A portable filtration system built for your next overland adventure

Every off roader/overlander knows, or should know that water is life. There are lots of methods for hikers to suction small amounts of water thru a “straw” type device but us overlanders have room to carry a better, more efficient option.

What I found at an overland show this summer could be a game changer for you if you were unlucky enough to break down and needed clean and safe water to drink, not a cupful but gallons. This device can fit in a slightly modified PA108 Fat 50 ammo can, taking up little space. This portable system could be a lifesaver because let’s face the truth, our lakes, ponds, rivers and streams are extremely polluted. Mercury, arsenic, bacteria, VOCs, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and more abound in outdoor water sources to the extent that drinking unfiltered water can cause lasting health effects or even death with the best-case scenario of getting extremely sick by drinking it.

This new product is the PortaWell Mini which is designed to remove cysts (100%) including giardia, cryptosporidium, and 99.99% of pathogenic bacteria (including E coli, cholera, typhoid, coliform). It will remove suspended particles and unpleasant colors from standing water sources and can do that at the rate of 40+ gallons an hour using only 35 watts of power.

The PortaWell Mini is a two-stage filtration system that uses standard, commercially available replacement filters, not expensive proprietary filters other systems use. The first filter is a one-micron sediment filter and the second is a .2-micron absolute filter. Both are easily replaceable with the sediment filter good for 1,000 gallons and the ceramic filter 10,000 gallons.

Running on 12 volts, it comes with an alligator pig tail to attach to your vehicles battery but there are several other power options including Lifepo4 or other lithium type batteries and solar. It is light weight at about 6 lbs. and extremely portable due to its size.

So, I can’t just tell you what the manufacturer tells me so I hunted around for a few days looking for some nasty water to try it out. Just so happens I found a big pond of water in the dry salt river bed not too far from home. I scooped up a bucket of water making sure to scrape the bottom a bit.

I set up the Portawell on the bed of my truck with white boards so everything showed up well for pictures. Using my Midland MXPW500 to power the unit I filled one clear one gallon jug with pond water and placed the intake hose into it. The output hose was placed in another clear one-gallon jug.

The time has come to press the on button and set things in motion. The first thing I noticed is the water going into the pump did not seem as dirty as the water in the jug. The pre filter in the jug was doing the first clean. The water going into the first filter looked dirty but as it entered the second filter it was looking clear and clean. As the water began filling the empty jug, it was crystal clear with no visible particles.

Ok, time for a drink. I was a bit apprehensive but I took a sniff and took a swig. I tasted no different than bottled water so I took another drink and thought that the Portawell has done a great job.

Bottom line, it does the job and because it is portable and will take up no more room in my rig than an ammo can, it will be going with me for overland trips going forward.

My final conclusion, this is the real deal, it’s fast and efficient and while I was a bit apprehensive in talking that first sip, the water it filtered was actually really good, and a week later, I’m still healthy! This unit will have a place in my purpose-built overland Gladiator. It will keep me from having to carry the amount of water I usually carry on a 1000-mile trip as I can restock using streams and rivers every day or two. I’m looking forward to being able to shower on an extended trip more than once every 3 or 4 days by filtering available water sources along the trail eliminating the need to carry many gallons of water. Why filter water for cleaning? Bacteria for one reason. Not too long ago a child died from a brain eating amoeba that entered his system while swimming in Lake Meade. Who would have known that Lake Meade contained deadly bacteria that could enter thru cuts or scrapes on your body or thru water getting in your ears?

What do you get for about $275? A three-gallon bucket that contains the PortaWell Mini, hoses for intake and outflow, two filters, instructions and a 12v pigtail to attach to a battery. Other power options are available thru the PortaWell website.

Check it out at www.myportawell.com.

OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible vehicle-based adventure travel and outdoors adventure