First Need Deluxe Water Purifier

"First Need Deluxe Waterfilter I have used this water filter twice since I bought it. The first time was for an overnighter in the Mt. Charleston Range of southern Nevada. The second time was for a six day trip to the Ruby mountain range in Northern Nevada. I will be writing about my observations on the second trip since this gave me the best chance to evaluate the product. The filter worked great, no one was sick the whole trip. They also give you some dye to test your filter to make sure it is working. I tested it before I went and after I got back and it was clear, proving that it was working. I used the filter extensively since I was the only one filtering water for our group of three. The water filter didn't clog even once, but then most of our water was from snow fed streams and lakes. At 9 to 11,000 feet most of the water was going through solid rock with little chance of small particles to get into the water. The water filter was nice since you could pump water both on the up and down stroke. It was a little hard to hang onto though, since the body isnt very big, but by putting one of my fingers between the filter and the housing it was manageable. I wouldnt want a heavier or bigger filter but one that was easier to hang onto would be nice. Conclusion: Overall this was a great filter. It had its drawbacks due to its size and filtering water but it wasnt annoying enough not to keep or buy the filter again. People always tell me that they would rather have the lever than the up and down motion of this pump. Personally I would rather have a purifier than a filter, especially when they are close to the same price. I can recommend this filter and would buy it again. "

" FIRST NEED ALWAYS I purchased my first need filter eleven years ago to use as my primary source for drinking water while packing throughout the Blueridge Mountains . And needless to say, in that amount of time I have used the filter in an endless number of situations, and it has never left me wanting for a better product. I've also used this same filter for domestic uses when traveling from town to town to clean up the local water that was supplied in different locations . Again it worked for me flawlessly. In my opinion there's no better product then one that has always worked in the clutches and in others that were not so demanding. These are the aspects that you would expect of a dear friend. And so it remains with me as such. THANK YOU"

" Works great as a gravity/inline filter This is a very well designed and reliable filter/purifier, even if it is a bit bulkier and heavier then some other popular models. To help shave off some of that weight, I bought this filter on the hunch that I could use it as a gravity filter _without using the pump_. I was told by an customer support person that the pump is needed to prime the filter before the gravity feed would work. I've discovered that isn't true; it is easy to attach a hose to the output nozzle on the filter and suck a little bit to get the gravity feed going. I also was able to dremel and file the pre-filter enough so it would fit in side a platypus's screw-on-hose-attachment area. It took some work, but now I have an "invisible" pre-filter in my 4L platypus to clean the gunk out before it goes into the main filter. It also can work as an inline filter, but I'm a bit worried about the hose pulling off the output nozzle of the filter when it's inside the pack. After your done filtering, though, a lot of water (ie. weight) is still inside the filter, which can slowly leak out into your pack. Luckily, I've found that shaking for 15 secs removes most of the water. If weight isn't a big issue, I'll bring the whole pump, since it allows for much faster filtering (and purging water from the filter). Hope this helps someone...-Tim"

" Holy water I bought the First Need Deluxe Water Purifier and an extra filter cartridge last month because I gave my originals away three years ago to a priest friend who was headed to Uganda for several years. He has used it ever since in weekly trips into the bush. The best testament to the quality of the First Need Deluxe system is that he's still quite healthy and his system continues to work perfectly even under conditions of heavy use and poor water quality. It'd be hard to do any better than that, especially given how compact and easy-to-use it is."

" "Proven Purifier" The First Need water purifier was an easy choice for me to make. After two consecutive years of backpacking and elk hunting with a "seasoned" backpacker friend (into wilderness areas) who carried his everywhere, I saw first hand the value of a dependable water filter. Not only is it a true purifier (we drank purified lake water), but it also is durable and Nalgene bottles screw right on it. I was fortunate to see the First Need purifier operate in the field and I anticipate years of service from mine. Thanks for carrying this high quality product at a great price."