Aquamira Frontier Pro Filter

Lightweight water filter that can be used with virtually any disposable or Platypus brand small mouth bottles.

I have owned this product for over a year and have used this filter on almost all of my backpacking trips. I have used this filter on some questionable water sources and so far so good.  

The microfilter removes 99.9% of Cryptosporidium and Giardia per the manufacturer.  The filter also uses coconut shell carbon to improve the taste of the water.

I have used this filter on a gravity setup (as seen below) and I have found that this works really well.  This filter can also be used in conjunction with a collapsible bottle similar to a Sawyer Squeeze.

The drawback to this product compared to others, is that the Aquamira Frontier Pro is only good for 50 gallons.  However, I have found that if cleaned after every trip, you can extend the life of the filter.  This filter can be backwashed and the microfilter can be cleaned by boiling to remove any bacteria.

Personally, I am very pleased with this product and at $25, it is worth the price.

* Trailspace Pick for Lightweight Backpacking *

Specs:
Weight: 2 oz.
Dimensions: 1.25 x 5.5 inches
Filter: activated carbon and microfilter
Bottle capacity: NA
Capacity with filter: NA
Expected lifetime: 50 gallons
MSRP: $24.95

Pros:

Filter screws onto any used soda bottle or Platypus hydration bladder with 28 mm threads. Protective cap protects bite value from contamination. Polyester, replaceable pre-filter removes sediment, extending the life of the filter. Can be configured as a hands-free gravity filter. Miraguard suppresses the growth of bacteria, algae, fungus, mold, and mildew in the filter between outings.

Cons: Bite valve can be a little hard on the jaw. Flow rates for the gravity filter configuration vary by filter due to manufacturing differences. Make sure to test at home first.

Review originally published as part of In-Bottle Water Filters comparison review.

This filter really is a light packer's dream. Fits in the palm of your hand and will filter up to five hundred gallons, and fits on the top of any cheap plastic water bottle or collapsible Platypus bottle.

I used this filter on a thirty miler from Idyllwild, CA, to Cabazon on the Pacific Crest Trail. The first half of the trip had quite a few clear running streams. The filter worked great with included straw to suck water straight from the stream. And after topping of my bottle in the stream, the filters rubber bite valve kept it from leaking in my bag.

On the down side of Mt San Jacinto going into Cabazon the lack of moisture is immediately evident near the bottom I had run out of water and searching the dried stream beds found and small pool of water complete with algea, tadpoles, and water skippers. Using my back-up iodine tabs the filter didn't clog and made the water taste great.

Only two problems i had were the straw for water bottles didn't seal well on the filter and let air bubble past slightly and the tightly woven cotton prefilter makes it difficult to suck.

Buy one, it's worth it.

I have now used my Aquamira Frontier Pro Filter for about 300 gallons worth of filtration. It's easy to use, gives me acceptable water quality, and looks like it's going to last for the full 500 gallons the manufacturer claims.

Therefore, I officially pronounce it hot stuff. I use two units, one set up as a filter on the drink tube of my hydration bladder for "dip 'n' go" use, and the other as the working part of a gravity feed purifier system (If you pull off the bite valve there is a coupling you can rig to a tube.). The Frontier Pro works well in both configurations.

I do however have two gripes, both little ones. One is that the bayonet fitting that you use to attach the filter to your hose is smooth bore on the outside. This makes it prone to detachment when attached to a hydration bladder tube. (I fixed this with Superglue.)

The other is that the manufacturer could easily put in better instructions that would alert the buyer to the gravity feed usage.

Other than that, it's a thru-hiker's dream. It works, it's light, and it's dirt cheap compared to the competition.