PurTrek combines two essential outdoors products into a single device. Could it be a good new way to drink water?
This just came across GearJunkie’s radar and had us scratching our heads. Haven’t we seen something like this before? Or did we maybe discuss the concept, thinking someone should invent a trekking pole water filter?
A few Google searches later, and we’re not much more enlightened. It seems like this really may be one of the first water filter/trekking pole combos yet. Is it a good idea? Well, let’s take a moment to break down the claims.
PurTrek Water Filter Trekking Pole
Water filters are common devices and not very big. So why not house one in a trekking pole, which has a decent amount of free space inside? That seems to be PurTrek’s inspiration.
The result is the PurTrek H2O Pole, a pair of 17-ounce poles that house hollow-fiber water filtration. Like most water filters, it removes more than 99.99 percent of protozoa, bacteria, and — interestingly — microplastic.
The pole appears to work a lot like a normal pump-style filter. You dip the bottom in a lake or stream, make a couple adjustments on the pole, add a hose to the top above the hand grips, and pump it. Water comes out of the hose to drink or fill a water bottle.
The brand claims each filter will clean 500 liters of water.
The poles themselves seem like fairly standard, adjustable carbon fiber trekking poles with carbide tips. The water inlet is just above the baskets, so hopefully they won’t get clogged with dirt and crud from hiking. At 17 ounces, they’re heavier than a lot of poles but not remarkably so.
It’s a clever concept and might work great. We haven’t tested these, but they caught our eye as an interesting evolution in gear. For early adopters, the pole-filters are available on Kickstarter starting at $100. Given the price of a water filter and trekking poles combined, it seems like a fair price for a potentially solid product.
