Your water filter pump is good for 300 – 500 gallons. Geez, think you will ever get that far?? If you take care of it, it will last a lonnnng time. Most good filter pumps today are designed to protect you against Giardia and Crytosporidium. These are the 2 most prevalent buggers in Yosemite and most USA waters. Viruses are stopped only by water “purifiers” (like the First Need brand) or UV light (like the Steripen). But viruses are rare in the United States – like polio. So most manufacturers don’t bother with the rigorous EPA testing and documentation required. When I return home from a Yosemite trip I clean my filter per the manufacturer’s instructions. I get a plastic milk carton, cut a hole big enough for my intake to fit in and fill it with tap water. Then I put a tablespoon of bleach in (Clorox) and stir. I put the intake into the jug and the outlet above the water line, so I can pump the dilute solution in a circuit for about 10 minutes. The bleach will kill any hitchhiking critters you brought back. Then I lay it aside and run the water thru my bladder bag and open it up to air out. I take apart my filter and let it all air dry for a day or 2. My filter has an activated charcoal container (for taste) so I open that up and let the granules dry out. If the mesh filter needs attention I softly brush it clean with a gentle toothbrush. Assemble it all back and I’m ready to go.
*Carpe Diem Experience– Rick Deutsch–www.HikeHalfDome.com*