Renogy Portable Outdoor Water Filter

Sometimes I get the chance to review products in exchange for an honest review. This time, I got one of these filters to take with me on my Appalachian Trail hike, and it worked really well. Not hard to figure out and does what it's supposed to, as long as you follow the directions. Great for backwoods/water/streams etc for filtering water so that it's drinkable. Even if it's slightly dirty.

As the member of another website, occasionally, I have the amazing opportunity to test awesome products in exchange for a review. This time, I received the Renogy Portable Outdoor Water Filter for my AT trip!

Now, let me first say that this pump will not kill viruses. For that purpose (sometimes you need to kill them), you have to go with a UV type of device or something else that is specific to that need, but to de-bug your water from bacteria, eggs (yes, it takes care of amoebas and eggs), and other nasties, this is your guy. It filters to .1 microns and you can do business with 792 gallons on one filter! It's not the fastest to use, but it does exactly what it's supposed to do.

The instructions aren't complicated, and even someone that's never used a pump like this before can easily put it together and make it work. It does take practice, though. It'll take you a few minutes to pump a liter of water, but unless you are in a race to fill your water bottle the fastest, this really isn't a problem. Just make sure not to touch your dirty tube to your clean water once you are done.

I found that once you have detached and drained your tubes, if you plug the bottom hole with your finger while you press the plunger in, it helps to release the rest of the water inside the filter. Some water will remain, but doesn't really seem to cause any problems.

You want to back-flush with the syringe if it gets hard to filter and won't pump easily (read: dirt gets inside the filter), and then again when you put it away after your trip, but all those details are in the instructions.

Things I liked:

• Pretty easy to use...IF...you read the instructions and practice
• It's fairly small
• Does what it's supposed to do if you use it right
• Seems to have a casing on it that could stand a bit of abuse (metal)
• Comes with a storage pouch

Things I didn't like:

• A bit labor intensive, especially if you are tired and thirsty
• Takes longer to filter a liter of water than some devices
• The storage bag has no divider in it in which to store your dirty and clean tubes. I felt like if I put my dirty tube that still had water on it in with the clean tube, then I was going to contaminate the clean one.

Bottom line, it worked really well, and I'd use it again, especially if I knew I needed to have a reliable pump for eggs and worms (think tapeworms….ick). Not pleasant to think about, but really good to know that if I used this pump, I wouldn't have to think about them again.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor or chemist or biologist or have any degree in water safety. I'm simply reporting on this device as I have interpreted the instructions. I felt very confident drinking the water I filtered, and have not gotten ill. Please use whatever method makes you feel comfortable to clean your water in the backwoods.

It is a functional pump that works, but isn't all the easy to use, especially by yourself. There are better filters out there...I'd recommend Sawyer.

It is a functional pump that works, but isn't all the easy to use, especially by yourself. I found that having at least one person to assist by holding the clean water bottle and to make sure the water inlet hose stays in place. It went even better with three people.

Unfortunately for me, this isn't great.

Overall, a functional filter that works as well as a filter of this design could work. I'd probably recommend a Sawyer Squeeze before this one though.

Works well
Small, packable, compact
Easy assembly
Easy care

As a member of another website, I sometimes get the opportunity to try out different products in exchange for a review. I received the Renogy Water Filtration System to review and abuse on my recent camping trip.

The Renogy Water Filtration system fit easily in my hydration bag. Easy initial assembly and basically three parts to pack. I would suggest pre-assembly due to a few small parts. Then main assembly when you pull it out to use it.

We hiked the Sal Hollow Trail at Mammoth Cave National Park. A few miles in I stopped at a small stream to try out the Renogy. It was a shallow stream so the float didn’t come into play. I had to hold the initial filter while pumping the Renogy filter. It filled my container fairly quickly. I’ve not used the large gravity filtration bags before so I  can’t compare them. That being said, the ease of use from assembly, to filtering water, to drinking was quick, efficient and easy.

The only problem I had with the Renogy was handling all the components and three dogs and my cell phone for video capture;) Otherwise it was total ease of use!

1. Place  initial filter with float in your source water.
2. Place output tube in your capture vessel
3. Pump handle until capture vessel is full and make sure your initial filter is not sitting in the bottom silt.

A few things to note, I used a runoff stream and filtered water from above the trail crossing. I have used other filters and water sources before and even with filtration sometimes the water doesn’t taste “pristine” but it’s still palatable. The stream I used was fresh rainwater from the night before and day of. Avoid stagnant water and water with obvious metal contamination. I’m no expert, so there are more tips, read up before extensive use.

Easy to use, compact filter.

As a member of another website, I occasionally receive free gear to demo in the field while camping in exchange for a review. Hiking the Grand Teton was the perfect opportunity to put the Renogy Tactical Water Microfilter to the test. This trek was taxing and I consumed a lot of water to keep hydrated.

The Renogy water filter is compact and super easy to put together and use quickly. There is a silicon tube that attached to each end of the device. There is a float and sinker you attach to the distal end, the float keeps the tip out of any silt and debris at the bottom and the sinker keep the tip submerged so you don't pump air. The tip of the other tube goes directly into your bottle or water canister. Pump the handle until your vessel is full. It goes pretty quickly and the device is easily stored in the soft drawstring pouch provided so everything is kept clean and in one place.

The filter should be replaced after 3000 liters filtered or one year of use, whichever comes first. The device comes with replacement O rings and a syringe to flush the device for cleaning.

I recommend this water filter. It is more compact than the Katadyn filter my travel partner used. The rate of filtration was comparable. Weight was very similar. The casing on this is aluminum, so the weight may be slightly heavier than some plastic models on the market, but it is very durable.

FIVE STARS!