Wind raked waves off the mountain lake. I stooped to scoop water for dinner from the shore, 6 liters filled the filter reservoir bag.

In less than five minutes the water would be filtered and potable. The cleanse took no more work than hanging a bag from a branch.

I love gravity filters. These all-in-one water stations convert lake or river water to drinkable H20 with minimal work. Simply fill up the reservoir, hang it up and watch as it seeps and flows through a filter beneath the reservoir. Water is then routed through a hose for directing into a pot, bottle or other holding container.

Katadyn (www.katadyn.com) recently announced two new models. Its Gravity Camp 6L and Base Camp 10L filters are touted to be the fastest flowing on the market.

I tested the 6L model and was impressed with the filtering speed as well as its overall ease of use. It has connectors that snap directly to my CamelBak bladder, making for drip-proof seal.

On the Colorado lake I timed water filling a 100-ounce CamelBak. It took just under 2 minutes for the filter to turn lake water into clean, ready-to-drink water.

Katadyn uses a 0.2-micron filter on their units. This is a standard the company cites will eliminate all protozoa and bacteria, as well as many viruses. It is the type of filter I use on most backcountry trips.

The Katadyn filters pack up small and weigh as little as 11 ounces (12.4 ounces for the larger capacity model). They will cost $89.95 or $99.95 for the larger unit when they come to market this summer.

Look into the Katadyn line or other gravity filters if you want a no-fuss, fast method for procuring water anywhere outside.

Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at http://www.gearjunkie.com.