Aquamira Frontier Emergency Water Filtration and Straw

I've gone through many water filtration systems in my travels and they all have their place. Katadyn Hiker products are great dependable, long term usable, and field cleanable solutions. If I were going somewhere where I knew I needed to bring a filter for a long trip, I would probably pick one of them. Sawyers in-line filters add a little complexity to a filtration system, but you can still fit everything you need inside a small pouch, they're very good and very lightweight systems. This in my opinion is strictly for emergencies where you don't have any other means of filtration. I put it in about the same group as iodine tablets, I really only rely on either in a pinch. Iodine is significantly better in terms of what all it can kill and protect against however.This is really only good against Giardia and Cryptosporidium, it has a max filtration particle size of 3 microns. In comparison my Katadyn Hiker Pro is 0.3micron, Katadyn Mini is 0.2micron, Sawyer 0.1micron. The water filter system I built for my house well water is 1micron. If you are truly concerned about bacteria or virus', you'll want to invest in a better water filter then this, or boil water or use iodine tabs with it.This also only has a 30gallon max usage. That's very low, still keeping it in the "emergency only" category. Depending on the environment, person, and activity level, thats maybe 2-4 weeks worth of water. If you're sharing it with a family of 4, that's 3-7days worth. In contrast the Hiker Pro is 300 gallons, and you can clean the filter and squeeze another couple hundred out of it if you're lucky. The Sawyer is "1 million gallons".This however is VERY lightweight. Around 26g, it's the lightest solution. It would take about 10g more in iodine tablets to get the same amount of water filtration. It's about an ounce lighter then sawyer, and 9+oz lighter then hiker pro.This is also the cheapest solution. Iodine to treat 30g would cost about twice as much, and a more durable filter would cost about 50-80$ more.This definitely has it's place, as long as you're aware of it's limitations. It's just a carbon filter with a built in straw that does a decent job at filtering the common Giardia and Cryptosporidium. If you're travelling around the world or in the backcountry and concerned about the quality of your water source - I'd recommend something else. I bought this to keep it and a few iodine tablets in my emergency car bag.

Ok, bought on a whim, but definitely good to have in the jeep just in case. Small, light, and seem to work well. I have not tested in a swamp, but for river water it worked fine, and not bad tasting either.

This system is much like everyone mentions. It's light, weighing about as much as 5 quarters. It's compact, about the size of a roll of pennies. The filtration unit seems pretty sturdy and would probably not crack if dropped. The straw seems OK, about the same quality as the flexi-straws you get with $10 plastic water bottles. I'd worry that the straw might crack with repeated use, but it should be fine if you use it only for emergency purposes (i.e. rarely).As with all carbon-based filters, this one has a lot of dust when you first use it. I forgot this detail and was surprised by the straw full of coffee-colored water on my first draw. There is a note on the unit that warns about this dust (which I didn't notice until later). The note implies that all of the dust would disappear after the first draw. That is not true. I've drawn about 4 cups of water through the system, yet there is still very noticeable dust in the water. It's no longer the color of coffee, more like weak tea. I'm OK with this, but my wife and daughter would complain (of course, they probably wouldn't complain too long if there's no other water).In sum, I think this is a good product and recommend it for emergency use. But I suggest drawing a few cups of water to remove the carbon before you store it in your emergency kit.

works great

Perfect for a survival kit, hiking, or backpacking. Light and fits in your pocket.

I use these as a backup. Whether my primary is simply a water bottle or a Sawyer I make it a point to have a Frontier on my person, in a pocket, whenever I go on a day hike or multi-day. This comes about from a past error in judgement in which I left the trail, stashed my pack and hiked out on a fire trail in July with only what was in my pockets. It took longer than expected and needing water was forced to drink unprotected water from a stream. Because of human contamination there a few safe water sources plus survival situations. The Frontier gives me an inexpensive, lite and effective solution. I've only actually used them to drink a few times. They did the job and I have no complaints. I value my health too much to take an needed risk so I carry a Frontier straw as a level of protection. I note that this Frontier had packaging that doubled as a container.

Work great; super compact for hiking!

I recently have to use this filter at home because of my kitchen remodeling. Yeah, I can buy and drink bottle water but my camping itch won't subside until I try out this filter. And yes, there is quite a bit of initial carbon dust and it does take a while to cycle through. But I figure that since I am also made of carbon, it should hurt. It is all psychological.Now the straw did bother me a bit because it is a bit flimsy(spelling). Plus the fact that it is difficult to push the straw into the end of the filter. I understand that there needs to be a good seal so you don't suck in air in the process. But I think slightly sturdier straw would make this a superior product.I went and bought some 1 gallon water jugs that, as we all know, taste like plastic. Not to worry. Here comes the Aquamira to the rescue. I can taste the difference before and after. Once, I know the filter is working, I begin to drink out of the tap water. It tasted pretty good too.For small volume and short duration, this filter is the preferred choice. If you are going to be out of water for a long while (> 1 month), get the lifestraw instead because it has a lot higher capacity (1000liter as opposed to 25 liter for the aquamira).Happy drinking! (water of course)