interesting new uv water filter

“complete lift from lightweight site
http://uvaquastar.com/what_is_aquastar.php”

“I think someone beat you it by a week or 2, fella.”

“I have always kind of viewed the new electronic purifiers the same way I veiw the digital compass. They are cool but I'd probably never replace the manual/analoge one I use now with it.”

“Damn, I need to pay more attention. I agree with you on tis one Nigal. Certainly never seen the point of a digital compass. Seems more that can go wrong.”

“I had a watch once with a built in digital compass. The instructions for calibrating it could cause severe brain damage. You had to calibrate it often and even then the instructions said the compass could still be off a tad.”

“Nigal, I've had two different occasions when my mechanical filter either failed to pump, or plugged mid-trip. My Miox has never failed me. However, I'm a suspenders and belt kind of guy. (not really). I usually take both with me when I go alone. If I'm with a friend, we each carry a pump so we have a backup.”

“Failure rates of anything mechanical is why I use a pepsi stove and chemical water treatment (Aqua Mira). As long as I don't step on the stove and don't spill all the AM, I'm good to go.”

“I use them in a small Xenon flashlight (1" X 4") that produces 500,000 candlepower...

POINT?: 2 batteries cost $10.00

Expensive to operate, and the batteries work well to failure then they fail completely....so extras need to be carried...”

“Exactly Trek. It's like NASA spending millions to make a zero gravity ink pen and the Russians still use pencils. Sometimes the simplest route really is the best route.”

“I always carry chemical water treatment to backup the filter anyway. I prefer to filter, but it's good to have something in an emergency.”

“A great thing that can stack the odds in your favor is to learn how to make a natural filter that takes out all but the tiniest of things from water. I depend on this and boiling as my backup.

I've never had a filter take a dump on me to the fact that I was waterless but I have had some frustrating moments and had to pretty much rebuilt the thing in the field. It was due to my own lack of maintainance though so it's all on me.”

“Yah, but that's the Russian mindset. There's an old Russian proverb that goes like this: "Best is the enemy of good enough".”

“there was a good example of this in the recent russian planes. While the Americans were building fighter planes that took a huge backup team to maintain, the Russians were building almost as capable machines that some kid with a wrench in the middle of Siberia could service.”

“Back on the water filter though...I'm leery of depending on electronic technology in the backcountry. Of course, I'm rarely far enough away from a trailhead or road crossing to really have to worry about it, but it would suck if the batteries in your water purifier died, and lo and behold, your backup set was bad too. Of course, we are all depending on technology to a certain extent. But the bigger you inflate your gear bubble, the more likely it is to pop. Keep your gear simple, make sure you have a low-tech backup, and you're less likely to become vulture food.”

“Did I read that the water doesn't taste too great from the electronic filters? It seemed that the only advantage was the weight (and the bragging rights to having the teckiest toys) and there were several major disadvantages. Could be sour grapes talking though.”

“I never had a failure with my sweet water filter but do bring chemical back-up. I do carry lots of liquids. I do drink out of springs. I do use pre-filters & usually only start with pristine waters, high in the mountains.”