What is Reddit's opinion of Katadyn TRK Drip Gravidyn Water Filter?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

The whole Gravidyn system is about $294 currently on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007U011G/

I know it seems expensive, and truthfully it is, but I figure you get what you pay for with these things. There's also the Big Berkey, which is a similar concept, but I found too much hype, smoke and mirrors out there when I try to research those. Katadyn is a trusted brand that doesn't hype, and I just feel more comfortable with them, that's all. They are used all over the world.

Alternatively you can go a little bit cheaper and just build the system using buckets and your own spigots, and just buy the Gravidyn filters. They are cheaper, though still expensive at over $50 each currently:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007U011Q/

I was lucky last year to catch these when they were being sold on Amazon for just $35. I don't know why, but sometimes that happens.

You should note that the individual filter replacements don't come with the lock nut that you need to attach underneath to clamp it into the container and make the good seal. So if you go the DIY route you will need to make sure you are ordering all the right spare parts e.g.

https://www.katadyn.com/us/us/128-20684-drip-maintenance-kit-set-1

https://www.katadyn.com/us/us/79-20579-drip-trk-outlet-tap-kit

The concept of a bucket filter really isn't that complicated, it's just a top reservoir that you fill with dirty water, and there are the filters there that filter the water down into the bottom reservoir, which is clean water. You have to have a way to seal the filters (the locknut and washers) and a spigot for the bottom reservoir to get the water out.

Another option is the Monolithic filters - they are simple too, and claim to take out a bunch of stuff from the water like arsenic (which is an issue in ground water in many places).

https://www.monolithic.org/water-filters

You can buy these too as a kit, or make your own using buckets. If you use buckets, just make sure to use food grade ones - the orange Homer buckets might have some sort of chemical in/on them which was used to form the bucket, I'm not sure but they are not rated as food safe. Lowes sells actual food grade buckets (usually white, but white doesn't always mean food safe - they will have a sticker saying this specifically). They are very cheap at Lowes, just a few dollars, much cheaper than what you'll find online. Some people use leftover buckets from restaurants, but then you have to wonder about what was in them previously that might affect taste. I just prefer to know the origin of mine, and Lowes is the best deal I've found so far, if you have one nearby.