This is a great little filter for what it does.
Learn what each type of water treatment does and does not do. I wouldn''t drink water from any natural source (even a stream or lake) through this without also chemically treating it too. If I would then I probably would have drank it with out any treatment, like from a known pure source, ie. trusted spring.
Most of the pump filters in common use filter out bacteria, some remove viruses, and most all remove giardia and cryptosporidium .
The advertising may be a little deceptive. It is not a lie, just a partial truth.
This filter does nothing to filter out bacteria or viruses. It only takes out Giardia and Cryptosporidium which are both larger organisms (as well as some taste and dirt). This filter in itself is not an acceptable method for treating drinking water from any open stream or lake in the US IMHO. It probably does a good job of removing the things it say it does, but removing bacteria is the basic water treatment you are looking for.
This is basically what the ad says. "Antimicrobial. Removes giardia and cryptosporidium. Ultralight and compact. Portable and easy to use. No wait time." That''s a little deceptive advertising, but true. It just doesn''t say it that it doesn''t take out bacteria virus. It does say this if you get into the company website, and I think on the directions with the filter.
Important: When using this filter you still need to treat the water (chemically with iodine, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, a SteriPEN, etc) to kill bacteria and viruses.
Both the SteriPEN and chlorine dioxide tablets are nice because they have no taste, or even improve the taste in the case of the chlorine dioxide.
All that said, I give it 5 stars. This is still a great filter if used properly as follows: A good light weight, method for treating water is to use this filter in series with two bags. A dirty and clean bag and gravity filter water. All this together weighs much less then any pump. However, you also need to treat the water with chlorine dioxide. Chlorine dioxide takes four (4) hours to kill Cryptosporidium, but only 1/2 hours to kill bacteria and virus. So, with the combination you can be drinking in 1/2 hour or so with good tasting, clean, safe water.
Do a search on youtube for "jasonklass filter" and he describes a very lightweight process using this filter and additional chemical treatment. Together it is about the lightest filter system you can have and quite fast as well. I think he uses the less expensive Frontier Pro model which is basically the same.
Edit: on further review their site says it filters to 3 micron. This filter appears to be useless for anything but odor and taste. You need 1.0 micron max for the big stuff. My Katadyne, or any pump filter worth it''s salt like the hiker/guide, filters to 0.3 micron. A good ceramic filter is 0.1 micron.
The CDC says:
* Boiling (Rolling boil for 1 minute) has a very high effectiveness in killing Cryptosporidium;
* Filtration has a high effectiveness in removing Cryptosporidium when using an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter);
* Disinfection with iodine or chlorine is not effective in killing Cryptosporidium;
* Disinfection with chlorine dioxide has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Cryptosporidium;
* Combination filtration and disinfection has a very high effectiveness in removing and killing Cryptosporidium when used with chlorine dioxide and an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter).
Lowered rating to 3 stars.
This is a great little filter for what it does.
Learn what each type of water treatment does and does not do. I wouldn''t drink water from any natural source (even a stream or lake) through this without also chemically treating it too. If I would then I probably would have drank it with out any treatment, like from a known pure source, ie. trusted spring.
Most of the pump filters in common use filter out bacteria, some remove viruses, and most all remove giardia and cryptosporidium .
The advertising may be a little deceptive. It is not a lie, just a partial truth.
This filter does nothing to filter out bacteria or viruses. It only takes out Giardia and Cryptosporidium which are both larger organisms (as well as some taste and dirt). This filter in itself is not an acceptable method for treating drinking water from any open stream or lake in the US IMHO. It probably does a good job of removing the things it say it does, but removing bacteria is the basic water treatment you are looking for.
This is basically what the ad says. "Antimicrobial. Removes giardia and cryptosporidium. Ultralight and compact. Portable and easy to use. No wait time." That''s a little deceptive advertising, but true. It just doesn''t say it that it doesn''t take out bacteria virus. It does say this if you get into the company website, and I think on the directions with the filter.
Important: When using this filter you still need to treat the water (chemically with iodine, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, a SteriPEN, etc) to kill bacteria and viruses.
Both the SteriPEN and chlorine dioxide tablets are nice because they have no taste, or even improve the taste in the case of the chlorine dioxide.
All that said, this is still a great filter for a very specific procedure as follows: A great, light weight, method for treating water is to use this filter in series with two bags. A dirty and clean bag and gravity filter water. It weighs much less then any pump. You also need to treat the water with chlorine dioxide. Chlorine dioxide takes four (4) hours to kill Cryptosporidium, but only 1/2 hours to kill bacteria and virus. So, with the combination you can be drinking in 1/2 hour or so.
Do a search on youtube for "jasonklass filter" and he describes a very lightweight process using this filter and additional chemical treatment. Together it is about the lightest filter system you can have and quite fast as well. I think he uses the less expensive Frontier Pro model which is basically the same.
Edit: On further review their site says it removes down to 3 micron. The CDC says you need 1 micron to remove cryptosporidium and giardia, so I question the effectiveness of this filter.
Buy McNett Tactical Aquamira Frontier Pro Ultralight Water Filter Now
I got (both) Tactical and PRO versions ...
... AFAICT, the color and the pricing is the only difference.
The PRO version was a subdued gray color, really no more visible than the OD "Tacticool" version ... Side-by-side ... visually? ... you can barely tell the difference, between the PRO and the Tactical.
Depending on your source, the Tactical can cost ~$5 more (plus?).
Functionally ? ... In terms of what you get, in the package ?? Everything else is exactly the same ... IDENTICAL, other than color and pricing and packaged-graphics .
I have a Camelbak Tactical pack and a Digital ACU sleep-system and I can tell you that I was worried that the PRO version might be ORANGE .. Not the case (on *my* order, at least) ... The PRO version was a nice "Panzer" Gray, in my case ... just fine, for $5 less than the Tactical OD.
I imagined there would be some functional "value-add", to the Tactical version ... NOPE ... Just OD green, with all the same parts, pre-filters, straw and adapters.
So ... unless you are gonna (somehow) wear this thing outside your tacticool green pack, just get the PRO version, and save a "fiver".
SUGGESTION : This filter could use a lanyard-hole or a belt-clip ... would be a very helpful/useful "value-add" ...
AND ... Make the tactical version MOLLE/PALS MOUNTABLE (include a plastic speed-clip) ... Now THAT *would* be VERY "tacticool" !
... I would have two-to-four of them, lined up, in a row, on my webbing and (frankly) four of these guys, at ~50 gallons capacity, each ? .. would be a better option than a larger/bulkier Katadyne Hiker, partly because of the redundancy ... if a part breaks? .. I have FOUR MORE (at the same price) ... I can lend one to a buddy and I could distribute four filters among my various packs and pockets and "kits" ... This "redundant granularity" (on a dollar-per-gallon basis) makes the smaller Frontier series filters MUCH more flexible and dependable ... as a total system, than a larger "Hiker-type" system (at 4x or 5x the cost) ... I''d much rather have four of these (at 50 gallons each) than ONE of the larger filters (at an "iffy" 300 gallons) ... FURTHERMORE (think on this) ... The cost of the replacement filters, on the larger units? ... "pro-hibitive" ... I can use one of these Frontier filters "all-up" and just "toss-it", while salvaging any unused parts and adapters and pre-filters, etc.
... compare ! ... @ $15 each per 50 gals ... versus ... ~$80 ea., for ~300 gallons (at *most*, with frequent cleaning !!) ...
Get a BUNCH of these ... You will have spare parts and extra pre-filters ... run them on multiple bladders (in-line, as I do) and just toss-them (keeping the extra parts) when the main filter clogs (rather than trying to scrub them clean ... how annoying!) ... And if one of these breaks ? ... you have three more (one in your pocket, one in your fanny-pack, ... one in your day-pack) ...
If had it to do over? ... I would have just gotten a dozen of these Frontiers.
Instead, I got a Katadyne Base-Camp, when I could have just used a Platapus (Nalgene or Camelbak) bladder and used the (included) Frontier "in-line" filter option ... again ... disposing of used filters, rather than trying to "baby" a much more expensive Hiker-type filter.
Many noobs just do not understand that, to get the ~300 gallon claimed capacity, out of larger filters (highly expensive replacement) you must scrub the filter FREQUENTLY and avoid mirky water, altogether (or you may get only~30 gallons out of them) ...
Would YOU not rather have five or six of THESE filters, complete with extra parts and adapters and pre-filters, for the SAME PRICE ?!
I wish I had "done the math" and figgered this (all) out, before I dropped a bundle on a Hiker+Base+replacements ... (smack forehead) ... Live and learn ! (or just read this review ! )
A Steripen (UV pen) and some lithium 8x batteries are also a great idea, to suppliment these filters (for UV virus eradication).
Hope this helps !
Read Best Reviews of McNett Tactical Aquamira Frontier Pro Ultralight Water Filter Here
I got this and the regular McNett Aquamira Frontier Pro Ultralight water filter to compare. I wanted two one for each vehicle, so figured i''d compare the two. The standard and the "military" one. No difference besides color (OD Green vs grey) and packaging.
Save $5-$10 and just get the regular one. It''s a great filter so far, and glad to have them both.
Want McNett Tactical Aquamira Frontier Pro Ultralight Water Filter Discount?
Yeah it looks military when I saw it, but They wouldn''t buy it for troops. It only filters up to "50 gallons. Miraguard Antimicrobial Technology suppresses the growth of bacteria, algae, fungus, mold and mildew within the filter media.( sounds impressive BUT ).. Miraguard Does NOT protect users against food borne or disease causing bacteria, viruses, germs or other disease causing organisms."(that make sick as a dog) Huh? Why would you buy a survival/back country filter straw if it did not even protect you against the nastys in the water? Might be great for city water though. *Life Straw* removes 99.9% of everything and lasts for 264 gallons before degrading. Check it out on here or web for more detail. I used a borrowed LifeStraw last year in a very remote area with questionable H2O with full confidence and no problems. You can drink water from a swamp with Life Straw. Amazon sells it for $21, make a better choice for Life Saving Enjoyable Outting Vs. looking cool and getting sick. Buying a Life Straw today, so should you.
Save 24% off
I bought this pack to use for day-long excursions (hunting) that could inadvertantly become longer. I wasnt expecting much for the money but I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. I have a similar lumbar pack that costs 5 times as much and this little pack rivals it well.
