My cupboard is bursting with water bottles. So, why would I want yet another one?
On assignment for Australian Geographic, I stretched out on my camp bed set up on a long stretch of windswept sand beside the Walsh River in Far North Queensland.
It was the fourth day of the Packers’ Ghost Trek and members of our seven-strong party, plus nine donkeys, were exhausted.
We’d set up camp just downstream of the derelict buildings and rusting machinery belonging to Rocky Bluffs, a once-thriving tin mining hub which was now a ghost town.
The sound of rushing water nearby was enticing, but the mining history of this rugged hinterland 75km south-west of Cairns meant many of its creeks and rivers were contaminated with heavy metals such as arsenic.
Two days earlier, we’d passed through Watsonville, the waterways of which had been described as a ‘toxic contamination zone’.
But trekking kilometres every day under a baking sun was sweaty work. Though the donkeys were carrying our gear over the 62-kilometre route, there was no room (or tolerance) for plastic water bottles.
So how to stay hydrated with no sources of running water nearby?
With no small sense of relief, I reached for my 710ml GeoPress® Purifier – Covert Edition which I’d purchased in advance of this trip.
Next to a new pair of boots and a toasty sleeping bag, it was this trip’s most essential purchase.
What is the 710ml GeoPress® Purifier – Covert Edition?
With the 710ml GeoPress® Purifier – Covert Edition is a water bottle, filtration system and purifier all in one.
On the Packers’ Ghost Trek, drinking clean water was a matter of scooping water from creeks, rivers or water tanks, forcing that water through the built-in filter, and then sipping from the bottle (or using it to refill empty lightweight plastic bottles).
No matter how dodgy the water source, Grayl’s filtration and purification system makes close to a litre of drinkable water in seconds.
It removes waterborne viruses, bacteria and protozoan cysts, including Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Giardiasis, Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Cholera, Salmonella, Dysentery and more.
It also filters particulates such as microplastics, sediment and silt; chemicals such as chlorine, benzene and chloroform; and (most importantly) heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and chromium.
Its crystal-clear water lacks the chemical aftertaste associated with water purification tablets.
How does the 710ml GeoPress® Purifier – Covert Edition actually work?
The GeoPress is comprised of three parts – an outer bottle, an inner bottle and a replaceable filter cartridge situated at the bottom of the inner bottle.
You use the outer bottle to scoop water to the fill line from any available source.
You then insert the inner bottle and press down (much in the style of a coffee press) to force the dirty water through the filter cartridge.
You then sip or pour the drinkable water from the inner bottle.
The filter cartridge lasts for around 350 cycles – or until three years have elapsed since first use.
What are the downsides of the 710ml GeoPress® Purifier – Covert Edition?
After a long day of hiking, I found pressing the most effortful part of the process. The process often took up to 30 seconds – although Grayl’s estimate is 8 seconds.
It’s recommended you place the bottle on a low surface and press down using body weight, so you’re not relying on sheer brute strength.
It’s also important to leave the SimpleVent™ Drink Cap open to vent air while pressing and purifying, and to protect against cross-contamination.
In response to feedback on earlier models, the GeoPress has ergonomic comfort pads to make pressing easier, along with a non-slip base to keep it steady on surfaces such as rocks.
The 710ml GeoPress® Purifier – Covert Edition is one of the costlier products of its kind on the market.
Some commentators have also identified that the product is bulky and heavy – which, at almost half a kilogram (450 grams) before you add water, it is.
However, I still think it’s well worth making room for the GeoPress in your pack. It earns its keep.
I did run into some difficulty because the cap isn’t attached to the either the inner or outer bottles.
As a result, towards the end of the trek, I lost the cap in a fast-flowing river, which meant I could no longer use it.
The mishap was due to my own butter fingers but perhaps this is something the makers could address in newer versions.
Having said that, next time I’ll pack two!
The wash up
My loss of the cap wasn’t the end of the story.
There was no mobile reception on the trek, so I just had to make do with what I had (water purification tablets).
Once I returned to Brisbane, I contacted the Australian-based branch of the company to see if I could purchase a replacement cap.
After hearing my tale of woe, they replaced it free of charge.
When you’ve invested a lot in a product, good support and service means a lot.
For these reasons, I can comfortably recommend it to whoever hits the road – whether that’s a dingy hostel, or a five-star hotel in any country where the water is known to cause tummy upsets. Goodbye, Bali or Delhi belly.
