I’ve always believed preparedness gear should be useful before there’s ever an emergency. On a recent trip through Italy, one piece of gear that made the cut was my GRAYL water purifier.
Rather than sitting at home in an emergency kit, it came with me every day.
Carrying my GRAYL 24 oz GeoPress while traveling through Italy.
Preparedness Gear Should Be Practical
It’s easy to build a collection of emergency gear that rarely leaves the house. I prefer equipment that can serve more than one purpose and that I can actually use in everyday life.
Clean drinking water is one of the most basic preparedness needs, whether you’re dealing with a major emergency, traveling, camping, hiking, or simply spending a long day away from home.
That’s one reason I like carrying a water purifier.
Why I Took the GRAYL to Italy
When traveling internationally, I wanted something that could function as both my everyday water bottle and an additional layer of water preparedness.
The GRAYL gave me that option without requiring me to carry a separate filter system, hoses, pumps, or other equipment.
Most of the time, it was simply my water bottle.
But having purification capability built into something I was already carrying meant I had another option available if I ever needed it.
My 24 0z GRAYL GeoPress became an everyday water bottle during the trip.
What I Like About It
The biggest advantage for me is simplicity.
Fill it. Press it. Drink.
There aren’t a lot of separate components to assemble, and I don’t have to dedicate additional space in my pack to a traditional filtration setup.
It is also rugged enough that I’m comfortable throwing it into a backpack, carrying it around town, keeping it in a vehicle, or taking it into the outdoors.
There is another benefit that is easy to overlook: I actually use it.
Gear you regularly carry and practice with is much more valuable to me than equipment you purchase, put into an emergency kit, and forget about.
Is It Perfect?
No piece of equipment is.
I originally chose the larger 24-ounce GRAYL because I wanted the extra capacity for camping and preparedness situations where being able to purify larger batches of water would be useful. For that purpose, I still like the larger size. However, GRAYL also makes a smaller 16.9-ounce version, called the UltraPress, that fits most standard bottle holders. After carrying the 24-ounce model around Italy, if I were making the same trip again, I’d probably take the smaller version and simply refill it more often. For travel and everyday carry, the smaller size would be a little more convenient, while providing all the same benefits.
There is also a titanium version of the GRAYL GeoPress. It comes at a significantly higher price, but the titanium nesting cup adds another capability to the system—it can be used to heat or boil water. For someone building a more versatile travel or preparedness kit, that added functionality may justify the extra cost.
A GRAYL is larger and heavier than a lightweight disposable bottle, and the purifier cartridge eventually needs replacement. If your only concern is carrying the lightest possible water filtration system for a long-distance backpacking trip, there are smaller and lighter options.
But that isn’t why I carry it.
I like the combination of a durable bottle, straightforward operation, and water purification capability in one piece of equipment.
For travel, vehicle preparedness, camping, and emergency use, that combination makes a lot of sense to me.
Where It Fits in a Preparedness System
I don’t believe in relying on one piece of equipment for something as important as water.
Depending on the situation, my water plan could include stored water, a GRAYL purifier, a lightweight backup filter, and methods for boiling or disinfecting water.
The GRAYL simply gives me another layer.
That’s an important principle of preparedness: don’t depend on a single solution when the resource is critical.
Would I Carry It Again?
Yes, albeit the smaller version.
After actually traveling with it, the GRAYL has earned a place in my gear rather than simply being something I bought for an emergency.
That’s ultimately what I want Custos Fratris Ventures to be about—not collecting survival gear for the sake of collecting it, but finding practical equipment and skills that ordinary people can incorporate into everyday life.
You don’t have to live in the wilderness to be better prepared.
Plan. Prepare. Practice.
Interested in the GRAYL I use?
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