GravityWorks Carbon Element

Goodbye nasty water! This little carbon filter is now an essential part of my emergency water plan and always goes with me on hikes. At less than an ounce, it’s easy to take with me on long hikes even when I’m trying to cut down on weight. You will love this if you enjoy clean tasting water when you are out hiking, camping, or in emergency situations. The Playtypus carbon filter is estimated to last about 1500 L. I recently used this in conjunction with the sawyer mini on a 4 day hike through the enchantments in Washington. The carbon filter worked flawlessly and was able to remove the nasty taste that is often associated with filtering untreated water. I connected it to my sawyer mini using ¼” tubing. While a bit heavier, I much prefer this to the ultra-light iodine tablet solution. Yuck! I’ll be picking up a few more of these to include in our emergency kits and in the car. Cons: This is not a carbon filter that you can open up and replace the carbon elements. The carbon filter is small enough that it is only going to last about 1500 L. If you are looking for something that is going to be able to filter more before having to be replaced, this is not the one for you. It is a sealed container that once used up, will be discarded. If you don’t care about taste, don’t want more resistance added to your filtration, or you are trying to go ultralight this is not for you. I give this a subjective score of 5 out of 5 Here is my scoring by category: Durability: 5 Features: 5 Value: 5 Aesthetics: 5 Effectiveness: 5 Persistence: 5 Ease of use: 5 Packaging: 5 Size: 5

I love this little thing. I keep it in-line with my Sawyer Mini from a 2.5 gallon bag to my hydrapak. I used it during a two night solo up into Tea Creek, WV in August 2014. The gravity feed system took a moment at first to get started, but it would only take about 5-10 minutes to fill my 3 liter hydrapak. The water tasted fine with no unpleasant notes, however it did seem a little thick. I went back to Tea Creek in Noveber 2014; it may have been in the teens or twenties the night I stayed. The temperature was too low to try filtering my water without the chance of the water freezing in the line, so I was forced to boil my water via an alcohol stove. The water was a little bitter and it had a thicker mouth feel than what I remembered. The water at Tea Creek is high in tannins,(it has a nice blackish brown color) so there is going to be some bitterness. I do remember the taste being signifigantly less foul with a better mouthfeel when I used the carbon element. You may be limited on the time of year you can use this filter since it may get damaged if water freezes and thaws inside it. I would say it is a good purchase for 12 dollars if you live in an area where water has some funky flavors. It can make a rough day a little less $hitty.

I used this as part of a gravity filter while biking. I'd collect water with a cnoc bag and hang that from my handlebars or from a branch. The sawyer mini from there and then this Platypus carbon filter. A hose between them and another to a water bottle connector. Was a great system that I could use on snack breaks or whenever I'd otherwise reach a stream I had found on the map. It occurred to me that this may have saved my health at least once when gathering water near farmland, as activated carbon filters can not only clean foggy weird tasting water, but if I'm correct they can also cut out some pesticides and other chemicals. I'm sure of at least one situation when the water I was filtering was really sketchy, but who knows. I'd rather be safe then sorry. So I figured this one I've had was used up and looked around to find a reusable carbon filter from another reputable brand. In looking through my water kit for a compatible hose, I thought to look for a seam to maybe crack open this Platypus GravityWorks filter to see what is inside. Would you believe it! The bottom part comes off like a cap if you just tap it with a hammer and some kind of wedge. Top part might alternately do the same as well. On each end there is a foam disk to keep the carbon chunks in. It would have helped to know this and to have saved money. The other one is a little bit larger too but it might be a useful feature in these activated carbon filters because it increases the working surface area. I do prefer this Platypus one because it is lightweight, of compact size and it works well. The cap does have a pretty good pressure fit and isnt broken, but by itself, I'd be running the risk of it falling apart without somehow resealing. I suppose every couple of hundred gallons, when replacing the carbon, I could apply a couple of dabs of ca glue (superglue) on the outside and put a bit of tape on the edge. Then with each replacement, I'd crack the seal with a blade. Hope this helps someone. I'm not an expert, so of course, be thoughtful of any weakpoints in the system if you're going to try this. Would be great if the company made the cap a screw-on type or if someone could improve upon this diy idea.

We use this with a Sawyer squeeze when hiking. Without this, the lake water has a distinct taste, and I can denitely taste the difference once we refill our smart watee bottles. With this filter, it tastes great, and I really don't taste any difference between bottled and filtered from the lake. The flow is nice and fast and it is very small and light for packing. This is part of all of my kits now, highly recommended.

I use this item in conjunction with the Platypus GravityWorks filter for 2-4 weeks out of the year for the last 4 years while on wilderness canoe trips. It noticeably decreases the tannin content of the river water of the Alaskan interior — not perfectly clear, but noticeably better. One star off for expensive price for what it is. Also note, the number of gallons this charcoal filter is rated for is significantly less than the number of gallons the actual GravityWorks filter is rated for.

This little filter makes backwoods water taste better than a refrigerator filter! For the extra weight it’s so worth it. Nothing is better than having fresh cold and tasty water when you’re slugging through the woods for days. Some luxury items are worth it.

Used this for an extended trip to Europe inline with a Sawyer Squeeze so I wouldn't have to buy bottled water. Worked great. Definitely a taste difference from the Sawyer alone. Doesn't slow the process down. Small and easy to pack. From now on will take this even on weekend trips to an AirBnB, etc. and camping, of course.

Really great addition to my Platypus Gravity Works system. I've had no issues using the standard filter for trips on the AT or in the Alps past 2 years, but for a 5 day trip to Cumberland Island I knew that sulphur wells were going to yield some stanky smelling water even after being filtered. As small and affordable as this add-on element is, I figured I'd give it a shot. Boom - clean water from the main filter, tasty water through the 2nd stage carbon filter. Buy this thing if you are planning to encounter some water that has more smell than a diaper full of of Indian food.