Weight: 233g.

Best for

Efficient, adaptable water filtration and portaging for higher volumes.

Overview

The QuickDraw 3l water filter is an ultralight system that can be used in gravity or squeeze mode. It combines a 3l ‘dirty’ water reservoir with a QuickDraw filter that can be screwed to a clean Platypus bladder or a 28mm-thread bottle, or connected to a hose and wide-mouth ConnectCap bottle adapter (included). Via hollow fibres, the filter removes 99.9% of protozoa (including giardia) and 99.9999% of bacteria, as well as particulates, but it’s not fine enough to remove viruses. The reservoir is lined with polyethylene to prevent the water tasting of plastic.

Performance

This is an appreciably simple and quick system to use. The reservoir has a 3.5cm-wide neck and a small handle to help keep your hand dry. When drawing water from a tarn I found it more efficient to fill it from a water bottle (rinsed with filtered water afterwards). With the filter screwed in place, you can hang the reservoir by the removable handle to trickle into your clean-water container while in camp, or use it as a squeeze filter to accelerate filtration if you’re on the move.

When squeezing, the flow rate was close to the claimed 3l per minute, but when the source water was coloured with tannins, it slowed over the course of filtering 6l. Following the one-minute procedure for flushing soon had it flowing smoothly again, however. Compared with some systems, the replaceable QuickDraw filter ($109.99) has a relatively low lifespan of 1000l, but this is more than sufficient for occasional use. Along with regular back-flushing, it’s necessary to sterilise the filter with bleach or purification tablets when storing it.

A 1l version of the QuickDraw (without the wide neck bottle adapter and hose), is popular among through-hikers, and the components are interchangeable with the 3l, giving you the option to use a 1l bladder ($39.99) with the same filter.  

What we like

Ultralight, easy to use, field-cleanable and checkable, large-capacity durable reservoir, adaptable.

Limitations

Particulate clogs filter quickly, doesn’t remove viruses, essential to sterilise for storage.

Why buy the Quickdraw 3l? 

The capacity and efficiency of this well-designed system is ideal for two people, individuals in water-scarce areas, or any time you want the benefit of up to 3l carrying capacity with the durable reservoir. The filter’s 1000l lifespan is short compared with others in this class, but it still equates to a lot of bottles of water and will suit most users just fine. It’s best used with clear water sources, but backflushing is simple and doesn’t require a syringe.