I have spent a great deal of time in wilderness areas as a hiker, camper,  backpacker, and hunter.  This means leaving behind the conveniences of modern living, including readily available clean water. In the great outdoors, access to fresh water can be unpredictable, and untreated water sources can harbor harmful pathogens that pose significant health risks. Consequently, I have an interest in lightweight, quality survival gear.   I also have a history with drinking water treatment from research projects in my High School and College days.  I’ve tried everything from iodine tablets to micropore filters to the filtering straws.

Most competent outdoorsmen and survivalists/preppers can recite the rule of 3: “You can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food.”   This means having a way to obtain safe potable water should be right up there at the top when putting together gear for time in the wilderness or preparing for local emergencies that might affect the potable water supply.

Water can usually be found unless you are in a very arid region, but is it safe to drink? Increased human population, industrialization, and chemical agriculture has had an impact on this resource.  Iodine tablets can disinfect the water if used correctly, but this treatment method doesn’t remove the floaties, or toxins.  Improvised filters like the “pour it through dirt and rocks method” popularized by so many prepper sites (most of whom have probably never tried to drink muddy dirt and rock-flavored water) are not effective.   Straw purifiers can work, but give the user no way collect or carry water.

Grayl is a company founded by adventurers for adventurers.  Their Ultrapress Ti Titanium water purifier bottle is a compact, lightweight, versatile piece of gear that is a great add to anyone’s hiking, camping, or survival gear.

The Ultrapress Ti weighs less than a pound, but has a 16.9 ounce (500 ml) capacity.  It consists of a Titanium outer container that can be used for collecting water as well as a water heating or boiling container that fits nicely on Grayl’s diminutive folding camp stove.  The inner container is titanium with an attached BPA-free filter module.  In roughly 10 seconds, the filter can purify the contents of the Ultrapress removing 99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.9% of protozoan cysts including Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Giardiasis, Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Cholera, Salmonella, Dysentery and more.  The ultra-powdered activated carbon filter adsorbs chemicals (including PFAS & VOCs), pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, flavors and odors.  This has been independently tested by a certified laboratory to meet or exceed NSF/ANSI protocols.

I had the opportunity recently to test out the Ultrapress Ti.  A piece of equipment doesn’t really get any simpler to use than this.   You fill the outer container with water to be purified, and press in the inner container with filter module,  This forces water through the filter into the “clean” section of the container where it is ready to drink.  From the very first press, the water was crystal clear, odorless, and tasteless.

My Mrs. was so impressed with it, she ordered one for herself, which arrived quickly with very fast shipping and fits perfectly under the Grayl Mission Hip Pack.

If you don’t have some method of water purification in your hiking, camping, or survival gear,  or only have disinfecting tablets, I would suggest this is the way to go for rapid, reliable, effective water purification.

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

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