Grayl launched into mountains and forests back in 2013 with a filter bottle built to collect water in the wild and make it safe to drink in seconds. In the nine years since, the company's line of backcountry products has grown to include a variety of titanium cooking and serving gear. With the new UltraPress Ti, Grayl injects that titanium know-how into its original filter bottle design, creating what it introduces as the world's first titanium water filter bottle. It promises lightweight, hardwearing performance, fast and reliable water purification on the spot, in a vessel that can also cook over fire.
Typically a water filter does one thing, hopefully quite well. But the UltraPress Ti comes billed as Grayl's most versatile ever, a lightweight purifier, backcountry cooking pot and mixing cup all in one.
The original stainless steel Grayl Water Filtration Cup eventually evolved into the plastic UltraPress. The UltraPress now includes virus-eliminating purification capabilities as standard rather than requiring a separate plus-level filter like the original, making for a more streamlined purifier capable of effectively cleaning water on all seven continents.
The new UltraPress Ti is the latest Grayl variant, joining the plastic version in the lineup. It functions the same as always, using an inner purification insert that pushes down into the outer cup like a French press, eliminating the Big 3 in harmful microorganisms — bacteria, cysts and viruses — while also filtering out trace metals and chemicals. One simply fills the outer cup and presses the insert down, going from questionable pool of unseen nastiness to 16.9 ounces of clean, potable water ready to carry anywhere in all of 10 seconds. Only filtered/purified water enters the insert, from which the user drinks.
Where the UltraPress Ti really exceeds its older siblings is in its cooking capability. With a melting point over 3,000 °F (1,650 °C), titanium is a natural for cooking. The Ti outer cup's tall, thin 9.5 x 2.8-in (24 x 7-cm) shape looks to be a perfect fit with a tiny collapsible backpacking stove. Users can boil water to prepare a freeze-dried backpacking meal or purify said water if they somehow lose or forget the Grayl insert. The side-hugging folding handles flip open for lifting the hot cup via a pot lifter, tongs or a stick.
Many backcountry travelers opt for titanium to save a few ounces, but the UltraPress Ti weighs in slightly heavier than the plastic UltraPress at 14.1 oz (400 g), compared to 12.5 oz (354 g). But if you leverage the Ti's two-in-one design to leave a separate cooking pot at home, it should definitely save both weight and space.
One final trick that the UltraPress Ti offers that older Grayls do not: it plays nicely with electrolyte mixes. An included one-way valve insert prevents back flow that could cause the filter cartridge to clog or contaminate. After securing the insert, users can filter water like normal and then load in their drink mix of choice. The valve also allows the UltraPress Ti to be used for other beverages, like cocktails or juice, without dirtying the filter.
The UltraPress Ti has a small outer D-ring for tying on paracord. The user can then lower the cup down to scoop water that's inaccessible on foot, like a pool or rapid down a steep cliff or below a bridge.
The big downside to titanium is always its price tag, and that's no different with the UltraPress Ti. The standard UltraPress retails for $90, but the Ti version more than doubles that to $200. For those who don't mind the extra investment, it does look like a truly versatile piece of everyday and/or survival backcountry gear. And the laser-engraved topo art is the cherry on top.
Source: Grayl