Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Meet the Super Delios Water Filter




Thanks to a comment made by fellow blogger http://www.blogpackinglight.wordpress.com/ in response to a recent article I wrote about a lightweight water pump, I was introduced to the Super Delios Portable Water Purifier (http://www.delios.co.uk/). It quickly became one of my favorite outdoor products one which I encourage you to check out.




For those who aren't American, chances are you already know about this product and likely even use it. Sadly, despite holding an American patent, I haven't found a single American who uses this nifty little system and I'm unaware of any American vendors. So, fellow Americans, behold....




The Super Delios filter is essentially a 40g filter capable of filtering 1,000 litres of water (depending on quality) and provides an impressive 0.2 micron protection capability which means it will protect you from bacteria, e.coli, salmonella, giardia, cryptospordium, cholera, and dysentery, all the little organisms that hikers like you and I would like to avoid. Generally speaking, anything less than 0.3 microns is considered a good choice.




The beauty of this Japanese product is its simplicity. It's already lighter and smaller than the Aqua Mira Frontier Pro and a lot less hassle than pumps or gravity options. Simply, screw it on to any compatible bottle and you're good-to-go as all you need to do is squeeze the water into your mouth which is already filtered by the time it comes out of the top.




When purchasing, you have a couple options. You can buy the one I'm referencing to screw on a like-bottle (or a bottle provided by the manufacturer) or another option for a gravity system (and bag provided by the manufacturer). The Super Delios is about $44 to include shipping to the USA.




When viewing pictures online, it reminded me of the filters used for my refrigerator. I assumed it would be big and clunky. My mindset quickly changed when I received the product. It is 3" tall and 1.5" in diameter, very reasonable - and light. Instead of purchasing the manufacturers bottle which I thought was too small and a little heavier than I'd like, I'm using it with a 1 litre flexible Platypus bottle which works just fine. Part of this system requires that the bottle be flexible so it can be squeezed to force water through the filter. Because I've popped a couple bottles similar to the Platy (specifically Nalgene's which I won't use anymore because of these failures) I was worried that I'd burst a seam if it required a lot of pressure. Fortunately, especially once the filter is used for a few seconds, it doesn't take much pressure at all to get water out.




So when would I use this little gizmo? Well, I generally use Katadyn Micropur purification tables (search my blog for my reasoning). They are inexpensive, extremely lightweight, pack very small, and are quite effective. But...they don't do anything for any water floaties. For this reason I carry a little nylon bag to act as a pre-filter which I use to remove any floaties of significance and I'm otherwise pretty careful about my water sources. However, during certain times of the year like April, I find that the weather is so rainy that it stirs up so much sedimentation that my "pre-filter" could be better. So, when the weather is particularly fowl, I'll carry either the Frontier Pro, or now, the Super Delios. For my needs, it's great, although the price tag is a little more expensive than I'd like. But let's be realistic about price because the reality is that the Delios is far LESS expensive than many option. Take for instance my Micropur tablets. They are essentially $10 for 20 tablets. Considering each tablet is good for one litre of water, that essentially means it costs me 50 cents per litre. The Super Delios is good for roughly 1,000 litres. At $44, that's about 22 cents per litre. Regardless, the Super Delios is a wonderful option for backcountry use. What's not to like - effective, small, reusable, lightweight, and really, not that expensive in the grand scheme. To take it one step further, picture carrying 1,000 Micropur tablets versus one Super Delios. The Super Delios would win in size and you wouldn't need to fumble around with 1,000 little tablets and deal with their trash. The Super Delios clearly has merits, although granted, I don't see anyone carrying 1,000 tablets anyway. Another nice thing about the Super Delios vs. tablets or other non-filter options is that you can drink from it right away versus waiting for some chemical reaction (not to mention some people don't want to ingest chemicals regardless of how many studies that say they are harmless.)







I think my only gripe about the Super Delios, with exception to the overall price and lack of availability in the U.S., is the extremely cheaply manufactured lid. Basically, it requires care for long term use because if it breaks off it would allow water to come out unintentionally which would be very problematic if carried in a pack. The manufacturer is aware and I suspect it will be updated in the future. Overall though, I really like this product and highly recommend it. I also want to clarify that I'm not knocking the Frontier Pro. It too is excellent and the real bonus with it comes in the fact that the filter can be easily removed and replaced inexpensively...without needing to purchase a whole new unit.

20 comments:

AlanR said...

Robin stealing me thunder is he, well i’ll be damned!.
Also check out the links here.
http://alanrayneroutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/08/super-delios-peaty-water-test.html
http://alanrayneroutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/08/hydration-and-new-filter-bottle.html

No, seriously it’s the best bit of kit out there at the moment taking everything into perspective.

I’m glad you have found it and are passing it on. Others will find it very useful.

Brian said...

Small, lightweight, compact and it filters down to 0.2 microns. Considering the very popular Aquamira Frontier Pro only filters waterborne contaminants down to 3 microns, and the Aquamira Frontier Straw is effective against waterborne pathogens and contaminants as small as 2 microns; the Super Delios is a "super deal".

I'm just finishing up testing of a MYOG water filtration system that weighs 17g and filters down to 1 micron absolute. I'll post an update once I have had enough time to test it fully.

But fr an off-the-shelf product the Delios is very cool. Thanks for sharing!

Jolly Green Giant said...

@ Brian - I'm definitely interested to see what you can come up with if you think you can get a 0.1 micron filter at 17g and still have it functional for outdoor activities. Good luck.

AlanR said...

0.1 microns and 17gr. It must have something to do with Bio fuels filters. Just a guess.

Unknown said...

Does anyone know how it compares to the AquaSafeStraw-http://www.aquasafestraw.com/products/sureaquastraw. Seems to have similar filtration ability. How fast is the flow?

Stick said...

That is pretty durn cool, and I be danged if I didn't just order the Frontier Pro...

As far as keeping the lid safe (and you may already do this), I would collect my water in one bottle and then just immediately squirt it into my drinking bottle. But doing this, you should be able to only take the Delios out when you need to use it and then safely store it when done.

Anyway, thanks for sharing! Depending on how well the Frontier Pro works out I may have to try and talk the wife into letting me get one of these...

Jolly Green Giant said...

@ Ross - The Super Delios has a flow capacity of 10oz /18 sec when hand-squeezed at 2.84 psi using essentially clean water for the test. In the picture on this post where the water was dripping out, I wasn't squeezing it. It takes very little pressure to get it dripping and just a little to get it streaming.

Jolly Green Giant said...

@ Stick - The lid is just a simple flip up lid, but the joint is pretty cheap. It snaps down, but over time it will no doubt eventually break. I use it on top of my Platy and drink directly from it, no second bottle. I'd rather have it out and in an external pocket than in my pack jumping around or wondering if it's leaking. Once exposed to water, like most filters, it retains water on the inside and takes a while (several days without something other than air drying it) to make it neutral again.

Women's Waterproof Hiking Boots said...

If you know that you're going to be in an area with plenty of water, especially "running" water, this should be all you need. However, if you happen to be in some really nasty, standing water, such as swampy type waters, I'm curious as to whether 2 microns is enough. Would it be better to use both the purification tablets AND the filter or would the 2 microns be just as effective? I've been around some pretty nasty water in swampland and I know I would only drink it if I was deliriously thirsty (and then death would come after some ungodly suffering).

Anonymous said...

Glad you like it. I can't see much reason to use anything else.

I've strengthened the hinge on the cap with a bit of tape.

I've found the bottle supplied useful for scooping water out of streams etc.

Robin

Jolly Green Giant said...

@ Women's Waterproof Hiking Boots - It just depends on where you are and what you'll be exposed to, but for most of us, protection against 3 micron nasties or lower is good enough for most hiking environments except for those very low level or exposed to substantial runoff or other environmentally human-caused conditions. Protozoan Cysts, including Giardia and Lamblia, are usually 5-15 microns. Cryptosporidium Parvum is 2-5, but more rare. Baccteria and be 2 to 10 or so. Viruses from .004 to 1.

markswalkingblog said...

I have been looking to replace my Travel Tap filter on the basis of reducing the weight rather than increased efficiency. However, the Super Delios is out of stock at present due to disruption in supply because of the earthquake in Japan. Possible replacement product could be this
use this link: http://alanrayneroutdoors.blogspot.com/2011/05/water-filter-sawyer-squeeze.html
Mark

Jolly Green Giant said...

@ Mark - I saw where Alan mentioned the Sawyer Squeeze (I follow him too) and consequently knew about the Super Delios now being a problem to find (apparently once you buy one, you get e-mails about the status of a variety of things). Truly, that's a real shame. The more I use the Super Delios, the more I think it is the best filter I've used (size and weight considered). I actually planned on buying another with my wife and was roadblocked too. I truly hope production starts soon, although I must admit some fear of radioactivity because the earthquake wasn't the main disaster I was concerned about. The Sawyer seems a bit goofy. Having put together my own inline Sawyer in the past, it was a bit clunky. Hopefully time has healed all wounds...but that Super Delios sure is a wonderful contraption!

markswalkingblog said...

Thanks for your thoughts on the Sawyer Squeeze. I am not in a hurry to get a new water filter, so I think I will wait around for the Super Delios.
Mark

Anonymous said...

So this is not available in the US anywhere yet?

Are there any here that are comparable?

Thanks
Liz Lembeck-CoolProducts

Jolly Green Giant said...

@ Liz - Unfortunately, this little gizmo instantly became hard to find shortly after I mentioned it. Because it is a product made by a small company in Japan, it was immediately impacted by their local nuclear disaster and hurricane damage. The owner says he's still up and running, but getting parts is tough and he doesn't have a good idea when they'll be available again. Check out the AquaMira products for really the only stuff in the US remotely close.

raghu said...

Great blog post. It’s useful information...Whatever the problems with the Delios, it's great to see a company actually taking an interest in what its customers say. Well done Delios - and many thanks Alan for doing all this and sharing the information with us.

camping water filters

Anonymous said...

Great, i'll come back here, i'm french and not sure to understand all...

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
SuperDelios UK said...

Dear Jolly Green Giant,

Thank you for your encouraging feedback about Delios. It has been over 18 months since the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. Since then, as you know the production has been halted and we needed to source the manufacturers in operation from zero.

As of today, we in the UK have been given a go-ahead to take pre-order for Delios. We can take a minimum pre-order of 100 units until further notice and tihs means once 100 orders are placed, then, shipment will be initiated. It is a pain as we do not have the stock in the UK but hopefully this is a good start to get Delios's operation back to normal. I would like to know if I can leave an email address, which is delios4all@gmail.com.

Thank you again for your time reviewing Delios and I await for your reply.

I am also trying to reach your friends I can see here.

Kind regards,
Yasuyo Fujimoto
Delios