Aquamira Frontier Pro

http://aquamira.com/consumer/frontier-pro-filter-system/choose-right

Cost efficient, easy, and fast. It really does interest me, anyone got any experience with it or filters like it?

I wouldn't use without chemicals unless the mfr provides more info. It may filter out giardia and crypto but there is no indication of how fine the pores are so no guarantee it will filter out smaller bacteria.

And it will only filter 50 gallons. And there's nothing in the instructions that tell me what to do if it clogs - can I backflush? Do I need a second one as backup?

I looked at the Aquamira before I decided on another option. I use a Sawyer filter that weighs about 2 oz in a gravity setup. Works great and I have not had any issues. They are designed to last forever (filter good for a million gallons they claim). Here is a link to the current model (I have an older model that looks slightly different).

http://www.sawyer.com/SP122.htm

Because the Aquamira only filters down to 3 microns, if you are worried about smaller things (viruses, ect.) then you will have to pretreat the water then run it through the Aquamira. Even using it this way, it would still be very light. You will also need to have a designated "dirty water" bag. It might also be good to bring along an extra prefilter and plastic microfilter.

sk

Oh yea, since the filter is basically activated carbon, it will not remove arsenic and nitrates. It will lower heavy metal concentrations. But if you are in an are with high concentrations of these contaminants, you could overwhelm the filter way before your 50 gallons. I guess what I am saying here is be aware of what water problems are in the area you are going and treat appropriately.

I tried the Aquamira Frontier Pro a year and a half ago and tossed it in disgust after one trip. Even with clear mountain stream water and frequent prefilter changes, it kept plugging up until it took 20-30 minutes to filter a liter! I also found it impossible to suck water directly through the filter (one of the suggested uses)--my jaws ached excruciatingly long before I got enough water even to "wet my whistle." There are times when you don't want to wait half to three quarters of an hour (15 minutes for the chemicals and another 20-30 for the filter) for a drink!

I also did some research on this filter. If I'd done the research before buying the filter, I never would have bought it! There was no information at all on either the packaging or on the Aquamira website as to filter size (how many microns). IMHO, this lack of extremely important information is absolutely inexcusable. I finally found the info after considerable searching of the McNett (parent company) website--3.0 microns.

Now go to this reference: Center for Disease Control: Water Disinfection for Travelers. Go down to Table 2-29, which shows the filter size needed to filter out various microorganisms. Note that while 3.0 microns is sufficient to filter out giardia cysts, it won't filter out cryptosporidium cysts, which have come to be as much of a threat as giardia. Crypto, like giardia, requires several hours of chemical treatment to kill.

In other words, I paid for and carried around a filter that wasn't doing its job, even in conjunction with chemicals.

There are other filters that can be put into a gravity system that will do a far better job than the Aquamira Frontier Pro and that don't require chemicals in addition to the filter unless you're worried about viruses. My current gravity filter (homemade) consists of a Katadyn Hiker Pro filter cartridge, with the excess plastic housing trimmed off, inside a Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil dry bag, using 5/8" connectors and tubing from US Plastics and a couple of flat rubber washers from Lowe's. It is very similar to, but quite a bit easier to use than the late lamented ULA Amigo Pro filter. It weighs 6.5 oz. dry, considerably lighter than most pump filters, and filters a liter in a little over a minute. I plan to try it out with a Sawyer filter, which would save another ounce of weight.

Thanks for the info OM, gotta remember this. I've only used my Frontier filter once.

Thats a let down really. I like Aquamira for there purifying tablets but i guess they didn't come through on this one.

Some years back, when I was still over on The Backpacker, one guy was wanting to argue with me that after filtering with the regular size Aquamira filter I believe it was, he still would need to add chemicals per their own information if you looked lower in the item description. I told him it wasn't what I was accusing the filter of, it was the manufacturer themselves saying that.

Yikes! Sounded like it might be a great UL system for desert hikes but ... OM's home made job sounds nice...personally, I'm just getting to where I have the patience for using a gravity system on trail. In camp it's fine.

The one trip this Fall where I used the filter, it flowed fast enough that I did not want to leave it unattended. Conditions may change the flow I imagine.

I was thinking that they had the large filter size (3 microns and up) to keep the flow rate relatively high. That in combination with the aquamira tablets would be fine under normal circumstances. So listining to OM's experience was a little disheartening because I want real reliability when I go out to the desert. I carry as little fuel as possible because of all the water weight you sometimes need to carry. I don't want to be boiling water unless its an emergency. Dry camps can be common.