Inline Silt and Particulate Water Filter

This is not a water purifier and should not be expected to make unsafe water drinkable.

I like to backpack into the wilderness. As any nature lovers know, probably your most important resource is water. All back-country campers and hikers carry some sort of water treatment system. For a long time I used a pump. When my last pump filter finally gave up the ghost, I looked for something different and decided to try a gravity system. I will never to back to pumping. I use the Platypus brand GravityWorks system and I love it.

That being said, the nature of the system means that is not uncommon to pick up a considerable amount of silt, moss, and other particulate matter in the raw water reservoir. While not a problem from a safely perspective, the large particulates tend to gum up the works and drastically reduce the life of the primary filter.

So, I came up with a very simple, in-line sediment filter in an effort to preserve the life-sustaining water filter as long as possible.

Female-to-Female PVC pipe coupling, 3/4"

Barbed nylon hose nipple, 1/4" x2

Faucet aerating screen, 3/4"

Tubing, 1/4" ID, 3 inches

Cotton or other filter medium.

Pretty basic stuff, available at any home supply store.

I used 2. That is probably not necessary but, in the bush, 2-is-one-and-1-is-none. Meaning, it is always good to have a spare.

My wife had these little polyester balls in her craft supplies that fit perfectly in the tube. Alternatively, you could use cotton, a piece of a coffee filter, some fabric, sponge, etc. Basically, a little media to catch the big pieces so they do not end up clogging your filter.

I personally love the cotton option as it weighs nothing and it is organic. So, when the cotton gets gunked up, just chuck it and shove in a new piece.

Worst case scenario is you have no filter medium and just rely on the screens. So be it. It is better than nothing.

Just finger tighten the ends. You will want to do field maintenance, change the cotton, etc. without having to pack a wrench.

The thing is stupidly simple, really. The hardest part was finding the pieces. With a thin cotton filter the flow rate is not effected at all and the whole thing comes it at about 1.1 oz.