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stealthbushwhacker
09-09-2014, 17:16
Are sawyer minis safe to use on their own, or do you need to treat your water with something else as well? What about use for international travel?

Is it actually the lightest filter option on the market?

Odd Man Out
09-09-2014, 17:58
Sawyer Mini removes protozoans and bacteria but not viruses. Whether or not you need more than that is up to you. Something like the LifeStraw might be lighter, but has a more limited lifespan.

Shutterbug
09-09-2014, 18:08
"International Travel" covers a wide variety of circumstances. I use a steripen when I travel. It works well without a filter if you have clear water. If you travel to areas where you don't have access to clear water, it makes sense to use a filter before you use the steripen.

HooKooDooKu
09-09-2014, 21:46
Are sawyer minis safe to use on their own...
As safe as other filters such as Sweetwater, MSR Miniworks, Katadyn Hiker PRO, MSR Hyperflow, and similar water FILTERS. Water PURIFIERS will also take care of virus, something you might need for international travel depending exactly where that destination is.

Austin316
09-10-2014, 19:23
So a filter, like a sawyer along with some tabs would cover all the bases?

lilricky
09-12-2014, 07:24
Generally thats correct. Tabs, either chlorine or iodine based along with the Sawyer will take care of just about anything you will run up against. With the exception of chemical contamination.

So a filter, like a sawyer along with some tabs would cover all the bases?

overthinker
09-16-2014, 11:31
Sawyer also makes a version they say is safe for international travel. It has a smaller pore size that is supposed to purify water:

"If viruses are an issue, we offer the Point ZeroTWO Purifier (0.02 micron absolute pores). This is the first and thus far only portable purification device to physically remove viruses. And it does it at a >5.5 log (99.9997%) rate, exceeding EPA and NSF recommendations."

I think you can even get an attachment that allows you to hook it up to a faucet.

HooKooDooKu
09-16-2014, 11:50
Because the ZeroTWO Purifier has pore that are so small... filtering takes some time. I don't know of a faucet attachment (maybe they do). But I do know they sell the ZeroTWO as a system designed to use a 5 gallon bucket and gravity to filter water. (The system comes with a drill bit to drill a hole near the bottom of a bucket, then a nipple plug that allows you to attach the enclosed hose.

To give you an idea of how slow the ZeroTWO filters water... I think it is rated at something like 150 gallons per DAY. That would mean it takes a few minutes to filter a quart of water.

AO2134
09-16-2014, 12:29
I have used tabs. I have used filter. I have used both. I have used neither (mistakenly, I thought I was using the iodine tab, instead I used the iodine taste remover, I did not get sick).

Currently, I use the sawyer and nothing else. However, I may be going back to sawyer and tabs, not because I don't feel safe, I do. I have hiked over a hundred miles with just the sawyer, filters over 15-20 gallons of water and been fine. I just am going back to tab too because I don't have health insurance and I am uber paranoid. It is likely a waste of time and money. I may go back once the tabs I just purchased are gone, but until then, I will use both.

On AT, I would feel comfortable with just he sawyer filter.

mdbamabrad
10-15-2014, 12:41
Sawyer mini filter, you can buy hookups for your bladder system to make refilling easy. Good luck.