General Ecology 322200 First Need XLE Elite Water Filter for Camping (Emergency Water Purification – Removes Viruses, Bacteria and Cysts)

Only portable filter that really filters
I bought my first General Ecology First Need portable water filter (“purifier” they call it, because of its higher-level filtering capability) way back around 1987, from REI (yes, about 7 years before Amazon even existed, if you can imagine such a time), bought then mainly for backpacking. And I bought my second First Need filter just now, 2020, mainly now for possible, general emergency/backup use mainly at home. As best I can see, this First Need filter was and still is clearly the best portable filter available, being the only one that is certified to filter out all pathogens including viruses. However, in acquiring this second First Need filter, I was very surprised to find out how much about all this business has changed in the intervening 30+ years – and how much has not changed.When I bought my first one of these First Need filters, it was the pre-eminent portable water filter, widely regarded and recommended as definitely the filter to get. REI and all the best stores featured it. But since then it has become almost invisible in the marketplace, Amazon being now just about the only place that sells it – and Amazon won’t even show it to you on a search for portable water filters, despite the fact that it has about the highest customer review ratings, you have to search for the exact brand name for Amazon to show it. I’m not quite sure what that is all about, but it’s apparent that General Ecology is much better at making filters than at marketing them.As I mentioned briefly above, but bears repeating, this First Need portable filter is the only one certified to filter out all pathogens including viruses. It’s very surprising that none of the competition has caught up in 30+ years. So in my mind that makes the First Need still plainly the best available: what else matters in rating filters if they don’t really filter?One of the super-attractive consequences of this First Need being the best-filtering filter is that it is easily possible, and recommended, to regularly test and verify that its filtering function is intact and working, simply by filtering some clean water with a few drops of food-color dye added: if the filter removes the dye, then the filter is still working, not broken or cracked or torn or pierced. As best I can tell, no other filter has any such easy integrity verification ability, which counts for a lot in my mind. And my First Needs have both worked perfectly, the first one for decades.I think I recall paying a bit over $30 for my first First Need (back around 1987). On that basis, I imagined that now one would cost somewhere around $60. Boy, I got that wrong! That’s a bit disappointing, that General Ecology hasn’t done a better job of keeping its price down. And there are certainly lots of opinions around that the First Need is over-priced. Also the First Need is a few ounces heavier than a lot of the competition. And a bit clunky. But what do any of those things matter, if the alternatives are filters that don’t really filter? If you’re really determined not to shoulder the extra dollars or the extra weight, you could always just use paper coffee filters to filter your water; it’s just that they, like all the other competitors, won’t really filter your water.Anyway, I’d really like to see some better, more serious competition for the General Ecology First Need. But until then, this is the only portable water filter that really filters, I don’t see how I can give it anything but 5 stars.

Only water purifier I will use in the backcountry
This is my second General Ecology First Need backpacking filter, my first was gifted to me for my 18th birthday almost 30 years ago. I’m an avid backpacker and replaced the filter cartridge annually since it is not just for personal use but also used for groups of up to 12 as I lead student trips and would not trust any other filter with student health and safety. Fills a liter in under a minute with crisp, clear water even out of swamps and mud puddles. Rinse or clear pre-filter regularly if pumping slows or becomes difficult.

The only one I trust
This is my second of this model. The first I had 15 years. On the heavy side and requires you to pump unlike the straws today. But this thing is bomb proof and really does give you peace of mind even with questionable water sources. On the heavy side but shed those extra pants and you’ll be fine

I work in a Environmental Waters Lab and test drinking water for a living. This is my filter of choice. My wife and I took this filter to many places with questionable water sources. In Mexico, Guatemala, Jordan, the Jungle of Ecuador and many other places this filter provided us with clean drinking water. We never had as much as a stomach growl. It is the first item I put in our backpack every time we go somewhere, even in North America or parts of Europe. This is one of the few filters that can filter out viruses. Sturdy, reliable product, very efficient. Only disadvantage is that there is no indication that the cartridge is no longer effective. The unit comes with a dye, though, which shows if the filter action is still effective. We have pumped hundreds if liters through the unit’s first cartridge. If in doubt, replace the cartridge. This filter is worth every cent.

Amazing pump. Have been using them for years. Will filter anything. With dirtier water or higher floating contents, the pump filter will last for a shorter period of time but generally speaking each filter is good for at least 7 days with four to six people using it all day everyday (on a back country canoe trip).