First Need XL Portable Water Purifier

I don't understand why anyone buys a filter system OTHER than First Need. I own 3 of these a each of my siblings has one based on my recommendation. There are other filters out there that compete with this blue beauty, but none measures up. The big difference is that this one is a purifier (!), not merely a filter. Filters are adequate for outdoor use (backpacking and camping) so I think a lot of people opt for a 70 or $80 filter instead of this SLIGHTLY more expensive purifier. I've used filters from the other 2 big manufacturers. The difference in weight is marginal and the build quality of this First Need is better than other options. You can certainly use this unit for backpacking and camping purposes. But the big difference is you can also use this one in an emergency situation where water has been contaminated by viruses. That is not an option for you if you go with a mere filter from the competition. I have been waiting for over a decade for the other companies to offer a purifier option. But they simply don't. And I guess I can't blame them most people end up buying the slightly cheaper filter instead of this superior product for $20 more. First Need has refined their design several times over the past decade and the current model works very well and is exceptionally thoughtful in its details. You can back flush the purifying cartridge to extend its life. I have one I have been using since the late nineties and it is still going strong.Now, there are some other options on the market such as the Steripen or Sawyers filter straw. Those two products are also quite amazing but they cannot be compared to a pump filter system. It could be that your intended use will make the filter straw a better choice, for example. But that is because it is a fundamentally different product from a pump filter/purifier system. If you are in the market for a pump filter purifier system, JUST GET the blue and white First Need!

I have had this for over 7 years. I love this filter. It is a bit heavy, but I am a outdoor leader and I generally hike with a large group. Hands down, it's fast. Water quality after it has been filtered is so good. Taste is better than some of the bottled water I've tasted. I did put an extra mesh around the intake end and found this to help in some of the mucky waters. Another suggestion some made was to trade out a longer hose. I haven't done this yet, but may in the future. I would highly recommend this to others.

Used it on a recent trip with some semi-questionable water (we need rain) without incident. I was looking for a filter that did both bacteria and viruses. This was the only one that claimed to handle both. I was a bit skeptical so I sent it to my mother who is an engineer with the EPA. She sent it to the capitol to the main guy that handles water treatment. He said that the university of Arizona is well respected in this research field and that he would trust it. Good enough of a selling point for me.

My son is the quartermaster for his scout troop. We had 3 older (circa 2000) First Need water filters in our troop and they have been used on dozens of trips backpacking all over Michigan and the rest of country. When time the time came to replace the canisters we were not able to find replacements and the older systems had been well used. I came right back to First Need because I knew they worked and was not disappointed. I bought two of these this summer for a trip to North Manitou Island in Michigan for 10 boys & 4 adults. We filtered easily over 50 gallons of water over 5 days from Lake Michigan.. We also had 1 MSR MiniWorks filter... these First Need filters would fill a large Nalgene bottle in about 1 minute, where as the MSR takes 5-6 minutes. We would fill a 5 gallon collapsible water jug at the the lake, bring it back to camp and then, pumping from the jug, fill all the Nalgene bottles (about 15) and everyones water bladders in about 15 minutes using just two of these pumps. Also using the gravity filter option using the storage back works fine but it is slow.. if you have the time or are using a low volume of water, this is very nice feature.On our trip, lake water has a lot of sand. The first line filter at the end of the plastic tube would plug with sand sometimes so you need to clean it and if the pump slows or becomes difficult to pump you need to back flush "FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS" to get it flowing. We only had to back flush one pump during the 5 days we were out. Make sure when you store them, you back flush w/a few drops of chlorine in the water, from a good water source before you put them away.The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5, is the the pumps have started very minor leaking around the O-rings and I am concerned about longevity. I have followed the instructions to lubricate them since we got back, but have not had them in service long enough to be sure if there is a problem or not. For sure we will test them! Boy Scouts are known for being VERY ROUGH on equipment. If they don't break it, you won't using it for yourself.PROS:FastEfficientGreat tasting waterFit Nalgene Wide Mouth Bottles & has adapters available to fit othersCONS:BulkyHeavier than competitors"MUST BE BACK FLUSHED OCCASIONALLY AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!"Mike Cody - Troop 294 Richland, MI

first need,simply the best packable and only true purifier available.You wont regret this purchase.I own two of these for emergancy and back packing purposes.

I think this is probably a great product, but what was shipped to me was a disaster. In testing the canister, not only did the blue dye make it through (meaning the canister was bad), but the hose leaked in at least 5 spots. No exaggeration. Make sure to give it a test run before you go camping!

It seemed to be the sturdiest, most efficient, and able to filter viruses impressed me. I just can't seem to be able to find the area to order the trail bottle and adapter.