Comments on Sawyer Mini Filter

[eastmont]

So I bought a sawyer mini filter kit for a upcoming hunt in the gila wilderness. This was a lighter weight option to my current Katadyn pump.

Just wanted to put a FYI out there that filtering water with the sawyer becomes an event, not just something you do. Took about 45 mins to fill a 1.5 liter nalgene and camelback. (3 liters total) You have to fill the bag with water and squeeze it into your water container, which is fine. However due to the bag's pliability the bag only fills a cup or two of water into the bag from of a puddle. I didn't get to try it in a legit stream, just spring puddles. But doing it this way takes forever. A deeper pool might help but even then the rigidity of the bag prevents it.
Seems kinda of trivial, I know, but it annoyed me enough to write a post on it. One of the many trade offs for light weight items.

 

[mntnguide]

100% agree! I won't use one anymore after last season. Katadyn hiker pro is only thing in my pack every trip now adays.. fill up my 3L bladder in minutes out of trickles of water... which a Sawyer won't even work in

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[tdcour]

I have one and love it. Fill bags out of a stream whenever possible. I use two water bladders. One that is a camelbak that has a huge opening in the bag for the mouth. It is much easier to fill. I also have a platypus that is a zip/clip top on it so the entire thing opens up to scoop water very easily. Throw those stupid bags away it comes with. Make it more like the platypus gravity flow system where there is a clean water bag and dirty water bag and you will be much happier. Wish I had some pics of my setup, but you definitely need a better way of collecting water.

https://www.rei.com/product/866422/platypus-gravityworks-water-filter-system-4-liter

 

[LCH]

I use the bags, but in a shallow water source I transfer water to the bags from a plastic bottle. Much easier to scoop that way.

 

[zpooch]

I use one as well and it can be a real pain. If you submerge the bag to fill it you have to make sure you aren't getting any runoff from the outside the bag when you're squeezing it into your container. It isn't the best system but it packs small

 

[tttoadman]

cut the bottom off of the 16oz bag that comes with it. Use that to collect water and fill up the 1L bag that you pump from. That simple mod makes it usable and relatively quick with the standing water. It is difficult to keep the hands dry with this system. My mini pump is heavier, but does keep the hands dry.

 

[eastmont]

Thanks for the tips, I'm moved from being frustrated to a conquering mind frame so I went and bought the 64oz large bladder. I figure I will do similar to as suggesteed and use a small bottle to fill the 64oz container. Hopefully the weight of the water in the larger 64oz bladder will be enough to bulge it out a bit to retain some capacity.

 

[tdcour]

good luck! I'll try to remember to send pics of my setup in a few weeks when we start chasing elk. Maybe it will give you some other ideas to make it work.