All anglers are admittedly pretty keen on water. We travel the globe in the pursuit of both fresh and saltwater and the species that make those waters their home. We spent our play money on gear and equipment to help catch those water-dwelling creatures. And, sometimes, we buy flies instead of groceries.
Priorities.
After several bouts of illness in the past years from traveling in areas with less-than-desirable drinking water, I’ve become a bit more aware not only of the water I’m fishing in, but also the water I’m drinking. Nothing hampers a fishing trip like a little visit from Mr. Giardia.
And so I was pretty excited when the folks from The Grayl sent over one of their new, lightweight Quest water purification cups for me to take along on last week’s Belize trip. Faster than waiting for purification tablets to kick in—and without the gnarly aftertaste—the cup kept me on task throughout the photo shoot.
Think of it like a big French Press. There’s an inner “clean zone” cylinder that you press down into the outer cup filled with dirty water. As the water is pressed through the filter into the inner cup, it’s purified. The system looks more like a fancy water bottle than anything. Unscrew the base cup from the inner cup. Dunk base cup in water. Press inner cup into base cup, letting the water slowly drain through the filter and into the clean inner cup. Put lid on and drink.
The cup has three filter options: Tap, Trail, and Travel. The Tap Filter removes many chemicals and heavy metals that affect health, flavor and odor. The Trail Filter protects against waterborne bacteria and protozoan cysts, and the Travel Purifier is marketed for the rigors of international travel and use in highly impacted wilderness areas. It is designed to protect against viruses, protozoa, bacteria, heavy metals, and chemicals.
I found the cup pretty darn unobtrusive, easy to pack, and lightweight. Best of all? I didn’t get sick, despite drinking some pretty nasty jungle water a few times during the trip. The Quest will certainly be joining my stock of trusty Katadyn purification tablets on some trips.
The more I’ve dug into the Grayl, the more I like the brand and the people behind it. It’s a small business from Seattle, run by a group of outdoorsy people looking for better solutions to water both at home and on the road.
Clean water is something we often take for granted, and it pays to be prepared whether you’re out in the field hunting ducks, on a multi-day float, or a seasoned international traveler. (Christmas gifts, anyone?)
[Note: Grayl provided the pictured Water Filtration Cup for a trial run during my recent Belize trip; no other form of payment has been provided for this review. The opinions are mine.]
