View Full Version : Sawyer Mini + Smart Water Bottles Hack
fastfoxengineering
06-13-2014, 17:05
Just thought I'd share this with you folks that are using your Sawyer Mini with Smart Water/Soda Bottles as your hydration system.
First let me tell you what my hydration system is.
I use 2x 700ml Smart Water Bottles with Closure Caps
I have a 2L Evernew Bag as extra storage to make life easier at camp.
The Mini Sawyer threads directly onto each of these and I can use water directly from the container.
Now, back flushing the Sawyer isn't hard but can be kind of a nuisance with the supplied syringe Sawyer gives you. If you've used it, you know that it's easy to fumble around with
the syringe.
Someone recommended me to pick up a smart water bottle with the sport cap. The sport cap is of those "nipple" caps. There are some advantages to this.
1. Screw the cap directly to your h20/soda bottle and use it to back flush your mini filter. It works better and makes back flushing much easier than using the syringe. It mates perfectly with the outlet nipple on the filter and it doesn't leak. I also feel like you get a better back flush than use with the syringe. Rather than fumble with the syringe you just squeeze your water bottle.
2. Weight savings! The syringe I got with my sawyer weighs 1.12oz on my kitchen scale as I type this. The Smart Water sport cap weighs 0.18oz. Almost a full 1 oz in weight savings for free. Not bad if you ask me.
3. I keep the regular closure caps on my water bottles and keep the sport cap in my pack as my back flushing tool and as a spare cap just in case I lose one of my regulars.
So, go pick up a smart water bottle with the sport cap and see for yourselves!
Regards
Good tip! Thanks a bunch, I never did like carrying that big syringe around. Both weight wise and it's kind of cumbersome.
I have a similar system to yours (2 700 ml Smartwater bottles and one 2L Platypus). The only issue I have with using the Smartwater bottle for backflushing is the potential for contamination of the filter unless you're using a brand new smartwater bottle. Since I fill my bottles with "dirty" water and use the filter to purify, I'm afraid that there might always be a small amount of nasty stuff left in the bottle. So even if I fill up a smartwater bottle with filtered water (such as using the Platypus + mini to fill a Smartwater bottle), is the water in the Smartwater bottle truly "clean" at that point? Couldn't there be some remnant of "dirty" water in there? And if so, by backflushing, would I contaminate the filter?
squeezebox
06-13-2014, 17:47
Just keep your clean containers on the clean side and the dirty containers on the dirty side, should not be a problem.
Might be reasonable to fill everything with aqua mura water in town soak overnight to sanitize everything.
Including squeezing some through your filter.
Can enough nasties grow on the input side to mess things up ?? Probably not ?
MHO
I have a similar system to yours (2 700 ml Smartwater bottles and one 2L Platypus). The only issue I have with using the Smartwater bottle for backflushing is the potential for contamination of the filter unless you're using a brand new smartwater bottle. Since I fill my bottles with "dirty" water and use the filter to purify, I'm afraid that there might always be a small amount of nasty stuff left in the bottle. So even if I fill up a smartwater bottle with filtered water (such as using the Platypus + mini to fill a Smartwater bottle), is the water in the Smartwater bottle truly "clean" at that point? Couldn't there be some remnant of "dirty" water in there? And if so, by backflushing, would I contaminate the filter?
Hey Coffee, I carry a 1liter smart bootle, a 1 liter evernew, and a 2 liter evernew. The way I use is the 1 lt evernew is always used to collect/carry dirty water (also 2 lt if extra h2o needed for camp). The smart bottle only receives clean filtered water. The filter already contains contaminate, by backflushing, you are clearing some of that out hopefully extending the life of the filter. When coming into town I usually replace the smart bottle as in gets kind of funky after several days use and handling.
Hey Coffee, I carry a 1liter smart bootle, a 1 liter evernew, and a 2 liter evernew. The way I use is the 1 lt evernew is always used to collect/carry dirty water (also 2 lt if extra h2o needed for camp). The smart bottle only receives clean filtered water. The filter already contains contaminate, by backflushing, you are clearing some of that out hopefully extending the life of the filter. When coming into town I usually replace the smart bottle as in gets kind of funky after several days use and handling.
I find it easier to collect water from sources using a hard sided bottle like the Smartwater bottle vs. using something like a Platypus. I normally fill the Platypus by first collecting water in the smartwater bottle and then pouring into the platy. However, you raise an interesting point. I could designate one of my two Smartwater bottles as the "always clean" bottle and use the other Smartwater for collection. Then this backflush system would work very well.
fastfoxengineering
06-13-2014, 17:55
I have a similar system to yours (2 700 ml Smartwater bottles and one 2L Platypus). The only issue I have with using the Smartwater bottle for backflushing is the potential for contamination of the filter unless you're using a brand new smartwater bottle. Since I fill my bottles with "dirty" water and use the filter to purify, I'm afraid that there might always be a small amount of nasty stuff left in the bottle. So even if I fill up a smartwater bottle with filtered water (such as using the Platypus + mini to fill a Smartwater bottle), is the water in the Smartwater bottle truly "clean" at that point? Couldn't there be some remnant of "dirty" water in there? And if so, by backflushing, would I contaminate the filter?
Valid Point. I never contaminate one of my smart water bottles with dirty water. Only filtered water goes into it. I do so because I like to use drink powders every now and then. And I dont want to mix drink powder with contaminated water then put that through my filter.
I typically only carry a Liter of water while I'm hiking and know I'll make it to a water source. So I usually just drink from the dirty smart bottle with mini attached.
If I want to add Gatorade powder for example, I'll fill the other bottle with filtered water, mix, and drink away. If I need to carry both water bottles filled, the time it takes to filter 700ml isn't bad at all. And at that point, I usually take the time to do a back flush while I'm at it.
Regards
I find it easier to collect water from sources using a hard sided bottle like the Smartwater bottle vs. using something like a Platypus. I normally fill the Platypus by first collecting water in the smartwater bottle and then pouring into the platy. However, you raise an interesting point. I could designate one of my two Smartwater bottles as the "always clean" bottle and use the other Smartwater for collection. Then this backflush system would work very well.
I like to fashion a Leaf as to channel a stream into my collection, then filter!
JumpMaster Blaster
06-14-2014, 14:44
Excellent idea! Thanks for the post. I'm surprised the Sawyer syringe wasn't better engineered.
As for keeping clean water bottle separate from dirty water bottle, I either use a different type of bottle for my dirty collection, or put some tape around so I know which is which.
Excellent idea! Thanks for the post. I'm surprised the Sawyer syringe wasn't better engineered.
As for keeping clean water bottle separate from dirty water bottle, I either use a different type of bottle for my dirty collection, or put some tape around so I know which is which.
Yup... Straighton.
I use the Mini with 2x1L or 700mL Smartwater bottles. Dirty water goes into a 1.5L Evernew.
Carrying the Mini and straw separately in a shoulder strap's pocket lets me drink directly from water sources on the go, carry up to 3.5L of water on a dry stretch using the Evernew, and backflush via the Smartwater fliptops.
A chopped 1L Smartwater bottle gives a way to collect water from even a puddle or small trickle, while the screened funnel keeps as much crap from getting in the filter and makes pouring into the Evernew simple and easy. I like how everything fits into the cutoff 1L, which is my latest idea. Tried some other containers, and used a lighter 500mL water bottle through this past week with the Mini, and the Squeeze before, but it didn't pack as well, and made crinkly noises.
http://imageshack.com/a/img837/9869/m4mj.jpg
The stuff sack is from an old Sierra Designs rain jacket:
http://imageshack.com/a/img843/5453/p53rm.jpg
Ricky&Jack
06-15-2014, 16:42
for some reason, I can not find sawyer mini at the stores in my area.
Walmart (2 stores in Dalton, Ga)
Academy Sports (Dalton, Ga)
Sportamans Warehouse (Chattanooga)
Rock Creek Outfitters (chattanooga)
Now, all these places have the spot on the shelf with tags, but the shelf is empty..... yet every one of these places has "Sawyer Squueze" for about $35..... I don't want to pay that. I want to pay the $20 for the mini.
It's weird that its listed at all these places, but everyone is out.
Have you other members had a good supply of these in your local stores?
scrabbler
06-15-2014, 16:47
for some reason, I can not find sawyer mini at the stores in my area.
Have you other members had a good supply of these in your local stores?
You can buy from Walmart online, and have it shipped to store for free.
fastfoxengineering
06-15-2014, 17:25
Up in the Northeast, more specifically Southern New Hampshire and Greater Boston area. Every Walmart, EMS, & REI I've been into has had at least one hanging on the shelf. Ranging from $20-$25. I was in REI a few days back and they had about 8 or 9 on the rack.
Deff hold out for the Mini, I personally think it's better than the squeeze.
Furthermore, you could always just purchase it online. EMS and REI always have them in stock online. Amazon has them in stock. Walmart has them in stock. And if you do have to pay for shipping it's only like $5. You'd spend that on gas getting to the store and back.
Tron-Life
06-25-2014, 03:59
Great tip! Another useful water collecting trick is to carry a single coffee filter for you dirty water bag so you can eliminate debris almost completely and thus have to back wash even less!
for some reason, I can not find sawyer mini at the stores in my area.
Have you other members had a good supply of these in your local stores?
In stock at Thunder Adventure Co (http://www.thunderadventurecompany.com/camp-kitchen/water-filtration/sawyer-mini-water-filtration-system) for $24.95 and free shipping.
JumpMaster Blaster
07-11-2014, 04:09
Up in the Northeast, more specifically Southern New Hampshire and Greater Boston area. Every Walmart, EMS, & REI I've been into has had at least one hanging on the shelf. Ranging from $20-$25. I was in REI a few days back and they had about 8 or 9 on the rack.
Deff hold out for the Mini, I personally think it's better than the squeeze.
Furthermore, you could always just purchase it online. EMS and REI always have them in stock online. Amazon has them in stock. Walmart has them in stock. And if you do have to pay for shipping it's only like $5. You'd spend that on gas getting to the store and back.
yeah, Amazon is your friend. I didn't know they even came in different colors until I went to MRO. I had to get the pink one.
rocketsocks
07-11-2014, 05:23
It's weird that its listed at all these places, but everyone is out.
Have you other members had a good supply of these in your local stores?
good and bad...bad for you they're out, good knowing that they sold and will certainly be restocked, keep checkin' back.
...yep, our wally world has em, $19.95
saltysack
07-26-2014, 20:44
I use the Mini with 2x1L or 700mL Smartwater bottles. Dirty water goes into a 1.5L Evernew.
Carrying the Mini and straw separately in a shoulder strap's pocket lets me drink directly from water sources on the go, carry up to 3.5L of water on a dry stretch using the Evernew, and backflush via the Smartwater fliptops.
A chopped 1L Smartwater bottle gives a way to collect water from even a puddle or small trickle, while the screened funnel keeps as much crap from getting in the filter and makes pouring into the Evernew simple and easy. I like how everything fits into the cutoff 1L, which is my latest idea. Tried some other containers, and used a lighter 500mL water bottle through this past week with the Mini, and the Squeeze before, but it didn't pack as well, and made crinkly noises.
http://imageshack.com/a/img837/9869/m4mj.jpg
The stuff sack is from an old Sierra Designs rain jacket:
http://imageshack.com/a/img843/5453/p53rm.jpg
What is yellow thing ?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
2015 Lady Thru-Hiker
07-27-2014, 00:15
What is yellow thing ?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The yellow thing is a fuel funnel with a screen filter in it SS. The kind used for filtering camp stove fuel.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Maddog76
03-24-2017, 10:55
This is a bit off the original topic, but just wondering if anyone uses their Mini, or other filter system, along with water purification tablets or drops. Would this be considered overkill and not necessary?
HooKooDooKu
03-24-2017, 11:38
This is a bit off the original topic, but just wondering if anyone uses their Mini, or other filter system, along with water purification tablets or drops. Would this be considered overkill and not necessary?
Given that filtering systems should take care of any bacteria in the water, the only thing the purification tables are going to be good for is killing viruses the filters can't remove. But viruses generally are not a problem in back country water supplies in the U.S. Viruses in the water is an issue when a water source acts as both a sewer and a water source.
DownEaster
03-24-2017, 14:31
Rather than carrying around a cut-up water bottle, I just use my cook pot for scooping up water from shallow sources. I strain the water through a bandana on the way to my Evernew bag if there's any debris. The cook pot is going to be at high temperatures anyway before I eat from it; it's going to be safe. I need the cook pot and bandana anyway, and it's smart to get extra uses from items you're carrying. An extra water bottle and a coffee filter aren't a lot of weight, but they're completely unnecessary weight.
This is a bit off the original topic, but just wondering if anyone uses their Mini, or other filter system, along with water purification tablets or drops. Would this be considered overkill and not necessary?
Not a lot of mountain streams here in the midwest, when collecting water that might include upstream beaver ponds or pasture run off, I filter and use two drops of bleach per liter.
AllDownhillFromHere
06-26-2017, 13:01
The mini sucks for flow rate, upgrade to the Squeeze for a few bucks, and at most, one ounce more. I also heard through the grapevine via a buddy at REI that "this summer" they're upgrading the filtering so that it will be "better than tapwater", so maybe hold out for the next-gen model.
Backpkrmn
06-28-2017, 18:34
The mini sucks for flow rate, upgrade to the Squeeze for a few bucks, and at most, one ounce more. I also heard through the grapevine via a buddy at REI that "this summer" they're upgrading the filtering so that it will be "better than tapwater", so maybe hold out for the next-gen model.
Check out my video, I haven't seen the bad flow rates that everyone talks about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqrjZNLbPg&t=257s
Backpkrmn
06-28-2017, 18:35
Wrong video, sorry, here it is ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0oXO_6s0Zo&t=10s