situation. The Katadyn Hiker Pro has been the standard by which all other filters are measured, for twenty years. It's still the best system for one or two guys.

Lots of people, including myself, have gotten tired of pumping and bought gravity flow filters. I've tried several of those and I like the Platapus GravityWorks best. I use that when I need to filter water for a larger group.

I also have a Sawyer Squeeze Filter which I have converted to gravity flow. This sytem is cheaper and lighter weight than the Platapus system. The bags have a tendency to leak and the company does not warranty the bags. You can get replacement bags at REI for $10.

I bought a Katadyn Base Camp gravity flow water filter system. The filter is located inside the water bag and I think that's a design flaw. I sold it.

I'm not so sure that the Steri-Pen actually works as good as it's advertised. I've read a couple of articles regarding them. Both articles stated that it didn't kill all the germs. I haven't actually used one though.

KC

Sawyer PointOne Squeeze water filter with Aquamira drops as a backup. Don't let your sawyer filter freeze.

I use sawyer too, economical and efficient. My favorite thing about the sawyer is it is so small, I carry it in my jacket. Had couple filters freeze on me over the years, did not work out so well. I keep it in my chest pocket , stays warm. No problems.

Check out the RapidPure. They're still usable after freezing, and I'm finding I actually like it better than my Sawyers...

Gravity or bottle that you like better?

Inline on both. RP Scout and Sawyer 3-in-1.

Thanks. Not sure if I'd like the inline as an only option. Can the bag be squeezed or hung to filter water into another container?

If it's going to be cold, I use aquamira drops and leave the filter home.

Clear water source filtering components:
1.) Sawyer mini filter

2.) I use an Evernew 2L bottle, no zip, as the dirty bottle: https://www.amazon.com/Evernew-Wate...mp;psc=1&refRID=KE4QDXKRGH3B77SZ5SAG

The sawyer mini unit threads right on the evernew bottle. There are other similar bags (platypus has one almost identical), but folks indicate that the Sawyer Squeeze doesn't thread on as easily, and have cross threaded them. All I know is the evernew works fine and is reasonably durable.

3.) 3/8" OD clear vinyl food grade tube: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HE5DUG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4.) I filter into my 3L camelback bladder. I pull the bite valve off the shutoff valve, and connect about 3' of vinyl tubing between the camelbak shutoff valve and the fitting on the end of the Sawyer. Easy-Peasy. Take care to keep the vinyl tubing and the clean end of the Sawyer, clean...

4.) The filter, the dirty bladder (when empty) and the coiled vinyl tube (in a quart freezer Ziploc) ride rolled-up in a cut off Gatorade bottle. I use the Gatorade bottle to dip and fill the Evernew.

Fill the Evernew, thread on the Mini, attach the camelback tube, lay Evernew on a rock or log a couple feet above the bladder, and wait a few minutes...If you are a by-the-book outdoor perfectionist, hike below treeline to a tree in order to hang it like the pretty pictures indicate. Otherwise use your head and lay the dirty bag on a rock or log ~3' above the camelback and come back in 15 minutes to find the dirty bag sucked flat...

I've not yet run into a situation where I need to filter really cloudy water. I've always been able to find clear.

If you need redundant capacity, buy more evernew bottles and use them as dirty bottles. It's not hard to put 9 liters of water on your back this way, for very little empty weight penalty.

Or you can pay 4x more for all name brand stuff that is heavier.

As for the gunbearer, it puts a SS barrel in my peripheral vision, which is very distracting when hiking in the dark by headlamp. Sweep your head past it and be blinded. It also causes the action and scope to chafe the $&!t out of my armpit. I use it for hunting where there are bears. Otherwise, I stuff the gun butt in the water bottle pocket of either of my 3 favored dana packs, and use the side compression straps to keep it put.