AQUA VESSEL TRITAN FILTER WATER BOTTLE
Tester
Information
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Name:
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David
Wilkes |
E-Mail:
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amatbrewer@yahoo.net
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Age:
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46 |
Location:
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Yakima
Washington USA |
Gender:
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M |
Height:
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5'11"
(1.80 m) |
Weight:
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197
lb (89.40 kg) |
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Biography:
I started
backpacking
in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have
backpacked in all seasons and conditions. I prefer trips on
rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously
strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to me.
I have finally managed to get my basic cold weather pack weight, not
including consumables, to under 30 lbs (14 kg).
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|
Product
Information
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Manufacturer:
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Eco Vessel
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Year
of Manufacture:
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2012 |
Manufacturer’s
Website:
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http://www.ecovessel.com |
MSRP:
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US$25.95
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Measured
Weight:
| 7.65 oz (217 g) w/ filter 5.65 oz (160 g) w/o filter | | |
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|
Images
courtesy of Eco Vessel |
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Product
Description:The
Eco Vessel Aqua Vessel Ultra Lite Tritan Filtration Bottle, aside from
being quite a mouthful (pun intended), is a “Tritan” plastic 25oz (0.74
L) water bottle, with a flip top drinking spout and included filter. It
is part of their line of filtration bottles that also includes two
sizes of stainless steel bottles (17 & 25 oz / 0.5 & 0.75 L) of
similar design.
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Initial
Report
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April 29 2012
This
water bottle is offered in three colors: Bolder Blue (what I received),
Khaki, and Violet. They come with an in-bottle water filter, which I
will address below, and has a flip top lid with removable/replaceable
silicone drinking spout. The bottle is made from a BPA free plastic.
It is shaped with a narrower section just above the middle to make it
easier to hold and the lid has a loop built into it. The mouthpiece
folds closed into the lid of the bottle. The mouthpiece has a thumb tab
molded into it to make it easier to open, as well allow for one handed
opening/closing. The bottle fits in my hand nicely due to the narrower section,
and while I can carry it by hooking a finger through the loop in the
lid, it is not quite big enough for me to two fingers. The
documentation says that it is dishwasher safe but recommends hand
washing with warm soapy water. It recommends that the filter section be
rinsed in just plain water and air dried.
Note that the
documentation for the bottle warns that since the rubber mouthpiece can
be removed, it could be a choking hazard and so is not recommended for
children under 8 years old.
The
included filter is attached to
the lid via a plastic straw. The bottle comes with a longer straw that
can be used when the filter is not wanted/needed. The filter is
advertised as being able to improve taste and eliminate odors as well
as removing toxic chemicals and reducing heavy metals. The
documentation also states that it reduces microscopic pathogens
including removing 99.9% of Giardia and Cryptosporidium. I could find
few details about how the filtration is achieved aside from a mention
of using “coconut activated carbon” as the filter and that it utilizes
“Miraguard Antimicrobial Technology” to keep the filter clean. From
what I could find online “Miraguard” is a silver based technology that
helps prevent the growth of bacteria, algae, fungus, mold and mildew
within the filter. Most filters I have used advertise the filter
mediums pore size (often 0.2 micron) indicating the smallest particle
that the filter will block thereby demonstrating what kinds of micro
organisms it will filter out. I can only assume from the information
provided that this is comparable to most other filters I have used that
will filter out most bacteria and parasites but not viruses. The
filter is listed as being good for filtering up to 100 gal (379 L) of
water. Replacement filters can be ordered from the manufacturer. The
website FAQ states that the way to know the filter is no longer working
is that it will be more difficult to drink through and the water may
taste different.
Something not mentioned is if the filter
can withstand being frozen. Most filters I have used specifically warn
against freezing as the expansion of water when it freezes will damage
the filter media. Utilizing the “contact us” link on the manufacturers
web site (not identifying myself as a tester) I submitted a question
regarding how the bottle and filters ability to withstand freezing
temperatures. I received a reply within a few hours stating that the
bottle is “resistant to extreme temperatures” but that the filter
should not be subjected to temperatures below freezing.
Eco
Vessel offers a lifetime warranty against defects, and container
accessories such as tops and spouts, and although not specifically
mentioned I presume the filter fits under this category, have a 1 year
warranty. As usual, normal wear and tear is not covered. A return
authorization form is available on their web site and requests a photo
of the damaged product be submitted. They also have a 30 day return
policy if the product is new and unused.
Something not mentioned
is that since this bottle is intended to be used with and without the
filter it would be a good idea to thoroughly clean the
bottle after it has been used for questionable water sources before
using it without the filter.
First
use: Upon receiving the bottle I did a quick inspection looking at all
the features and examining it for any signs of flaws or defects.
Finding no problems I tried swapping out the filter with the included
straw. The filter was easy to remove and the replacement straw was easy
to install and attaches firmly making it unlikely that it will come off
accidently. I rinsed out the bottle and lid, but intentionally did not
rinse the filter, and filled the bottle with tap water (my tap water
smells of chlorine). Having experience with carbon filters I spit the
first mouthful into a glass (see photo). As expected it was black with
carbon dust, nasty to look at, but not harmful. Rinsing the filter
before first use should prevent this. After a few sips the water was
clear and I could detect no chlorine taste/smell. As expected, drinking
from the bottle with the filter in place required more suction then
drinking directly from a straw. The suction required did not seem
excessive but it will take using it on the trail to before I can tell
if this is will be a problem or not. When I tried it using the straw in
place of the filter it required minimal suction and the flow rate was
as good if not better than my hydration packs. The drinking spout is
firm but soft and quite comfortable in my mouth. I like the straw top
for the ability to drink while on the go without spilling, but often
avoid bottles with drinking spouts as they tend to get dirty on the
trail and sometimes need to be cleaned before drinking from them. Since
this straw folds away into the lid, it is probably a bit less likely to
get dirty then some other designs I have seen, but my experience is
that silicone picks up dirt readily and is not easily wiped clean.
I
wanted to get an idea as to how well the lid/spout seals and if it is
likely to leak with changes of air pressure or temperature. I put
carbonated water in the bottle, closed lid, turned it upside down and
gave it a good shake. No leaks. As a bonus, when I opened the spout,
expecting a fountain of water, the vent hole allowed the pressure to
escape. Nice!
I did a bit of research online into the Tritan
material that the bottle is made of, and it seems that it is supposed
to be a very strong plastic. From initial appearances this seems to be
likely, so I could not help myself but to smack it on the edge of my
desk a few times while half full of water (standard disclaimer: “Don’t
try this at home”) not hard, but hard enough to get an idea of how
durable it might be. The result? It seems pretty tough.
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Field
Report
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July 10 2012
Usage - 2 day (one night) backpacking trip Umtanum Creek Central Washington State-
- 2 Day hikes Umtanum ridge
- 2 day (one night) backpacking trip William O Douglas trail
Soon
after completing the Initial Report I started thinking about using this
as my only method of filtering water while on overnight trips. For me
to make the weight of the filter worthwhile there would need to be a
trade off, and the most logical would be to not carry another water
purification system (e.g. filter or UV purifier). The problem with that
is; what if I need to carry more water than the bottle will hold. I
quickly realized that I could carry unfiltered water in other
containers and transfer it to the Aqua Vessel for use. I did this using
a second 1L water bottle to hold unfiltered water and it worked very
well with one exception. When hiking with my daughter this forced us to
drink from the same container so for me the filter is only really
practical for trips where I will not be sharing gear/water with others. The
extra suction needed for the filter has been less of a problem than I
thought. Not having to mess with a filter or UV purifier is well worth
it. And the soft mouth piece has been very comfortable and does not
seem to get as dirty as I expected it to. The loop has come in handy both for carrying the bottle as well as clipping it to my pack with a carabineer. During
my hike of the new William O Douglas trail I was faced with a 26 mile
(42 km) hike from the start of the trail to where I was going to
camp. Hydration for this would be important and I wanted to use
an electrolyte drink mix but realized this would probably not be a good
idea when using the filter, so for this trip it was water only.
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Long
Term Report
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September 11 2011
Usage - Evening hike up Ahtanum ridge (Yakima Wa) to see the full moon rise and fireworks put on by the local baseball team
- Two day climb of Mt Adams
- Daily use (home, office, car, etc)
Well
I have come to the end of another gear test for a product that is bound
to be part of my gear for a while. For the length of this test series I used the Eco Vessel on a total of 3 overnight backpacking trips and 3 day hikes. The
final phase of the test
held one surprise for me. While climbing Mt Adams my expectation was
that if ever I was going to have difficulty with keeping the mouthpiece
clean this would be it due to the dust, dirt and sand this trip
entails. As luck would have it while setting up camp I managed to drop
the bottle in the dusty sand. I picked it up fully expecting the
silicone mouth piece to be filthy and difficult to clean but I was
wrong. What little dust stuck to it was easy to remove. But there was
an unexpected issue; there was grit between the mouthpiece and the lid
so that when I attempted to open it to take a drink I could feel the
grit grinding between the moving parts. I could find no way to
dissemble it so I just had to work the mouthpiece open and closed
enough to work most of the grit out wondering if this was going to
damage the seal and cause it to start sucking in air when I drink. It
took most of the rest of the following day before I was able to
completely work/rinse the last of the grit out and I could clearly see
the scratches that the grit had caused (see photo). But to my surprise
the bottle seems no worse off. As far as I can tell the seal is just as
good as ever! The rest of the bottle is also showing some signs of use.
There are some scratches and scrapes on the sides and bottom of the
bottle from being dropped on various surfaces. The lid has a few
scratches from hanging from a carabineer, and one kind of deep scratch
from being dropped on some rocks but all of these are superficial and I
believe the product has shown to be quite durable. The filter has
been a nice feature. For trips like Mt Adams, I have started out using
the bottle without the filter and then simply replaced the long straw
with the short straw and filter when refilling the bottle from a
stream. This is not only convenient but also a real weight/time/effort
saving vs. carrying my pump filter. As for ongoing use after this
test is complete I can say I fully expect to continue to use this
bottle. I already use it without the filter at home, work, and in my
vehicle and it easily replace any of my other water bottles (of similar
size) for day hikes. For longer trips, bringing along the filter will
allow me to save a bit of weight by not bringing along my pump filter,
unless I intend to filter water for multiple people.
Likes:
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Multifunctional (filter & store water)
- Does not require assembly/disassembly to filter water
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Dislikes:
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This concludes
my report.
I would like to thank the folks at Eco Vessel
and BackpackGearTest.org
for the opportunity to test this product.
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