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First Need XL Water Purifier

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Product Description,
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Reviews

The First Need XL water purifier delivers convenient chemical-free water purification for outdoor adventures and international travel.

Structured Matrix 3-stage purification technology provides natural and ecological removal of contaminants down to 0.1 micron nominal (0.4 absolute)
Purifier is certified to EPA Guide Standard for microbiological purifiers against bacteria, cysts and viruses; removes giardia and cryptosporidia
Also removes dirt, unpleasant tastes and chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides
Easy-grip, ergonomic handle provides comfortable pumping; double-action pump is field serviceable
Use the included gravity feed kit for hands-free purification without pumping
Fast flow rate of 1.89 liters per min. lets you enjoy clean, great-tasting water in no time at all
XL purifier's large capacity lets you purify up to 150 gal. before needing to replace the canister
Direct Connect attaches unit snugly to many wide-mouth and narrow-mouth water bottles and hydration systems, sold separately
Attach the drink tube on your Camelbak® hydration reservoir directly to canister so you can refill without removing the reservoir from your bag
Additional adapters (sold separately) allow attachment to directly to select Platypus, Sigg and Nalgene water bottles and reservoirs, sold separately
Included prefilter removes larger contaminants before they reach the purifier; adjustable float lets you position the prefilter exactly where you want it
36 in. long inlet hose provides consistent flow and won't kink
Excellent impact resistance withstands use in the wilderness and during international travel
First Need XL water purifer includes a lightweight storage bag
16 oz. weight includes filter canister (does not include storage bag)

Made in USA.

Item 767831

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First Need XL Water Purifier Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

First Need XL Water Purifier

4.2

(based on 76 reviews)

88%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Good filtration (62)
Easy to pump (58)
Maintenance (41)
Easy to clean (40)
Lightweight (17)

Cons

Heavy / bulky (35)
Hard to clean (8)
Hard to pump (5)
Poor filtration (3)

Best Uses

Backpacking (64)
Hiking (42)
Car camping (31)
Day trip (31)
Travel (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (52), Casual/ recreational (16), Casual adventurer (5)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (31)

Reviewed by 76 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Nov

2012

5.0

This purifier is great

By xjohn

from Indiana

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to clean
Easy to pump
Good filtration

Cons

Bulky

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping
Day trip
Hiking

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

I use this on my backpacking and day hikes. The pumping is easy and the water flow is fast. Water flows on both the up and down strokes.

I tried a few others (the joys of shopping at REI) and talked with my backpacking friends about theirs. Once you really start getting into the reviews I found that this purifier was the only one that consistently had 4 and 5 stars.

It's durable and holds up well. It's a little bulky but when it comes to water I am a devout coward and will suffer a little bulk and a couple of oz.

I have already recommended to a friend who's filter was in need of repair.

Comment on this review

Oct

2012

4.0

Best water filter available.

By ADK Christopher

from New York

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to clean
Easy to pump
Good filtration
Low maintenance

Cons

Bulky

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping
Hiking

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

I've used a number of different water purification products to include MSR Miniworks, UV pens and chlorine pills. I don't mind the Miniworks, but it takes a good amount of effort to pump and it doesn't yield a high volume of filtered water. UV pens are quick and light, but you have to be very careful not to allow contaminated water to touch the lip of your water bottle, the water tastes as bad as its source and you have to carry batteries. Chlorine pills take 4 hours to work (you need to plan ahead on your water needs and I don't know about you, but my water needs change within an hour not four hours) and I'm not a big fan of drinking endless amounts of chemicals.
The First Need water filter is a GREAT product. It filters water easily, isn't too heavy (make sure you pump out left over water before packing it up) and has a very high filter rate. You can research the filtration effectiveness on their website and while I'm not a scientist and can't confirm their claims, I have used the First Need on some incredibly sketchy water in foreign lands and have never had any kin of illness. Cleaning the unit is as easy as backflushing the filter with cleaned water. The size of the unit is a little bulky when compared to a UV pen, but comparable to other water filter units. If you are in the market for a water filter, this is the unit that you want. It is highly recommended. Only improvement would be to make the unit smaller, which is probably difficult as the filter can only get so small before pumping becomes a physical chore.

Comment on this review

Oct

2012

5.0

Worked fine.

By DDunn

from Michigan

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to pump
Good filtration

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

Easy to use. Used it to purify water last week on a trip to a less-developed part of a foreign nation. No issues. Compact, too.

Comment on this review

Sep

2012

(0 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Check Your Filters!

By Paladin45

from San Jose, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Poor filtration

Best Uses

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

I bought one of these today. It failed out of the box.

General Ecology include a small bottle of blue food coloring, with which the user is to perform an integrity check of the filter cartridge prior to each trip. If the purified water is tinged with even the slightest amount of blue, the filter cartridge is defective and must be replaced.

I performed the recommended flush to rid the filter of manufacturing fines, then proceeded to the integrity check. Sure enough, the filter pumped out blue water. It goes back tomorrow, and I won't be buying another.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

5.0

Best Product

By Captain K

from San Diego, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

If you are in need of a water purification system, spend the extra money for the First Need unit. You'll be stoked you did.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Not Impressed

By Mountain River Bear

from Conifer, Colorado

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Great for SMALL quatities

Cons

Bulky
Hard to Clean
Hard to pump
Small quantities only

Best Uses

Backpacking
Hiking

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

I read a lot of reviews and settled on this filtration system as a way to augment our water filtration needs for a 6 day trip down the Colorado River. We had a group of 14 people ranging from 11 to 60+ and 7 canoes. We planned for an average of 2 gallons per person per day due to the extreme desert climate of Canyonlands National Park in the Summer. We experienced days in the mid to upper 90s and nights in the low to mid 50s. The humidity was less than 10 percent for the entire time.

We carried 50+ gallons of water and intended to supplement that with filtration as on a previous trip. We had purification tablets as a back up in the event of a failure of the system.

The system worked great with easy pumping for the first 5-8 gallons. After that, it became a chore and we went through multiple pre-filters and eventually the system plugged up and would not work even with the back flushing as described in the brochure. All in all, we got maybe 18 gallons before it refused to go any further.

The documentation indicates 250 gallons of life. It will not get there. We even pre-filtered the water from the river through two different cloth densities before puting through the screen, pre-filter and main filter.

This was a waste of money as it did not meet our needs and did not perform as advertised.

It has a neat cap that will screw on to a typical plastic, single person water bottle (should have been a warning to us), and would have worked well for a couple of people.

I was greatly disappointed in the system and would not recommend it for other than small volumes.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

5.0

Must have piece of gear

By Gaijincrash

from Waukesha, WI

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to clean
Easy to pump
Good filtration
Low maintenance

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Canoe Kayak Camping
Car Camping
Hiking

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

So easy to use, yet does such a fantastic job filtering from any water source. One thing I really liked about this product, was that even if the filter gets clogged and makes pumping difficult, you can still use the filter via the included gravity bag.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

5.0

Great Filter

By J-Jay

from Salt Lake City, UT

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to pump
Good filtration
Low maintenance

Cons

Bulky

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping
Day trip
Hiking

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

I have used this filter for years and have loved it. The water tastes great and I never worry about getting sick. This filters out food coloring for crying out loud. Nothings getting past this filter.

The biggest con is the price of the replacement filter. Which costs close to $60 bones.

Other than the cost of the replacement filter, this has been a solid filter. Able to accommodate a relatively large group too. I've used this filter as the sole water source for 5-6 people on numerous occasions.

Comment on this review

May

2012

4.0

Still working

By virtualhiker

from DC metro

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Good filtration
Low maintenance

Cons

Bulky
Hard to pump

Best Uses

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

I have had this since about 2004. I like it, except for size and weight, but it seems to work.

Comment on this review

May

2012

5.0

After 10 years, I'm buying another...

By derr tee derrrr

from Berkeley, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Good filtration
Low maintenance

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking

Comments about First Need XL Water Purifier:

...but I don't need to. I bought my first in 2003 and have since used it without issue for my standard 3-5 backpacking trips per year, each about 3-4 days long. Almost 10 years and it's going strong. I just did the blue dye test and it still passes fine, but I just feel like I may as well pass it on now and get a new one.

I looked around at all the others and I'm confident (and surprised) there isn't a better alternative after all these years. It's not the lightest thing you can get, but I think it's incredibly worth it.

It uses the same kind of carbon block filtering I use in my home. Blocks against everything including viruses. I just love knowing there's nothing but safe and great tasting water coming after I pump through it.

I've never had it clog on me. That said, I take extremely good care of it. After each trip (ideally after use), I slowly backflush it as the manual says. Then I pump some water back the other way and finally I pump the heck out of it until it's bone dry on the inside (well, as close as I can get it). Store it DRY. Backflush it here and there and I don't think you'll ever have a problem. I never backflushed for the first 3-4 years even, until I happened to re-read the manual.

Happy to put down another hundred for another 10 years or so! Kind of wish there was an alternative that was just as good and maybe a little lighter and less bulky but I'm not taking any chances with anything else.