Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country or spent any time backpacking in a remote wilderness knows how challenging it can be to find clean drinking water. Of course, there are a number of options available that can help us remove harmful elements from local water sources, but those options often come with a few compromises. Help is on the way, however, as a new option that recently launched on Kickstarter promises to change the way we purify water on the go.
The Geopress is the latest water purification system from a company called Grayl, which introduced its original Ultralight Purifier a few years back. The breakthrough design of that product was that users simply filled the bottle with water from any source, then passed it through a carbon filtration system, removing bacteria, viruses, protozoan cysts, and other harmful items. This gave travelers the ability to find clean drinking water on the go.
Both the original Grayl purifier and the new Geopress use the same process to filter the water that is passed through it. Travelers simply fill the water bottle from any faucet, river, or lake, then simply press the filter down into the bottle. This forces the water into the carbon filter, which removes all of the harmful stuff — including particulates — from the liquid. The process if quick and simple, with the end result being safe, clean water.
As good as the original Grayl was, the Geopress improves on its design in some significant ways. For starters, it creates much more drinking water in a shorter period of time, generating as much as five liters in a single minute. The original Grayl could filter just 10.9 ounces at a time, while the Geopress ups that number to 24 ounces instead. The entire process takes just eight seconds to complete, which means users can stay hydrated provided they have a water source to tap into.
Once the water is passed through the Geopress’ carbon filtration system, it removes more than 99.9 percent of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, including norovirus, E. coli, salmonella, and giardia. Beyond that, however, the filter also cleans silt, microplastics, chlorine, lead, and other invisible items that can be a health hazard. This allows Grayl users to travel with more confidence no matter where they go.
The Grayl Geopress Purifier has already hit its $30,000 crowdfunding goal in just a few days, which means it should be on track to hit its scheduled release date of April 2019. When released it is expected to sell for $90, although early bird supporters can reserve one now for as little as $68. For frequent travelers, that seems like a bargain although it is always important to understand the risks associated with any crowdfunding campaign.
Find out more on the Geopress’ official Kickstarter page.
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