I have a micro fiber water filter (or something like that) and they say not to let it freeze. What am I suppose to filter with in the winter and how do I keep it from freezing. I can sleep with it but, what about hiking and such??

ice----

Are you hiking in below 30 temps?

I'd take the filter cartridge out of the filter, pop it in a ziplock, seal it, and carry it in an inner pocket of my parka. It won't freeze instantly when you go to use it.

If you are melting snow for water... just boil the water.

I have an MSR Hyperflow and this is basically what I do. The cartridge goes into a ziplock and into my bag overnight. Since the cartridges are forty bucks it's asmall price to pay to keep it safe and working.

Cheers,

My approach: use chemicals (aqua mira for me). Just seems like too much of a PITA to try to keep a filter from freezing.

Here's my concern: Chemicals (and UV) are fine when the water is relatively warm but when it approaches freezing the reaction time really slows down. I never know how long to extend the contact time before using the water.

I can add that the HyperFlow filter cartridge is really small--about the size of a marking pen--so it doesn't take much room in a sleeping bag. The fussy part is unscrewing the works to take it out. I suppose I could just toss the entire filter in there but then I can tell it's there.

Cheers,

As mentioned, if you're melting snow for water, I would leave the filter at home and just take more fuel.

Last fall with those 18* nights I was out in (no snow, but I had to break ice on the stream), the whole filter went into a ziplock bag and into my sleeping bag. I was too busy keeping warm (inadequate pad underneath) even to notice it was there! Actually, it was down at the bottom of my sleeping bag and (with my feet) resting on top of my dog!

"Here's my concern: Chemicals (and UV) are fine when the water is relatively warm but when it approaches freezing the reaction time really slows down. I never know how long to extend the contact time before using the water."


Yup, this is a concern. OTOH, my experience even on warm summer days is that the water I'm pulling out of mountain-fed creeks is very cold, and I use chemicals on it then, often not waiting so long before drinking that the water is much warmer. I just extend the "cook" time a bit as a result.

Bottom line for me is that there are issues with any approach (ain't that always the case ...), but waiting a little longer for my chemicals to kill anything nasty isn't usually a big issue. Maybe I carry a little more water a little longer as a result.

Quite a side issue (that I don't really want to open up ...) is the question of whether there are as many water-borne nasties to get us when it's very cold out? Cysts, giardia, etc. Cold weather means less humans about, perhaps also less horses, cattle, other human-related impacts. Wild animals change their patterns to some degree with colder weather. I'm *not* suggesting that it's therefore fine to drink untreated water, but rather that it's always about making a somewhat poorly-informed trade-off between maximal safety on the one hand, and the set of convenience, weight, cost, etc on the other.

Anyway, I'm going with Aqua Mira on the AT starting in just under a month, and will just try to make reasonable choices in "how to use it" along the way in the colder beginning part.

Brian, I've done the AT thru twice. Been hikin close to fifty years when I did it the first time. I'm fairly sensitive to what is safe to drink. I use AM (actually, Pristine) when I think I need it. First trip (95) I treated relatively little water before VA, Never had a problem. Second trip (05) I was ten years older and more cautious, but still treated less than half my water, and still no problem. Tended to treat most of my water (both times) through the more built up areas, but pretty much gave it up for good in Maine (but DID meet the Beaver on another trip in Maine at another time -- much earlier, had no chemicals, before filters, had to take water where I knew I shouldn't). jcp

Hey
just go to your local home center and tell them you need a filter for your ice maker. It shouldn't be any more difficult to install than the water line to the ice maker. Mine was less than thirty bucks and took ten minutes to hook up. I just change the filter cartridge once a year.

Thanks!
University Comforter

So how about using a non-toxic antifreeze, like propylene glycol? (NOT ETHYLENE GLYCOL!!!! That can kill you!) The stuff is good down to -50F and you just pump it through your filter, drain the excess back in the bottle, and your filter will withstand any weather south of the Arctic Circle. Just pump a little water through it before filling your platy if you don't want the "thick" texture to taint your drinking water.

Propylene Glycol really is non-toxic. It's used in cough syrup to make it syrupy without sugar. You probably eat it several times a month without knowing. Stuff is cheap too - around $5 a gallon.

“propylene glycol” (pg)

Wow Niyty, That’s a neat idea! I wonder if the pg washes out of the filter on the first use in the field? Thus would it need to be reapplied after every filtering?

I wouldn't put antifreeze in a filter with a carbon element since it might attach to the carbon and render it useless. For a non carbon filter how about grain alcohol. It's non toxic and if a little does end up in your water it's not so bad.