Water Purification

[Gideon85]

Whats your opinion on Sawyer Squeeze systems vs Pumps? I'm consider the squeeze for its size but have heard it can be slow. I have used pumps in the past and dont mind them but I'm trying to save space and weight. This would be for an AT thru hike. Thanks for your info.

[sethd513]

Squeeze will save space and weight but it's slow. Taste great. I also have a msr miniworks. Much faster and it's not dual action, only pumping in brings water through. It's much bulkier and has more of a mineral taste to it maybe because of the ceramic filter. I like this filter as well. Other pump filters pump on the in and out stroke.


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[Flounder940]

Its the Sawyer Mini that people complain about being slow. Most people that start with the Squeeze and then try the Mini go back to the Squeeze.

[Uncle Joe]

I've used nothing but the Sawyer Mini. Slow? A little. As Flounder notes, many go back to the Squeeze. I really like the pumps that I have seen in use but someone told me they don't filter as fine as the Sawyers, FWIW.

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea slow... its the best for the weight.

[nsherry61]

Just a note. A gasoline powered pump is faster than a sawyer squeeze too, but I'm not too concerned about it. I've heard very few people complain about the squeeze being to slow (mostly the mini as noted above). The squeeze is actually faster than a lot of pumps. The only reason I can think of to buy a pump filter for backpacking in this day and age is because you want the more complex filter that some pumps include that add activated charcoal to remove chemicals as well as bacteria and protozoa. . . in other words when backpacking in urban environments and drinking industrial runoff.

Also, yeah, the sawyer has a 0.1 micron filter which is smaller than it needs to be to filter sterilize water. I don't know why they chose that size. Probably availability of filter medium or something. 0.2 micron is generally considered filter sterilized, so anything smaller than 0.2 (unless you go all the way down to the 0.001 micron to filter viruses) is just silly and reduces flow rate.

[swisscross]

I use the mini sawyer with no complaints.
Slower, yes but I consider the time a break and a good foot soak.

[Slo-go'en]

The full sized Sawyer is significantly faster then the mini and is not all that much larger or heavier.

Having to fill a bag and squeeze the water through the filter is a bit of a pain, but all filter/purification systems have a trade off of one sort or another.

[Odd Man Out]

I use the Mini and it works fine for me. I use a 1 L bladder and it squeezes through with not a lot of pressure in just a few seconds (never timed it, but I would guess maybe about 20 seconds?). Or I set it up in gravity mode (hang dirty water bladder from a tree and connect a receiving bladder with an adaptor) and then go off and do camp chores (make lunch, dinner, set up tent, etc..). When you come back, it's done. I also will drink straight from the filter (straw mode). In gravity mode, I disconnect the dirty bladder and squeeze the clean bladder to back flush. Small enough to keep in your pocket so it doesn't freeze.

[Busky2]

I enjoy to take a bit off from the trudge to sit back while filtering with my Squeeze, it gives me a chance to soak in the surroundings at the stream and listen to the sounds of nature. After all it is times like this that I am out there in the first place.

[mmais68569]

I have used the standard size for 3 yrs. now. Only problem was the bag seam broke & Sawyer tried to tell me I was filtering muddy water (NOT)
So I recommend using a plastic bottle instead of the bag, carry a bag as back up.
Mike (Mr. Mean)

[rafe]

Still using a pump filter (Katadyn Pro). I carry most of my water in a Platy bag, so it's easy to pump directly into that using the drinking tube. The only downside is knowing just how full the bag is.

[Heliotrope]

Used a pump for years. Then a gravity feed from ULA. Now it's the Sawyer Squeeze regular size. Works beautifully. Fast and easy. With a million gallon guarantee :) Most pumps I gave seen require a new cartridge every 50 gal or so.


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[GreenBlaze]

I use the Mini and it works fine for me. I use a 1 L bladder and it squeezes through with not a lot of pressure in just a few seconds (never timed it, but I would guess maybe about 20 seconds?). Or I set it up in gravity mode (hang dirty water bladder from a tree and connect a receiving bladder with an adaptor) and then go off and do camp chores (make lunch, dinner, set up tent, etc..). When you come back, it's done. I also will drink straight from the filter (straw mode). In gravity mode, I disconnect the dirty bladder and squeeze the clean bladder to back flush. Small enough to keep in your pocket so it doesn't freeze.

+1

I carry a 3L water reservoir and filter directly into it with a Mini and fast-fill adapter. I can empty a 2L platypus into it in a minute or so.

[poolskaterx]

I gravity feed my sawyer from a 2L platypus dirty bag into two 1L platypus bags; I fill the dirty and set up gravity feed while I set up my shelter. Takes a couple of minutes.

[Vegan Packer]

I still carry my Mini, but only as a backup, since I mostly go solo. It is too slow for my liking. I much prefer my MSR Hyperflow. There is a weight penalty of 6 additional ounces, so there is that tradeoff.

Check out video footage of it in use, starting at 17:39.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtlSbaAY7o

[OneDoesNotSimplyWalk]

I have a Sawyer Squeeze mini and while it can take a little while, I'm a patient man. Sometimes the wait is a much appreciated break to be honest :D

[Uncle Joe]

If you want to save space go with a Sawyer. Slower than a pump but as someone noted once, you're in the woods to enjoy them. Take a few minutes to look around!

[Hikingjim]

sawyer mini you have to plunge the odd time to keep it flowing. I don't find it's that slow, but I never mind a break next to a creek or river.

If the water looks clean and I am feeling lazy, I just throw in an aquatab. very cheap and weigh nothing and don't expire too quickly for future treks. The second purpose for me carrying them is as a backup in case my primary malfunctions.

[Rex Clifton]

The Sawyer Mini is slooow. Also, I think a lot of mini users have a problem with the bags splitting since they exert too much pressure trying to speed up the flow. Spend a few more bucks and get the squeeze.

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[dudeijuststarted]

I've used full size pumps (Katadyn) back in the day and then rocked Sawyer Mini for the whole journey. Honestly, the Minis are slow and need to be cleaned more often than desirable. Get the Squeeze or evaluate some of the other poster's suggestions. Water's like the most important thing out there, so a great filtration system will significantly improve your trail quality of life. Filter like a king.

[BDWait]

I rigged two systems together to build my purification system and I have had a great deal of success with it. I took the Platypus Gravity Works system and replaced their filter with the standard sawer squeeze filter. I then ordered an elbow attachment and a bag coupler from platypus (for free) so that I could attach the clean side directly to my hydration bladder instead of using the "Clean Bag" which added extra weight and an extra step. I simply fill the dirty bag with water and attach it to a tree branch, then connect the hose directly to my bladder while its still attached to my pack. Within a few minutes my hydration bladder is full. I can also keep unfiltered water in the 4 liter dirty bag to purify later during long waterless stretches giving me a max carry of 7 liters.

I use the Sawer instead of the Platypus charcoal filter because it lasts longer and has a better track record of filtering ghiardia microbes. At first I used the cleaning plunger that came with the sawer filter but I dont carry it on well populated trails anymore because I can always find someone else on the trail that has one.

[Del Q]

I went to the Sawyer Squeeze as part of my plan to be well under 30 lbs all in. Hike last March with a few days of food + water was 24, super happy with that. No water pump saved liked 10 ounces.

[MtDoraDave]

For about a year and a half, I've been using the Katadyn Mini. It weighs about 8 oz, silver impregnated ceramic filter to .2 microns.
Works well in a seep situation when you may only have a puddle a half inch deep. That's about the only time it beats the Sawyer ... even the Sawyer mini is faster than this pump. It takes something like 100 pumps to fill a liter. To fill both of my 1 liter bottles and my .65 liter bottle (when I get to camp, I fill everything once) takes me about 15 minutes.

http://www.katadyn.com/website/var/tmp/image-thumbnails/0/2154/thumb__product_auto_bfd8e8ee43b4243881c30717737add 3d/8017684_mini_black.jpeg


https://www.filtersfast.com/ProdImages/Katadyn-Mini-Microfilter-Cartridge-8013632.jpg

On my last trip a couple weeks ago, I slipped on ice (several times) and cracked the replaceable filter... $40 - $60 to replace. I won't be replacing it.

The Sawyer Squeeze is more than likely the way I'll go. Perhaps with the Aqua Mira drops as backup.

- just keep the filter in your pocket or sleeping bag if the temps get below freezing. I understand that if they freeze, the filter could be ruined.

[Deacon]

I started out with the squeeze, and later when the mini was introduced, I welcomed the more compact size.

I guess I don't quite understand the frustration many have with the few seconds lost from using the mini and not the full size squeeze. What else do you have to do? I think our fast paced culture spills out on the trail. Anything to be quicker. Why?

When I'm done hiking for the day, I either set up my tent or lay out my roll on the shelter floor, get water, and fix dinner. All these tasks together takes maybe an hour.

When I actually get to the water source in the late afternoon, I normally collect four liters of water, enough to sponge down, fix dinner and breakfast the next morning, and brush teeth/take meds. Collecting four liters with the mini takes maybe 15 minutes. Would I be better off if I did it in ten? I don't think so.

Yet, many are willing to spend hours carrying the extra weight of a bigger filter (as well as other larger, heavier, more convenient equipment), just so they can save a few seconds filtering water.

However, to each his own. HYOH.