Component Description:
Water Bag (unfiltered water reservoir): The water bag is a disc of what appears to be coated ripstop nylon 24 in (610 mm) in diameter. There are 16 metal (appears to be stainless steel) grommets equidistantly spaced around the circumference of the disc. A pucker string is laced though the grommets and two plastic tubing handles 180 degrees apart. When the water bag disc is lifted by the handles, the picker strings gather the disc into a sack.

Prefilter: The prefilter is a plastic perforated strainer with an overall length of approximately 3 1/2 in (89 mm). The bottom is a male tubing connector, which protrudes through the bottom (to the outside) of the water bag. The strainer end (the part inside the bag) is about 1 3/4 in (44 mm) tall. The bottom row of open holes in the strainer is about 5/8 in (16 mm) above the bottom of the bag creating a sediment trap.

Stop Valve: The stop valve is a plastic stopcock with tubing fittings molded into both the inlet and outlet. When the handle of the stopcock is perpendicular to the tubing, the valve is off. When the handle is parallel to the tubing, the valve is open.

Tubing: There are three pieces of tubing. The first is a short piece of what appears to be 1/4 in (6 mm) I.D. silicon surgical tubing about 2 1/8 in (54 mm) long between the bag and the stop valve. The second piece of tubing appears to be 1/4 in (6 mm) I.D. silicon surgical tubing about 40 in (1 m) long between the stop valve and the WaterWise in-line filter inlet. The third piece of tubing is clear (Tygon type) 1/4 in (6 mm) I.D. tubing about 2 1/2 in (64 mm) long, which is attached to the WaterWise in line filter outlet and is inserted into the drinking water container.

WaterWise Inline Filter: The WaterWise inline filter is a 2-micron pore size, activated coconut carbon core filter cartridge. According to ULA, the media within the filter deters the growth of bacteria, prolonging filter life. The filter removes microscopic pathogens, toxic chemicals and dissolved solids while also improving taste and appearance of water. The inlet and outlet of the filter are clearly marked, and are 1/4 in (6 mm) male tubing nipples. The WaterWise inline filter can also be installed into the drinking tube of most hydration bladders such as Camelback, Platypus, and MSR Dromedary Bags.

Flushing Bulb: The flushing bulb is a rubber funnel shaped gadget that is used to back-flush the WaterWise inline filter. The small end of the flushing bulb is slid over the filters outlet nipple, and the large end of the flushing bulb is slid onto a water faucet as far as possible. Next the cold water is turned on slowly using medium pressure. The water running slowly backwards through the filter cleans the filter. New filters need to be back-flushed for about a minute prior to use. Assuming these filters are constructed like most filters, I would assume that the inlet water first flows through the carbon element and then through the 2-micron filter. If this is so, the reason one should back-flush a new filter before use is to remove carbon fines (tiny loose particles of carbon). If these fines are not washed out the inlet, they will be filtered out by the 2-micron filter, shortening the life of the filter element. It has been my experience with this type of filter, that back-flushing after field use before storage and prior to use after extended dry storage will extend filter life.

I arrived at home July 26, 2004 from a couple days of backpacking locally to find a package on my front porch. As soon as I got my gear taken care of, I opened the package, which contained the ULA H2O Amigo gravity filter and two sheets of paper (one a shipping invoice, the other an instruction sheet for the H2O Amigo). I inspected the H2O Amigo and found no damage from shipping. The sewn seams are straight and there are no snags, broken, or frayed threads. 

In my opinion the instructions are straightforward and easy to read. There are two minor issues concerning the instructions. The first is probably a typo and shouldn't really cause anyone any problem. The first recommendation in the "Care and Maintenance" section, recommends back-flushing after extended use in order to extend filter life. The instruction states that one should "repeat steps 1-7 as described in Filter Pre-Use". There are only six steps (1-6) in the H2O Amigo Pre-Use instruction section. 

The second is an omission (or I can't find the instruction). The following is a quote from the web site,