gear review 2 - epic water filters og nalgene 32 oz water filter
ALL PARTS OF THE KIT NOT ASSEMBLED
WHAT IS IS? WHERE CAN I GET IT?
IN GEAR REVIEW 2 WE WILL REVIEW THE EPIC WATER FILTERS NALGENE OG 32 OZ WATER FILTER. THIS WATER BOTTLE COMES WITH TWO REPLACEABLE FILTERS: ONE FOR EVERYDAY USE WITH TAP WATER AND AN EVERYWHERE FILTER FOR OUTDOOR USES AND FOR EMERGENCIES.
THE OG 32 OZ WATER FILTER RETAILS FOR $60.00 AND HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY. PLEASE NOTE THE FILTERS ARE NOT CONSIDERED APART OF THE LIFETIME WARRANTY AND WILL NEED REPLACING EVERY 3-4 MONTHS.
WHAT WILL THIS REVIEW DISCUSS?
PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW WILL COVER THE EVERYDAY TAP WATER FILTER WITH 2 MONTHS OF USE. THE AMOUNT OF WATER DRANK THROUGH THE FILTERS IS APPROXIMATELY 100-150 OUNCES PER DAY.
HOW IS THE GEAR SCORED?
ALL FUEL BY FRANK GEAR REVIEWS ARE RATED ON A SCALE FROM 0-100.
assembly - STEP 1
WATER FILTER AND WATER FILTER HOUSING ASSEMBLY
ASSEMBLY - STEP 1
TAKE THE BLUE TAP FILTER AND USE MODERATE PRESSURE TO CONNECT THE TOP OF THE FILTER WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE WHITE FILTER HOUSING. PLACE THE NEWLY CONNECTED TOP AND FILTER INSIDE THE FILTER HOUSING AND TWIST CLOSE
COMMENTS
THE “MADE IN USA” AND OPENINGS ALLOW WATER TO FLOW THROUGH THE FILTER.
ASSEMBLY - STEP 2
STRAW AND FILTER HOUSING ASSEMBLY
ASSEMBLY - STEP 2
SIMPLY CONNECT THE STRAW TO THE SEALED WHITE FILTER HOUSING.
COMMENTS
PUSH THE STRAW ALL THE WAY WITH MODERATE PRESSURE.
ASSEMBLY - STEP 3
LID, STRAW, AND FILTER ASSEMBLY
ASSEMBLY - STEP 3
PUSH THE STRAW AND WATER FILTER ASSEMBLY INTO THE BLACK LID.
COMMENTS
PUSH THE STRAW ALL THE WAY WITH MODERATE PRESSURE.
ASSEMBLY - STEP 4
FILLING THE 32 OZ NALGENE BOTTLE
ASSEMBLY - STEP 4
FILL THE 32 OZ NALGENE WATER BOTTLE WITH TAP WATER UP TO THE NECK SECTION.
COMMENTS
DUE TO THE BUOYANCY OF THE ASSEMBLED SECTION, THE WATER WILL BE DISPLACED. DO NOT FILL PAST THE BEGINNING OF THE NECK SECTION.
ASSEMBLY - STEP 5
LID AND FINAL ASSEMBLY WITH 32 OZ WATER
ASSEMBLY - STEP 5
SCREW THE ASSEMBLED WATER FILTER, STRAW, AND LID ON THE NALGENE BOTTLE.
COMMENTS
THE SUCTION REQUIRED TO GET THE WATER OUT TAKES MORE PRESSURE THAN OTHER PRODUCTS. THIS IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE DENSE WATER FILTER THAT ELIMINATES MORE CONTAMINANTS. THE DENSER THE FILTER, THE HARDER IT WILL BE TO GET THE WATER OUT.
GEAR REVIEW DISCUSSION
ONE OF THE WORST PARTS OF TRAVELING FOR SPORTING EVENTS AND RACES IS HAVING TO DEAL WITH FINDING CONVENIENT FILTERED WATER TO MAINTAIN HYDRATION AND FITNESS LEADING UP TO AN EVENT. DEALING WITH LUGGING TONS OF WATER FROM GROCERY STORES AND SMALL CONVENIENT STORES TO YOUR HOTEL IS A MASSIVE CHORE THAT YOU MAY NOT THINK ABOUT. NOT ONLY FOR SPORTING EVENTS BUT FOR TRIPS TO THE GYM WHERE THEY DO NOT CHANGE THE WATER FOUNTAIN FILTER, TRAVELING ON ROAD TRIPS WHERE YOU CAN SAVE MONEY ON BOTTLE WATER, AND ALSO FOR EXAMPLE TAKING TO WORK WHERE BOTTLED WATER PROVIDED MAY HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT IN THE SUN LEAKING MICROPLASTICS INTO THE BOTTLE.
SEE THE WATER REPORT BELOW. THE EVERY TAP WATER BOTTLE FILTER DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB IN FILTERING MANY CONTAMINANTS INCLUDING FLOURIDE AND FOREVER CHEMICALS PFAS.
AS FAR AS THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION, THE BOTTLE AND COMPONENTS ARE EXTREMELY WELL MADE.
THE INITIAL COST OF THE UNIT DOES SEEM HIGH, BUT WITH THE RISING COST OF BOTTLED WATER, THE UNIT DOES PAY FOR ITSELF AFTER ABOUT 3-4 WEEKS OF USE. HAVING THE FILTER ON A RECENT TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY AND BEING ABLE TO JUST FILL THE BOTTLE IN THE SINK AND HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE ROOM REALLY HELPED WITH BEING HYDRATED FOR THE NEW YORK MARATHON. BRINGING THE FILTER TOOK STRESS OUT OF DRINKING TAP WATER THAT MIGHT THROW OFF MY SYSTEM. THIS UNIT REALLY DOES SHINE WHEN KEPT STATIONERY WITHOUT TOO MUCH TRANSPORTING FROM PLACE TO PLACE. BELOW WE WILL DISCUSS WHY.
WITH ALL THE BENEFITS OF THE FILTER, SOME DRAWBACKS WERE FOUND. WHEN DRIVING THE 32 OZ BOTTLE IS TOO BIG FOR STANDARD CUP HOLDERS AND I HAD TO PURCHASE AN ADAPTER. SOME MAY JUST PUT IT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, BUT I DO NOT LIKE ANYTHING MOVING AROUND WHEN I DRIVE SO THIS WAS NOT A SOLUTION FOR ME. WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH THE AIRPORT WITH A BACKPACK, THE 32 OZ BOTTLE IS ALSO TOO LARGE FOR STANDARD SIDE POCKETS. THE BOTTLE LID DOES COME WITH AN EYE CONNECTION POINT, BUT A CARABINER CLIP WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS KIT (THEY SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED A CARABINER). A CARABINER COULD EASILY BE ATTACHED TO THE TOP HANDLE OF A BACKPACK FOR TRAVEL, HIKING, ETC.
YOU WILL NEED SOME SERIOUS SUCTION POWER TO GET THE WATER OUT, BUT AT LEAST YOU KNOW YOU ARE GETTING SUPER FILTERED WATER. THIS WAS NOT UNBEARABLY DIFFICULT BUT STILL A NOTICEABLE ASPECT OF THE SYSTEM.
AS SHOWN BELOW, ONCE THE BOTTLE IS NEARING EMPTY, A SMALL 1-3 OZ SECTION IS NOT ABLE TO GET OUT BECAUSE THE STRAW IS NOT LONG ENOUGH. EPIC WATER FILTERS NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS AS A SIMPLE FIX OF ROUGHLY A 3/16 INCH TO 1/4 INCH LONGER STRAW.
1-3 OZ WATER BELOW THE ASSEMBLED FILTER ISSUE
GEAR REVIEW VERDICT
82 / 100
BY FAR THE BEST SOLUTION I HAVE FOUND TO GET FILTERED WATER WHEN TRAVELING WITHOUT SPENDING TONS OF MONEY ON BOTTLED WATER. NOT ONLY ARE YOU GETTING HIGH QUALITY WATER, YOU ARE CUTTING DOWN ON SINGLE USE PLASTICS. THE NALGENE BOTTLE IS WELL MADE AND COMES WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY MAKING THIS A LONGTERM SOLUTION. THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY PROCESS TOOK LESS THAN A MINUTE, AND CLEANING OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS IS VERY SIMPLE.
HAVING THE FILTER WHEN GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE DOES PUT MY MIND AT EASE BY NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING HIGH QUALITY WATER ESPECIALLY BEFORE AN EVENT. WITH THE WATER TEST RESULTS FROM SEVERAL OTHER MAINSTREAM WATER BRANDS NEGLECTING IMPORTANT FILTERING AND CONTAMINANT REMOVAL, I CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THE FILTER WILL DO ITS JOB BASED ON THEIR WATER REPORT AND MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TAKING IT ON TRIPS.
THE SIZE IS RIGHT ON THE BORDERLINE OF BEING INCONVENIENTLY TOO BIG WHEN TRAVELING, BUT ONCE YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE GOING, IT IS WONDERFUL TO HAVE IN A HOTEL ROOM. THE SUCTION REQUIRED IS A LITTLE TOO MUCH BUT THIS IS A TRADE OFF OF GETTING A CLEANER FINISH COMPARED TO A HIGH FLOW FILTER THAT LETS TOO MUCH PASS THROUGH. ALSO, THE 1-3 OZ THAT CAN NOT BE REACHED BY THE FILTER IS A DRAW BACK BUT IS AN EASY FIX FOR EPIC WATER FILTERS ON FUTURE ITERATIONS.
I USE THE EPIC WATER FILTER NALGENE BOTTLE EVERYDAY AND PLAN ON REPLACING THE FILTER IN ABOUT 2 MONTHS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT TO ANYONE LOOKING FOR A WATER FILTER SOLUTION FOR EVERYDAY USE AND A RELIABLE WAY TO STAY HYDRATED WHEN TRAVELING.
