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Review: The Outdoor Answer Epic Water Filter system for wide mouth Nalgene bottles

Nalgene, Nalgene filter, best backpacking filter
600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Want to ensure a constant supply of clean drinking water, even on the move?

This water filter system might be what you’ve been looking for.

by Leon Pantenburg

Disclaimer: I bought this Epic Water Filter® system. There is no sponsorship relationship between Epic Water Filters® and Survivalcommonsense.com, and Epic Water Filters had no input in this review. All the opinions expressed here are mine. All I ever promise in a review is a fair shake.

The scenery was great, and the rock formations and trees were beautiful. But there didn’t appear to be any source of pure drinking water, anywhere. I walked through the forest, unable to find water I was willing to drink. The area appeared as arid as a desert, and the natives didn’t appear particularly friendly. But other than that, I like Central Park in NYC.

desert spring, water filter

This high desert spring is the only water for miles around.  The water needs to be purified!

Locating pure drinking water in a big city can be as hard as finding it in the most remote desert. Personally, I try to avoid drinking from public water fountains. (Why do people have to spit in them?)  I also don’t want to drink from a desert water hole that wild animals frequent.

But dehydration is a very real danger, anywhere. The average person needs about a gallon of water per day, just to function. In hot or very arid situations, more water will be needed. Wilderness or big city – these are the facts. All it will take is a power outage to cause serious issues.

What happens if the electricity is out, and a Boil Water Notice is put into effect? (A Boil Water Notice is a notification that advises residents to boil their tap water used for consumption (drinking, cooking, making ice, etc.), because the water may be contaminated. A Boil Water Notice is in effect until laboratory results show that water is safe from bacterial contamination.)

Most people will not be able to boil anything if all they have an electric stove, and no backup emergency gear. In such cases a water filter can be – literally – a lifesaver.

So the choices are: 1) Carry, or stockpile, enough water 2) Be able to purify and/or  filter whatever water you might find.

I’ve had great success with chemical purification methods, most notably, the Polar Pure system. I’ve also used Potable Aqua™ tablets, and carry them in my Get Home Bag. But for long term use, the best bet may be to have a quality water filter.

Nalgene, modified for belt carry

The 32-ounce wide mouth Nalgene sets the standard for water bottles. A filter makes it even better.

A filtered water bottle works best for me. When hiking along a stream, you really only need a small bottle that can be replenished. If you’re in an area where you might come across streams and springs, a larger  bottle is better. A quart-sized bottle is about right. If there might not be a lot of water available take along a collapsible bottle that can be filled as needed.

So when I found a water filter designed to work with my old reliable Nalgene bottle, I bought it. Appropriately named, THE OUTDOOR ANSWER, this simply-designed lid/straw/filter device is a perfect fit for 32-ounce Nalgene wide mouth water bottles.

From waterborne pathogens, to heavy metals, fluoride and even trace pharmaceuticals, all are eliminated with the multi-patented filter media, according to the company website. The filter technology has been tested in 16 different countries, the company claims, and has purified some of the most contaminated tap water on Earth. Each filter will clean about 100 gallons of water.  On average, the company recommends replacing filters once every few months if being used regularly.

Here are the Epic Water Filter Outdoor answer specs:

  • Comes with two different versions of lids: (1) Easy-Flip Sports Lid with hygienic bite valve, and (1) Locking Dust Cover Lid with one-handed push-button operation and integrated carry loop; detachable components for easy cleaning
  • USA made Urban Filter removes 99.9999% of fresh water contaminants
  • 40% LARGER straw diameter for increased flow rate
  • Interchangeable filter system for tap water & outdoor adventure
  • Filters are replaceable & recyclable, and are good for 100 gallons per filter, If the filter is used regularly, the company recommends replacing it every few months.
  • THE OUTDOOR ANSWER comes with one Outdoor Adventure Filter and is also compatible with Epic’s Urban Filter. The Urban Filter is sold separately. The Epic Outdoor Adventure filter removes 99.9999% of water contaminants, the company claims,  as well as any waterborne pathogens like bacteria, viruses, Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

Here’s the good stuff: 

nalgene water filter, best water filter, backpacking water filter

The Epic Outdoor Answer water filter fits the 32-ounce Nalgene wide mouth bottle, as well as several other top brands.

Filter fits variety of bottles: My collection of water bottles reflects my unwillingness to buy bottled water, and the desire to always have the just right container for any given circumstances. In addition to fitting the  Nalgene®, the filter also fits the wide mouth HydroFlask®, EcoVessel®, Thermos®, Camelback® and Platypus®.

Easy to drink from: The Outdoor Answer has a large straw diameter, which helps you draw the water out of the bottle. This is a big deal for little kids or older people who might not be able to apply enough suction to get a filter to work.

Lightweight: You might decide to fill your water bottle at home, and take along the filter if you need to replenish the bottle. The filter itself weighs a few ounces you won’t notice in your pack. If you are sure there will be water sources along the way, there is no need to pack extra water. It goes without saying that you better be very sure there are water sources available.

Do you need an Epic Outdoor Answer water filter?

You need some sort of compact, lightweight water filter. All it takes is a power outage, and most areas will become as dry as the Sahara. Unless you have a supply of water already, you could run seriously low of drinking water in a couple of days.

But why not just take some bottled water from the grocery store? Or stock up? There are sales all the time…

You read this far. Now the rant begins:

One-use water bottles are awful. According to conservation.org, 80 percent of the plastic water bottles we buy end up in landfills. U.S. landfills are overflowing with more than 2 million tons of discarded water bottles.

Americans buy 29 billion water bottles a year. For every six bottles people buy, only one is recycled. That leads to a big problem given the fact that water bottles do not biodegrade, but rather photodegrade. This means that it takes at least up to 1,000 years for every bottle to decompose, leaking pollutants into our soil and water along the way. It takes up to 1,000 years for every single bottle of water to decompose. Each bottle leaks harmful chemicals into our environment along the way as it decomposes. Rant over.

You need some sort of water filter to include in your preparedness gear. Get one before you need it.

If you already use wide mouth Nalgenes, picking this water filter is a no-brainer.

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