ProView – GRAYL Geopress Water Purifier

Filtering water on hikes has always been a point of contention for me. I’ve gone through lifestraws, sawyers, and Katadyns trying to find a system that works. I have pretty high standards for water, and I really like the Grayl Geopress.

For the past three years, I have lived and worked from a van, calling whatever land I was parked on that evening (often a trailhead), home. In the van, I have a Berkey water filtration system. It’s big and bulky, and totally unreasonable to cart around in a vehicle for three years, but I care about water quality and accessibility. My goto for hiking would be to fill a Camelbak from the Berkey and set off. But I have issues with Camelbaks too, the water that sits in the plastic tube heats up and I know I’m drinking tiny plastic particles as I hydrate. Also, you can’t chug water. Like, REALLY get a good drink.

My MOST favorite thing about the Grayl — you can CHUG. The secondary reservoir (24 ounces) is enough to feel completely quenched. It is now my favorite day hike and multi-day backpack accessory. This Grayl is going to see so many beautiful things from the pocket of my backpack!

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Features

The Grayl Geopress is made to filter 24 ounces of water from any source. While I was hiking (a few 14ers and one long backpack trip near Steamboat, Colorado), I used rivers, lakes, and ponds to fill up whenever I was thirsty. Grayl says it can handle anything from “sketchy spigots, hotel sinks, murky rivers, wells or lakes.” It also improves the taste, smell, and clarity of the water. I stand by that statement, the water from the Grayl tasted good.

The Grayl gGopress consists of two containers fit securely into each other. This first is simply a large cup. That’s the part you dip into the stream to collect water. The second fits snuggly on top, with a lid. You fit the two together and then press strongly down on the SoftPress™ ergonomic comfort pads that are on either side of the top. Grayl says these pads are to combate fatigue while pressing, but I’m not sure they were soft enough to help with that. I did appreciate having a solid surface to press down on though. 

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The drinking cap serves a few purposes. The first is as a place to vent the air that is being replaced by water in the drinking reservoir. The second is to make sure you’re drinking out of the correct container. And the last is to allow one handed drinking, and — my favorite thing — the ability to drink quickly. In all other water filtration systems, there is some barrier to chugging water. Either you are crouched over the stream pumping furiously until you get enough water, or, you are pulling through a filter, your suction causing the water to filter through a carbon piece attached to the straw. Neither of these allow for fast and free drinking water.

The GeoPress is fill, press, DRINK.

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Weight/Packability

The GeoPress is 15.9 oz (450 g), well worth its weight in water. I did have some trouble forcing it into side pockets of backpacks, even my large backpacking pack. But, it is easily carabiner-ed to any gear loops you have on your pack. There is also an ultralight version that is slimmer, and would be easier to slip into side pockets.

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Function/Performance

This is where the Geopress shined! On a few day backpacking trip, a bunch of friends gathered to enjoy the Colorado backcountry. Everyone brought their own way to filter water, but by the end of the trip, everyone was using the Grayl! Either bags got holes, or it was just faster to use the Grayl. Either way, it got a ton of use and everyone wanted to purchase one for themselves by the end of the trip.

The only issues I’ve had is after so many uses, it is getting much harder to press down. I contacted Grayl about this and they responded quickly: 

“There are certain contaminants that may plug the filtration media prematurely.  Silt/sediment, floating solids, tannic water and heavy metal content may all cause a slowing of the filtration media during early usage.  It sounds like this may be what is causing your slower press time.

Since GRAYL Purifiers cannot be backflushed, we recommend performing a complete drying of the purifier cartridge.  Usually this will help to resolve a slower press time during early usage, but it won’t necessarily take the cartridge back to original press time, since the filter has already removed many contaminants.”

The Grayl filters out global waterborne pathogens (virus, bacteria, protozoan cysts — for example: Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Giardiasis, Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Cholera, Salmonella, Dysentery and more), pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, and microplastics (woo no microplastics!). It uses ion exchange, ultra-powdered activated carbon to achieve to filter 99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria, and 99.9% of protozoan cysts. It is good to 350 cycles (which I know I haven’t reached yet) or 250 liters. 

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Durability/Construction

The GeoPress already has a few scratches, but all of them are cosmetic. It’s made out of polypropylene #5, food-grade silicone, TPE, and ABS food-grade plastic, and feels solid. In the future, I would love to see more food-grade silicone and fewer plastics, but I can see how that would compromise the durability of the product. 

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Friendliness to the Earth

At their core, Grayl is trying to do their part for the environment. They are a part of so many initiatives and are focused on building a community that mirrors those values. Here is more info on the organizations, including 1 percent for the planet, and conservation alliance, they have partnered with. They are also working toward a zero-waste initiative, where you can turn in your used purifier cartridges to be recycled. It says on their site it will be live Summer 2020, but doesn’t seem to be off the ground yet. Check here for more info. The only issue I have with their earth-friendly practices is that the GeoPress is made in China. This means there’s a large carbon footprint getting the material to the United States.

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The Final Word

This is my new favorite way to filter water on long hikes and trips into the backcountry. It’s so easy to fill, press, and drink. The design is easy to use, the materials are durable, and it makes for great-tasting, clean water. I will be using the GeoPress on many, many adventures to come!

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