Grayl Water Purifier: Perfect For Day Hikers – Gear Review
Clark Rasmussen
Key Review Points
Quick Features:
- Comes in Multiple Sizes (16-24 oz)
- Replaceable Filter Cartridges
- Plastic, But Durable
- Kind of Pricy
The Grayl is Your Single Water Purification Solution
Let me start off by saying that I like, borderline, love my Gryal Water Purifier. The “GeoPress” does everything I want it to do, and everything it says it can do. I take it on nearly every backcountry hike, and I almost always use it. In terms of quick use and convince, it can’t be beat.
Now, whether or not this will be a favorite for you will depend on your needs, and although it became a quick favorite for me, I can envision a lot of scenarios were this just doesn’t quite gel for a lot of people. I think weather or not you end up loving it will depend a lot on your (let’s call it) hiker philosophy.
What I mean by that is “how you approach hiking,” and what sort of value you place on gear. As I mentioned, I love the convince of the Grayl water purifier, it’s my favorite piece of purification gear… but that doesn’t mean it’s the most functional, provides the most utility, nor is it the best bang for your buck.
I’ve used the squeeze filters and the drip filters and everything else, and although many of those systems are more useful in many situations, none of them are as quick or as simple as the Grayl water purifier is.
Using this system is as simple as it looks, the outer container is filled with dirty water, and the interior section is pressed in, forcing the water through the filter section. It couldn’t be easier or better in terms of straightforward functionality.
THE PROS:
you’re inevitably going to end up comparing this to a squeeze or drip filter, one that is likely more portable and can filter large amounts of water at a fairly decent pace. In those areas, the Grayl water purifier will not be a serious competitor, but its value comes from the fact that it can be used as a singular water source, without additional bags or containers. On a single day adventure, you could head out with just this and be perfectly fine. I’ve done it many times myself.
Nothing matches the Grayl water purifier that I’ve used in terms of pure simplicity and convenience. That’s the real value with a product like this, simple use and convenience. It’s easy, effective, and quite a bit faster than many of the squeeze options out there. It also doesn’t hurt that these look pretty cool as well. This is also quite a bit better in overall quality than many other single bottle or U.V. style filters out there.
In terms of build quality, it’s a little bit of a mixed bag, there are some things I like and others that I don’t. The interchangeable cartridge system for the filters is something I’m a pretty big fan of, particularly since the filter quality is really quite good. I’m also a big fan of the choice to include a loop on the lid, which gives you plenty of carrying/mounting options.
THE CONS:
For the very serious hiker, there are plenty of reasons not to choose this one, plenty of trips where this wouldn’t be the best choice. There aren’t any major flaws here in my opinion, it’s a case of many small things that could add up for someone who’s seriously considering the Grayl water purifier. A very simple one to point out is that this is heavier and larger than many other options. If you’re the through hiker or “ultra-light” enthusiast, you could easily write this off on that premise alone, It’s a chunky one.
For the serious hiker, volume could be an additional concern. You can only purify one bottle at a time here, unlike a drip filter that you could walk away from while if purifies a whole gallon for you. I wouldn’t consider this to be a serious problem, but this is a pressure based system which does require quite a bit of force, although not much more than your average squeeze. If you had planned to refill a 3L bag with this, you may find yourself doing a bit of work here.
The last serious con in my opinion is the price. In the world of hiking gear, things can become expensive pretty quick, and even the idea of “expensive” is kind of couched in relativity. At least in the water purification game, $100 is on the heavier side, particularly for something that won’t likely be the right fit for “everything.”
Full Size Grayl - 24oz
Cap w/Hook
Interchangeable Filter
Fill Shell
Purified Water Resevior
In Conclusion: Easy and Simple, a Mainstay for The Upstate Adventure Boys
Of the four of us who regularly hike together, three of us own a Grayl water purifier, and on any given hike, we have at least one between us. There is only been a single instance where we brought something else, that was a three day trip up in the Adirondacks High Peaks, where we had also carried a large volume bag and a Sawyer Squeeze Filter for drinking and cooking water.
You can visit the Grayl website to check out the sizes and colors currently available. If your intuition is telling you that you’d love it, you probably will. If your intuition is telling you that it’s needlessly large and expensive, you’d correct. It is an official recommendation from us, but with the understanding that it is not an Ultra Light compatible piece of gear.
Purchase links:
Grayl Website