The right gear makes travelling so much better.In 2014, I wrote an article about (my then) favourite foldable water bottle. At the time, it was the best foldable (small form factor) bottle money could buy but recently I discovered a new collapsible water bottle that puts the Vapur to shame.

Why?

With tighter and tighter airport security screenings, bringing your own water became a taboo. Most people just fork over the $5-7 a bottle and buy it at the airport convenience store but no more.

What is it?

The Nomader Collapsible water bottle is small, lightweight and easy to carry. Once you pass through all the security checkpoints, you unfold it, fill it and relish the thought that you just saved $5.

The Nomader is a leakproof bottle made of food grade silicone (BPA free) that holds 22 ounces. When fully extended and filled, it feels as close to a solid bottle as a collapsible bottle can. The Vapur became giggly and you often ended up splashing water on yourself. This was a major complaint I had with the Vapur.

The other issue with the Vapur is that after 12 months of use, my bottle sometimes leaked water from the top cap. Not so with the Nomader.

Water Filter

If you follow my blog, you have undoubtedly read my undying love for the Grayl water filter and purifier. If not, you should immediately read my post about it here, You can carry both (if going to an area with clean water concerns), and fill the Nomader once you filter the water with The Grayl. These 2 make a wonderful combo for travel.

Review of The Grayl Ultralight water filter & purifier

October 15, 2016GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Over the last 25 years, I have logged close to 1 million air miles and I have traveled to all four corners of the world. Much of my time has been spent in locations where water quality is questionable and improper handling can make you very very very very very sick.

My traditional solution has been to use a particulate filtering system (like the Sawyer Mini water filter) and then sterilizing the product using a Steripen UV Sterilizer. In locations were I wanted to be doubly sure or my Steripen ran out of batteries, I also used Aquamira water purification tablets.

Welcome The Grayl water purifier

July 2016, I discovered and tested my stainless steel The Grayl water purifier & filter. I wrote a review about it here. Since discovering it, it has been part of my Everyday Carry Kit (EDC kit) and is always with me (normally with the tap water filter).

It met every single one of my requirements. It is self contained, easy to use and doesn't require batteries. I asked a university researcher friend to test 2 water samples (one from a pond and pond water filtered through the Grayl Water Purifier with the travel filter) and his conclusion was that the purified water coming from The grayl was clean and drinkable without any concerns.

He then compared it to the pond water filtered through the Sawyer mini then sanitized with the Steripen and found them of equivalent quality and safety (giving a slight edge to The Grayl).

So for all intents and purposes, this one simple to carry item did everything I needed it to do. But it had one negative, it was heavy. It was smaller (in volume) to the Steripen+Sawyer mini but weighed more. Weight is critically important when travelling.

Discover The Grayl Ultralight lightweight water purifier & filter

The Grayl reached out to me after my last review and asked if I wanted to test their Ultralight. I already loved my stainless steel Legend and didn't know why they would move to plastic. Isn't plastic bad?

Plastic is more porous thus has more surface area that can eventually get mouldy. It has more surface area that can capture smells. The Grayl has a nice trick up its sleeve. Unlike other water containers, when you completely disassemble any The Grayl water filter, you have a center tube (the clean water container) open on both sides therefore cleaning it is super simple.

I tried The Grayl Ultralight and I became a believer. I went from 588 grams to 309 grams. It may not sound like a major difference but is important when you are carefully planning every gram (whether for travel, hiking or as part of a survival kit).

The Legend also has a sealable mouth hole that sometimes restricts water flow too much, whereas the Ultralight has a large twist off top.

Beyond the pond

Everyone I show this too ends up buying one. 2 friends recently went on a 1 month Asian business trip, touching countries such as India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China and a couple more.

They used the travel filter and didn't get sick once. They didn't have to drink from disposable water bottles and they didn't have to pay for exorbitant hotel water (between $US5-12 a bottle).

There are certain unscrupulous vendors that will replace the clean water in a single-use water bottle with dirty tap water (keeping the clean water for themselves). They do this by making a small hole in the bottom of the bottle (the injection moulding point) and then once they refill it with tap water. They seal the bottom hole with glue the bottom. When you buy this tainted product, you crack open the cap and assume it is clean, fresh, safe water when it isn't. Filtering your own water means you aren't dependent on anyone else.

Recommendation

Whether you are a traveler, a camping enthusiast or a prepper (preparing for a disaster), this is something that you need in your kit. The Grayl Ultralight is now part of my Everyday Carry Kit. I don't leave home without it and I actually bought a couple as gifts.

This has become one of my most recommended items (travel and EDC).

In Canada, you can buy :

Ultralight for $64.99 at Altitude Sport comes with the travel filter here
hybrid (stainless steel cup and plastic outer shell) from MEC for $58 here, comes with the tap filter

In the USA, you should buy it directly from The Grayl $59 here.

Review of The Grayl water purifier and filter

July 23, 2016GeneralEdward Kiledjian

The problem

As a "light prepper", lover of camping and traveler, I have been looking for the ultimate water filter/canteen/bottle for years. I have tried over 50 different solutions over the last 10 years and although some did better than others, most left me wanting more.

Most of my readers are young professionals so here is the scenario for you. You just finished a long day while travelling and finally came back to your hotel room. All the shops nearby are closed and you want some fresh clean water. Do you drink tap water (which often tastes bad) or do you pop open one of those $8 bottles the hotel strategically places in your room?

Now until recently, my solution was to use the Sawyer Mini in straw mode, that way I didnt have to trust the (likely dirty glass in the room) or the bad tasting water. It did a decent job but wasn't practical and didn't improve the taste of the water,

Now imagine the situation when you are travelling overseas. The water quality is often questionable. This meant I had to filter the water with the Sawyer mini first then zap it using Ultraviolet light (UV Sterilization) with my Steripen. Taste didn't improve, the solution didn't remove contaminants but at least I was unlikely to get sick. But my onebag travel (carryon only) means I sacrificed other comforts to make room for these 2 devices.

The Solution

Following the recommendation of a trusted acquaintance, I picked one up during one of my trips to the USA (I picked up the Quest model but all of them filter exactly the same way). The Grayl promised to filter and purify the water easily and in a compact package.

Filtration: Filtration means the water is cleaned from contaminants
Purification: Purification means the water is safe to drink

This one product is performing the same task as my Sawyer Mini and Steripen. All without any pumping, batteries or extra containers. They claim (and have independent lab tests to prove it):

Removes 99.9999% of viruses (e.g. Rotavirus, Hepatitis A)
Removes 99.9999% of bacteria (e.g. E coli, Salmonella)
Removes 99.999% of protozoan cysts (e.g. Giardia, Cryptosporidium)
Filters particulates (e.g. sediment, dirt), many chemicals (e.g. chlorine, benzene) and heavy metals (e.g. lead, arsenic)

Now the level of filtration depends on which filter you attach, so let's talk about those...

The Grayl Filters

The Grayl water filter and purifier offers 3 very different filters (all filters will work will all models). The filters are Tap (blue), Trail (green) and Travel (orange).

I use the Tap (blue) $15US filter when in locations with known clean tap water to remove some chemicals (e.g. chlorine, iodine) and heavy metals (e.g. lead, arsenic). Anywhere else, (Camping or travel), I use the orange $25US Travel filter that provides the maximum filtration. Using the tap filter costs about $0,10US/L while the Travel costs $0.17/L. Each filter is good for 150L.

The Trail filter cost's $20 but is being discontinued.

I tried the Travel filter in a local lake and it worked like a charm. I tried it with very strong smelling well water (caused by Hydrogen sulfide) and the resulting water, using the Travel filter, was clean no smell fresh tasting water.

The Process

The process is simple and straight forward. No sucking, squeezing, or zapping. You fill the outer container with your tainted water, insert the middle section and press down. The Tap filter is easier to push and takes about 7 seconds. The Travel filter provides more resistance, more filtration and therefore takes a full 30 seconds.

You don't have to count, the resistance from the filter will guide you. You just press down with a reasonable amount of force and let it do its job. You can then drink directly from the top of the bottle or pour it into a canteen (which I don't do).

Important additional notes

You fill the outer shell with the "dirty" water then press the inner-core filter section down like a french press. It is important to make sure dirty water from your hands doesn't contaminate the inter tube (where the fresh clean water is stored).

If using water with lots of sediment, I recommend using a handkerchief or bandana as a pre-filter, to prolong the life of the filter.

My version is the Grayl quest with a plastic outer shell and a stainless steel inner shell (weighs about 16 oz). The full stainless steel version ,the Legend, weighs in at 20oz. The new Ultralight is all plastic and weighs only 10oz. If you are an ultralight camper or traveller then go with the Ultralight but I prefer to store my water in a stainless steel vessel and am fine with a little extra weight,

The Grayl fits in a standard car cup holder or the bottle holder of most bags I have tried it with, so no worries for day to say use.

Complaints

It was hard to find anything negative to say about the Grayl. It has become my everyday carry water bottle.

There is no automatic reminder to change your filter. They say it is about 3 months of use when used 3 times a day but it will be easy to lose count in the field. I don't know how they can add a counter but it is something to keep in mind.

Because of the design, it holds less water than you would expect at first glance. It carries 473ML. This is in no way a show stopper but something to keep in mind if using it in areas with limited water, You may need to carry additional untreated water in another water bag.

Best collapsible water bottle