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Reviews > Water Treatment > Filters > Clear2o Personal Water Filter > Test Report by Jamie DeBenedetto
Product Information Back to contents
Product Description Back to contents
Arrival Condition and Informational Material Back to contents Upon preliminary inspection and at-home trial the kit I received appears to be in good working order. I assembled the filter so that both stages were connected in the proper order and then screwed on the water bottle, which was filled with tap water. I then ran the full liter through the filter (which is recommended prior to use). As noted in the instructions a small amount of carbon dust came out mixed with the water in the first few squeezes, the water was perfectly clear after that. All the seals on the bottle held up to filling and pressing the water through the filter. No water exited from the filter itself in any unexpected locations. The literature I received
was only in English. In addition to a nifty diagram of the Stage 1 filter,
the package material and enclosed informational pamphlet contained details
regarding warranty, care and clean and what to do before using the filter
the first time. There are also a few warnings and cautions listed as obviously
this product could result in harm to the user if it's not correctly used.
In reading the warranty information I did find two somewhat puzzling statements. First, the product has a 90 day warranty which is applicable only in the USA and Canada and only when the product is "strictly used in accordance with the instructions to filter municipally treated/private well, potable tap water." I could be wrong but it sounds like the warranty is void if I use the filter in a wilderness setting, ie. lakes, streams, rivers, springs, etc. This of course seems absurd and counter to the entire purpose of the filter. Second, near the bottom of the warranty information in bold letters is the most perplexing statement of all: "Do not use this product with water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality." Again, I could be misunderstanding their meaning but it sounds like they are telling the user NOT to use their product for its intended function. Huh?? I'm assuming this is one of those "cover your butt" for legal reasons statements. I can tell you though, as a consumer that statement causes me to lose any confidence I might have had in this product. My trust factor was already low due to China being the country of origin, a country known for unreliable quality control, but now I'm going into this test with the assumption that I could get sick if I use this filter on anything other than water that is already safe to drink. I'm left wondering, what's the point of the filter? Expectations and First Impressions Back to contents A full color brochure of the Clear2o line of filtration products arrived with the filter. Having never heard of this company I was impressed to see how many other filtration items they produce. Given that and reading that they have been around since 2008 my first impressions where good. After reading more, my expectations are now a little mixed. On the one hand, previous experience with this style of filter has been mostly positive giving me no reason to think Clear2o's version would be any different. On the other hand, I do have concerns for the effectiveness of the device given the above mentioned statements within the product literature. With an item such as this, trust is essential. I can only say I go into the test with some trepidation. I guess we'll see how it goes over the next few months of testing. As of right now I plan to use the filter on a close to home day hike first to see if I have any ill effects. After that, if all goes well, I will move forward with using it in less controlled field settings.
Field Tests November 2020 through February 2021 As of this writing I've used the Clear2o Personal Water Filter on four day hikes and one 3 day camping outing. Nov 2020 - Three days
of car camping at Usery Mountain Regional Park located east of Mesa, Arizona.
Elevation around 2000 ft (610 m). This park sits at the edge of the Salt River
valley and the Tonto National forest offering an abundance of choices for
outdoor lovers wanting to get into the Sonoran Desert without getting too
far from civilization. Terrain is a mix of low and high desert, riparian corridors
along the river and rugged mountain chains extending between Pass Mountain
inside the park and the more remote Goldfields and Superstition Wilderness
to the east. I was looking for a safe way to test the filter before getting myself out into the backcountry and having to rely on it. This trip fit the bill as it's an organized campground with potable water sources. The water available in the park is municipal tap water, not unlike the stuff that comes out of my tap at home, and in like fashion it tastes pretty unappealing. Tap water around these parts is hard and has kind of a funky mineral flavor resulting from algae and mineral build up in our transportation canals. We usually bring filtered water for drinking when camping and use the park water for washing and such. Beyond the taste, it's totally safe so I decided this was a good opportunity to test the efficacy of the Clear2o Stage 2 carbon filter. Anytime I drank water on this trip I drank it through the filter screwed onto a bottle. Obviously the Stage 1 filter was irrelevant for this test but the Stage 2 filter performed fabulously. The "tap" water tasted clean and fresh without even a hint of canal gunk. Jan & Feb 2021 - On three different occasions I took day-hikes varying in length from 1 to 4 miles (1.5 to 6.5 k) on the Morgan City Wash Trail near Lake Pleasant Regional Park in Peoria, AZ. Elevation for this area is around 1,500 ft (460 m). This trail is a combination of Sonoran Desert and spring fed riparian arroyo. The water in this wash is seasonal but generally runs pretty clear unless we've just had a rain. A host of critters including javalina, wild burros, and many winter visitor bird species use this creek and the nearby lake as their only source of water for miles. (The picture on the right is from my first visit to this creek.) On the first two hikes I drank straight from the creek using the filter like a straw. These were both shorter hikes and I was staying by the water course nearly the entire time. Other than age related difficulties in my attempts to kneel down to water level I didn't have any problems getting clean tasting water. As I did not get sick, I'm going to assume the Stage 1 section did its job of straining out all the little micro-nasties. Feb 2021 - On the fourth day-hike I traveled a bit farther north to the Black Canyon National Scenic Trail which crosses the Agua Fria River a few times. The nearest town to this section of the trail is Black Canyon City, AZ, elevation 2,100 ft (640 m). This area is another mostly desert trail which drops down into a deciduous ribbon tracing the canyon bottom. Water here is fairly reliable and supports quite a lot of cattle from nearby ranches. It's definitely the type of stuff that must be treated prior to use. I took this opportunity to test the collapsible bottle in tandem with the filter. Since the filter screws onto the end of this bottle, I'm going with the assumption the manufacturer intends for this bottle to carry dirty water which can then be safely drunk after filtration. I ran into a snag with this theory. The small mouth opening of the bottle presents two problems: pre-filtering and complete filling.
Pleasing Aspects… Although I had trepidation due to the wonky manufacturer warnings I have yet to get sick from drinking which is a good sign. I can't say for certain that the Stage 1 part of the filter is the reason, there's always a possibility I'm just getting lucky. What I can say for certain is the Stage 2 part does work perfectly. The carbon is without a doubt taking care of otherwise smelly and ill tasting water. Using the filter has been easy as well. Reminder arrows printed on the filter body are very helpful as is the different color rim of the carbon section. I just remember blue section touches my lips and I'm good to go. The 1 liter collapsible bag is the only part of the filter not living up to my expectations so far. It hasn't sprung any leaks yet but it just doesn't fill up well.
Collective Use and Field Conditions Back to contents In addition to the previous 4 day hikes and 3 days of camping, I added a two day backpacking trip and one more day hike to my total field time with the Clear2o Personal Water Filter. The overnight backpacking outing took place on the Picketpost Loop trail within the Tonto National Forest near Superior, Arizona. Elevation at camp was 2,700 ft (820 m). Weather was brisk for the desert. We had our usual pre-Easter cold front roll in dropping snow on the nearby mountain tops and rain on us several times throughout the day and into the evening. I woke up to ice accumulation on my tarp so I know the overnight low was at least freezing for a short time. Our track took us through a mix of Sonoran Desert vegetation on the south and western side of the mountain and desert mixed with Arizona riparian in the two access canyons we used on the north and east sides to complete our loop. Water was found trickling along a 4 mile (6 km) stretch within those canyons. The last day hike was
in Spur Cross Conservation Area north of Cave Creek, AZ to visit the creek
that runs through the preserve one last time before it withdraws underground
to await monsoon rains. Elevation in this Sonoran Desert area is about 2,400
ft (730 m). The daytime temperature for the 4 hours I spent wandering around
was in the mid-80's F (29 C). Final Thoughts Back to contents Let me start by commenting on the significant stuff first. Did I strictly use the filter in accordance with the instructions to "filter municipally treated/private well, potable tap water" only? No. Did I totally disregard the manufacturer's statement to "not use this product with water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality"? You betcha! Did I get sick? No. While I did not seek out the worst water Arizona has to offer, I did try to visit a variety of locations, 5 different sources in all, to examine both stages of the filter. In my opinion the only real question that needs to be answered when evaluating a water filter is, "Does it work?" To that end, I feel confident to say yes, both the hollow fiber membrane stage and the carbon stage did their job. Now let's dive a little deeper. The Clear2o filter, like any other piece of gear has its pros and cons. At only 4.5 oz (125 g) I think size was certainly a feather in its cap although it's not the most compact on the market. I suppose the gram-weenies among us could always ditch the carbon stage making the filter an even smaller package. This gives the Clear2o user more than one way to use it. Conversely, I personally felt it was too bulky for inline hanging from my pack. While it worked great in this capacity around camp (more on that below) its overall length made it stick out obtusely from my shoulder strap. And because I couldn't secure the tube with the normal shoulder strap clip, the filter caused the hose to swing distractingly as I walked. As I said, it is of course shorter without the carbon section but I didn't want to use it without that.
Although the filter has threads allowing a bottle to be screwed onto each end, other than when cleaning the filter, I only found it useful to use the lime green side or "in-going" so the dirty water could be squeezed through the filter. As previously mentioned, the included one liter collapsible bottle did work in this capacity. Unfortunately, in addition to shortcomings with filling it I also found it too small for my type of hiking. A larger Platypus reservoir fit my needs more completely; sadly the threads didn't match up. Even though the Platy has a smallmouth opening, water just leaked out the sides and down into the clean water container as soon as I turned it upside-down. I don't generally carry smallmouth single use plastic bottles but I thought it would be a good idea to test a few to see if those threads would match up. Of the two brands I tried, Nestle and Dasani, only the Dasani threaded properly to allow water to push through the filter. The Nestle bottle had the same failure as the Platy bottle. The color coded cap covers are an absolute necessity because water wants to leak out of the filter for a bit after the main filtering is finished. They tend to say on tightly even when loosely stored in my pack. My only nit with this feature is the retaining ring on each cover. The squishy plastic material Clear2o used stretches a bit too much allowing the retaining ring to pop off each time I pull up to open the cap. Certainly not a catastrophic problem, but annoying nonetheless. Lastly, on the positive front, cleaning the filter was a snap. It would have been even easier had I not already used the included collapsible bottle for dirty water in the field. Disinfecting that container first so it could be used to back flush the filter added a step. I had to use that bottle specifically because of the compatible threading issue. Pros in Short Cons in Short Thank you for reading my report; I hope my experiences have been helpful. My thanks goes out to Clear2o and BackpackGearTest.org for making this test series possible. -Jamie J. DeBenedetto
- 2021
Read more reviews of Clear2o gear Read more gear reviews by Jamie DeBenedetto Reviews > Water Treatment > Filters > Clear2o Personal Water Filter > Test Report by Jamie DeBenedetto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The
Clear2o Personal Water Filter is a three piece kit consisting of a two stage
filter and a 1 liter collapsible, small mouth water bottle (slightly smaller
than 1 inch/2.4 cm opening). The bottle comes with a small carabineer and
an easy squirt cap. The larger lime green part of the dual filter, Stage1,
is the 0.1 micron hollow fiber primary filter. This component has threaded
male sections at both ends and a see-thru slot on the side allowing the user
to check the condition of the hollow fibers. Arrows indicating the correct
direction for water flow depending on whether the user is filtering or back
flushing are clearly displayed on the Stage 1 housing. The "in"
port also has a silicone cap. The smaller blue secondary filter, Stage 2,
contains activated carbon. This piece does not stand alone but rather is designed
to be screwed on to the "out" side of the Stage 1 filter. It has
one threaded male end, not sure why, and one threaded female end so it can
attach to the corresponding "out" port on the Stage 1 filter. The
accompanying product literature lists "discoloration, bad taste and odors"
as the primary function of the activated carbon section. Together the manufacturer
claims the filter is good to remove 99.9% of bacteria and microplastics from
"any fresh water source". They also list "camping, hiking,
hunting, travel, and emergency kits" as ideal uses for the filter. 
I
own a comparable style filter so the assembly process wasn't difficult to
figure out from a quick look at the components. This type of filter can usually
be used five different ways: In tandem with a water bottle filled with dirty
water which is then squeezed through the filter directly into the users mouth,
or same set-up but the dirty water is squeezed through the filter into another
container, or as an in-line filter either directly from reservoir to mouth
or more passively from one dirty reservoir into a clean one or other container,
and lastly, directly from a water source into the users mouth. The manufacturer
only specifically lists the last option on their informational material and
sort of implies the first two options since they include the 1liter bottle
with the kit. In addition to using a similar filter in the past, I work at
an outdoor retailer so I'm very familiar with all the ways a person could
employ this type of filter in the field, however, in my experience this understanding
is not common knowledge for a majority of folks to whom I've spoken. Given
that, I think it would be beneficial for Clear2o to illustrate the full complement
of options to potential buyers. 
Pre-filtering
with my bandana was possible, albeit tedious, unfortunately it also exacerbated
my inability to fill the bottle more than halfway. (The picture on the left
shows the water line just above the mountains). The area of the creek I was
using was slow moving. I think it might have been possible to get a bit closer
to full had I found a little drop-off or faster moving section. The problem
seems to be that the collapsible style bottle needs more water pressure to
fully fill and I just didn't have access to that. I know some folks carry
a little scooper to help fill bottles from weak sources, maybe I'll try that
next time to see if it helps. 
Being
able to use it several different ways was nice. Outside of doing so for testing
purposes I doubt I will ever again use it to drink directly from the source
as this is often difficult for me physically and is largely impractical in
a desert environment, however, having the option is nice. I found the easiest
way to utilize the filter for my needs was inline as part of a gravity fed
system from a collapsible bladder to another container. The picture on the
right shows this method in use on our backpacking trip. The flow was pretty
good. I timed it at just shy of four minutes for a liter to filter through.
While I don't think this method would be as desirable had I been with a larger
group trying to gather water between campsites, it worked well for our group
of four using it at a water source near camp.