Piecing together a hydration system...

[lilgodwin]

I've picked up the Sawyer Squeeze and the Sawyer Mini... I like options. I see myself using maybe one of the 3 Sawyer folding bottles that they came with, and storing my water in some Smart Water bottles. But I'm still looking at putting together a gravity filtering system that I can also use inline with the Sawyers.

I was thinking of getting a Platypus 3L hydration system, but the house it comes with is one of those with the mouthpieces. It looks like I can remove the current hose and possibly attach the Sawyer attachment/hose/Mini.

But I'll want another reservoir to hold clean water. And I think I need to buy another hose. Is there a standard hose size that I can buy somewhere?

Here's the Platypus I'm talking about.
Platypus Hoser 3L Hydration System

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Platypus-Hoser-3L-Hydration-System/45468287

Suggestions?

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[Maineiac64]

I like having a bladder in my bag. I just hooked up a quick disconnect for my sawyer going directly into my osprey 2L in the pack so I dont have to fish it out each time i want to add water. Osprey sells extra disconnects for $10. You can also get a tornado connector to attach a sawyer or evernew bag to hang for gravity.

[jefals]

I have the camelbak in my pack, plus 1.5 liter smart bottles in the side pockets. I got this tube from Amazon for the bottles...

Source Outdoor SNEP Convertube Water Bottle Adapter Kit
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QMF0U8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fOjNyb7Z7WRZD

[jeremys]

I use the Sawyer bags, but prefer to sip on the move so I added a hose (http://a.co/18hL9Ul) and bite valve (http://a.co/e5fOlzt). Combine with a smartwater bottle and it provides a bunch of options.

Bag > Sawyer > hose > bite valve

Bag > Sawyer > hose > bottle (gravity filter)

Bag/bottle > Sawyer

[HooKooDooKu]

When I built my gravity filter system, I used the Sawyer Mini, a 2L Evernew Water Carry, a 2L Platypus Hoser, and the tubing from my old MSR SweetWater filter.

The Evernew Water Carry is Evernew's version of a Platypus. But unlike the Platypus, the threads match the Sawyer so that it can be screwed directly onto it. I don't use the bags that came with the Sawyer because I think the Evernew is stronger and more durable, and I like being able to see what is in the dirty water so that I can decide if it's too dirty and want to dump it and refill.

The bite valve on the Platypus can be pulled off. But I simply discarded the whole hose because it's too thick and stiff for my purpose (after all it is designed to not get crushed as you feed the hose from the backpack water pouch to your mouth).

The bard fitting that screws onto the Platypus is pretty big. So to remove the hose, you might have to carefully slice it with an exacto knife. To put a new hose onto the fitting, you can lubricate the barbs with a water-based 'personal lubricant' (learned that trick in a plumbers forum while installing a watering system for my lawn, simply flush the tubing real well afterwords to remove any residue).

If you don't have any extra hoses from an old water filter like I had, you can either purchase some replacement hoses, or go to the plumbing department at your local Lowe's or Home Depot and buy some tubing. Take the Platypus hose with you and try to match the INSIDE diameter (I.D.).

[gbolt]

I also purchased the 2L Evernew Bladder as my Dirty Water Bag. I hole punched holes and added a small strand of Shock Cord. I purchased 2 and 1/2 feet of Tubing from Dutchware. I can now "squeeze" into my smart water bottle / Gatorade Bottle or Nalgene (in Winter). I can also gravity feed into these same bottles. It is not inline or made for bladder drinking; but it works great if your just looking for way's around the squeeze bags and using Smart Water Bottles.

[ggreaves]

sawyer squeeze, 2 1L smart water bottles with the .5L bottle caps with drinking valve (to backflush) - write "DIRTY" on one of the bottles with a sharpie. fill / filter / fill again and you're on your way. Drink out of the clean one and suck out of the dirty one through the filter. Squeeze bags are a pain in the ass to fill and they break. Also, the "mini" has a terrible flow rate unless you backflush all the time. You can bring a bladder if you want if you'd like to have extra water in camp. But along the trail, if you want to get your water taken care of quickly, the smart water / squeeze filter is the easiest way to go.

[poolskaterx]

I have a 2l platty for dirty water with my sawyer squeeze, i will be upgrading to the 2l evernew dirty water bag as the treads fit the sawyer. I have two 1 liter platty soft bottles that I switch my drinking tube back and forth on that go in my side pouches on my pack. When the 1l bottles need to be refilled I just fill and hang the dirty bag with filter screwed right onto the bag and just slide the "camelback" (i like them best) bite valve over the end of the filter... it will fill your 1l bottles quick! No need for a bunch of disconnects or fiddly bits; keep it simple.

[Miles 2 Go]

Definitely look into the Evernew bags, I use and like them. The caps are attached to the bag, they have a nice cord on the bag to use when rolled up, the Sawyer thread onto them and they are stronger than the Saywer bags.I bought my Evernew bags on Amazon.

[poolskaterx]

Definitely look into the Evernew bags, I use and like them. The caps are attached to the bag, they have a nice cord on the bag to use when rolled up, the Sawyer thread onto them and they are stronger than the Saywer bags.I bought my Evernew bags on Amazon.

Thanks Miles 2 go! I sent an email to Evernew yeasterday since I could not find the bags on the REI website that is listed on the "reatailers" section of the Evernew site; I had a return reply in less than 2 hours... FROM JAPAN!!! They thanked me for the inquerry and told me that REI will probably not have them until April and suggested to get them from Amazon as you did. They also said NOT to buy direct from Japan as it would void the 1 year warranty. Great customer service.

[orthofingers]

Many here think that Evernew bags perform better than the Sawyer ot Platypus bags AND the threads mate to the Squeze perfectly unlike the Platypus.
if you look on Craig M YouTube channel he shows how to use an Evernew bag for your dirty water into the Squeeze into a cutdown Cyclone adapter directly into a smart water bottle or the like. It's a good system that I've adopted and you don't have to mess with a hose.

[orthofingers]

Many here think that Evernew bags perform better than the Sawyer ot Platypus bags AND the threads mate to the Squeze perfectly unlike the Platypus.
if you look on Craig M YouTube channel he shows how to use an Evernew bag for your dirty water into the Squeeze into a cutdown Cyclone adapter directly into a smart water bottle or the like. It's a good system that I've adopted and you don't have to mess with a hose.

It's on his "Post Appalachian Trail Gear Review" YouTube video at the 46:36 minute mark.

[Bird Dawg]

I have used a variation of Craig M's system that works well for me. It's basically the same setup with the addition of this product: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GM6LWS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. The tube system gives me the ability to drink from my Smart Water bottle without having to remove the bottle from my pack pocket. (I can reach back and pull the bottle out of the mesh pocket of my pack without any trouble - it's getting it back inside the pocket that is difficult sometimes.) I think the weight penalty was about 2.5 ounces - but worth it for me.

I also added this item:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G5RWMS0ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[blw2]

Now I like that thing.... think I might order one. I never have caught onto the idea of a bladder in my pack..... like the idea of using gatorade or disposable springwater bottles much better.
Does the cap seal around the hose so that it's leak free?

Your second link is dead???

[Mr. Bumpy]

I spent some time and money piecing together various gravity systems to use with a sawyer. All added complexity and weight and I found nothing was more functional than a 1.5 L smartwater bottle with the sawyer sitting on top. When I hike during high summer I will bother to take a 3 or 4 L bag to hang on a tree around camp and or shuttle water to a dry campsite. But wish I had left well enough alone and not tried to make something simple into something complex.

[lilgodwin]

So, I like the idea of an Ever new bag, mostly because it matches perfectly with the threads of the Sawyer So I'm told, and it seems to be of good quality. I'm not opposed to a big Sawyer pouch. But I can't find one with a large opening to fill up easier with, similar to the Platypus Big Zip. Know of any good sized pouches/reservoirs (2-3L) that have a large opening AND fit the Sawyer products?

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[ScareBear]

I don't really get the allure of a gravity system on the AT. For me, that is more of a basecamp thing. Or a group hike thing. But, I figured something possibly cool out. See below.

I am fond of my FirstNeedXLE purifier pump. But, it is heavy, like other pump filters. And, with a known life limit of a maximum of 500 gallons(more like 200!) on a 50 dollar filter cannister, it can get expensive to maintain....

SO, I have been looking at the Sawyer. It isn't a purifier, like the FirstNeed, but I may just have to get used to the slight risk on the AT. Pretty slight. You can buy an adapter that replaces the pull out nozzle on the clean end that threads directly onto a SmartWater bottle and the like. I suppose you can then use the quick fill connect to mate a bladder to the dirty side. Put the bottle with filter attached into a side pocket. Fill the bladder with dirty water, put on the top of everything in the pack, snake the tube to the filter. Gravity will fill the bottle as you hike....plus, you can then use the bottle to backflush the filter. Just disconnect the quick fill connected hose from the bladder and spray...
I have an old 3L Camelback that would be a perfect Frankenstein donor for this rig...plus, with that huge mouth and low profile, it would make filling far easier than a Sawyer or Evernew bag...

I also like the Evernew bag in 2L as opposed to the Sawyer bad. Clear and stronger sold me.

Guess I will report back after the experiment is over....

[lilgodwin]

Doesn't sound like a bad way to go, very similar to what I had planned. Though I was going to utilize the house, no tornado connector, and have both the dirty and clean reservoirs/pouches on the exterior of the pack while I hiked.

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