Skip to main content

For thirsty campers, GoSun’s water purifier purges germs with power of the sun

In the modern, hygiene-conscious world, it can (ironically) be difficult to find a hand sanitizer for quick cleaning on the go, and it’s not always possible to find a sink to wash your hands. GoSun presents a solution with GoSun Flow, a portable solar-powered water purifier and sanitation system. The Flow is small enough to fit inside of a backpack and uses solar power to filter out 99.99% of pathogens from water — including the coronavirus. GoSun says it can kill the coronavirus, but it’s not really clear that its spread via water is an issue. According to the CDC, COVID-19 has not yet been detected in drinking water.

The GoSun Flow is built to be a portable handwashing station, shower, source of drinking water, and more. The all-in-one unit includes everything the user needs including a faucet, pump, filter, power bank, and solar panels. The GoSun Flow can also be powered via a USB outlet.

Related Videos

Although the uses for the GoSun Flow are immediately apparent with regard to the coronavirus, it can also be used by avid hikers and campers. Anyone that spends a lot of time hiking just assumes that showers will be few or far between (or worse, cold!), but that doesn’t have to be the case. The GoSun Flow has applications for long-haul hikers like those on the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Coast Trail. Who says you have to stink after walking several thousand miles?

According to the creators, the GoSun Flow can purify a liter of water in about one minute. The product is currently live on Indiegogo with five different pricing tiers. The base-level tier includes the GoSun Flow and all necessary components for $150. The next level includes a faucet and sink for an extra $50. If you want the ability to heat water on the go, though, you will need the $380 option. The other two pricing tiers jump significantly in price, reaching $740 and $1,350, respectively.

The GoSun Flow is predicted to start shipping in August of this year. It is packed with impressive technology and a multi-stage filter that provides clean, drinkable water in next to no time at all. The filter uses an electropositive charge generated by nanoalumina fibers to clean pathogens from the water. It doesn’t require cleaning, but will last for up to 1,000 liters. In a world where personal hygiene has taken on increased importance, access to clean water on the go can help you keep your hands cleaner at all times.

As always, be aware of the risk inherent with investing in any crowdfunded device. Although the GoSun Flow has already been tested in public, there is always a risk when investing in a new product.

Editors' Recommendations

Solar-powered device can pull water out of thin air, even in the desert
1164832 autosave v1 wang prototypeimage1

One way of providing drinking water to people in parts of the world where it’s not readily available is to give them the tools to literally suck it out of the air.

Those are exactly the lines that scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California, Berkeley are thinking along. To that end, they’ve created a solar-powered device for carrying out this task.

Read more
The Katadyn BeFree water bottle provides clean drinking water on the go
katadyn befree water bottle 3

One of the biggest challenges that hikers, trail runners, and backpackers face while in the backcountry is finding clean drinking water. Sure, that crystal-clear mountain stream might look like it is OK to drink from, but chances are there are microorganisms and other potentially harmful elements lurking within. Carrying a good water filter can help alleviate these concerns, but portable filters can be bulky and time-consuming to operate. Fortunately, there are other solutions available, including the Katadyn BeFree soft water bottle, which has the ability to filter water quickly and easily on the fly.

Swiss-based Katadyn has been making water filtration systems for use in the outdoors for years. In fact, the company specializes in developing reliable options for creating clean drinking water while camping, trekking, or on globe-spanning expeditions. Its products include everything from simple purification tablets to sophisticated manual desalinators for use on long-distance sailing voyages. Within the outdoor community, Katadyn products have a reputation for being tough, dependable, and easy to use, which often makes them favorites with explorers and backpackers traveling in remote areas of the world.

Read more
This tiny device helps bring power to your campsite
thornwave solar charge controller inti c14 3

Nowadays it seems that when we venture into the great outdoors, we tend to take a host of electronic gadgets with us. Things like smartphones, tablets, cameras, GPS devices, headlamps, and more. Most of those devices are powered by rechargeable batteries, which of course need to be re-energized from time to time. But power outlets are few and far between in the backcountry, which is why many of us have turned to solar energy to help keep our devices functioning.

In recent years, breakthroughs in technology have allowed solar panels to get smaller, lighter, and more efficient than ever before. This has helped make the sun's rays a viable source of power for use in remote places that are located way off the grid. In fact, portable solar panels are now used by everyone from hikers on the Appalachian Trail and climbers on Mt. Everest, to skiers heading to the South Pole, and sailors circumnavigating the globe.

Read more