Sawyer water filter system

[Ladytrekker]

http://www.rei.com/product/786392?pr...:referralID=NA

Went to the backpacker magazine "Get out More Tour" today at a local outfitter just to hear their spiel. They talked about a Sawyer water filter system that does not need a filter change ever can filter over a million gallons and you can attach it to your tube on your hydration bag. It is suppose to clean the water by 99.99 percent and you can hang the filter in the water and drink from the river, ect. You put the raw water in your hydration bag and the filter cleans the water as you drink it. It runs around 55.00 and weighs 5 ozs.

Has anyone here used this filtration system it really caught my eye I use a Katdyn pro filter and it is heavy and takes some time to filter.

would like some feedback on this product.

[Luddite]

This looks pretty cool. It actually weighs 11 oz. according to REI's website, but it doesn't look as bulky as the Kataydin filter. The only thing...I wonder if you'd be able to dry the filter in winter so it doesn't freeze.

[stumpknocker]

That's what Mrs Gorp and I carried in Montana and Wyoming on the CDT this year.

I rarely filter my water, but it came in handy for the times when I didn't feel safe drinking the available water. It worked perfectly the times I did use it.

It's definitely lighter than the pumps, but heavier than the steripen some people were using.

Pay attention to the one you order if you decide to go with the Sawyer. They have one that comes with more stuff, but it was heavier.

[Luddite]

That's what Mrs Gorp and I carried in Montana and Wyoming on the CDT this year.

I rarely filter my water, but it came in handy for the times when I didn't feel safe drinking the available water. It worked perfectly the times I did use it.

It's definitely lighter than the pumps, but heavier than the steripen some people were using.

Pay attention to the one you order if you decide to go with the Sawyer. They have one that comes with more stuff, but it was heavier.

Is it hard to dry out the filter?

Heres a video on it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbPvhXrfgjQ

[Harrison Bergeron]

It's only three ounces if you just use the filter in-line from your camelback. If you use a separate 4 liter dirty water bag and filter from that into your camelback, the whole system is 11.5 oz.

Personally, I'm planning to take the extra bag to give me a couple of extra liters in camp for cooking and cleaning.

You'll want to break it in at home before you use it on the trail. It takes a couple of gallons of clean water and a back-flush to get it flowing at the max rate.

[Ladytrekker]

According to Randy and Sherry of Backpacker magazine they used it when they hiked the Discovery Trail and said it is based on a filter from a dialysis machine. You can cut the tube on your bladder and put the filter on your existing bladder. They said it works great and would sure help with having to carry a separate filter. I know my pro hiker is not light and since I now use a ULA Circuit I have less room in pack so I am trying to get lighter and less stuff.

[kayak karl]

it freezes very easy

[Speer Carrier]

I used one on last spring on my hike. It worked fine until I mixed gatorade in my water supply. It clogged up the filter to the point I could not draw any water through it. It could have just been me, so I wouldn't want to say don't buy one, but I'd ask about that as a possible problem before buying.

[DBT fan]

According to Randy and Sherry of Backpacker magazine they used it when they hiked the Discovery Trail and said it is based on a filter from a dialysis machine.

Could the Sawyer filter be similar to the much cussed MSR Hyperflow?

http://www.rei.com/product/767564

[Odd Man Out]

would like some feedback on this product.

Go to the gear reviews section of the backpackinglight.com forum under hydration and you will find some very comprehensive reviews of in-line gravity filtration systems using Sawyer filters.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...eatment&cid=55

[stumpknocker]

This is the one Mrs Gorp and I used; http://www.moontrail.com/sawyer-sp121.php .......not the heavier REI model.

Mrs Gorp saw that I posted on here yesterday and sent me this short email;

"We used our own platy and inline tube, never had it freeze up on us, then again it wasn't that cold...........and you forget to mention the most important piece of information..........

THAT

I, MRS GORP carried the filter for your hiking pleasure...........she's good at carrying all the little stuff you needed...............knife, chlorine bleach, tweezers, scissors, pen, paper, sunscreen, camera, cell phone, guide book, good sense of direction..............on and on and on"

In my own defense....since we were hiking as a team, I saw no need to double up on stuff we already had. (no sense in both of us having heavy backpacks)

[Ladytrekker]

Go to the gear reviews section of the backpackinglight.com forum under hydration and you will find some very comprehensive reviews of in-line gravity filtration systems using Sawyer filters.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...eatment&cid=55

This is great I am going to do alot more research before I commit but this is very informative. thanks. and thanks to everyone that got back to me on this.

I also kayak and primitive camp alot so I tend to drink large amounts of river water who would have ever thought but I do like to filter it now if I could find something that changes the color of Suwannee River to make it more palatable. LOL. I have tried Gatoraid and drink additives the water just gets more disgusting lookin but I drink it anyway.

[JaxHiker]

The 3-way filter itself is only 2 oz. I like that you can use it as a gravity filter as well. I suppose you can do that with the Hiker Pro filter too, it's just not that easy. I love my Hiker Pro. I've always been concerned with this type of filter and the fibers getting broken.

Instead of Gatorade try the Camelback or Nuun elixirs. The sugar in the other drinks is what kills you and can ruin a hydration bladder.

I wish I'd caught which bladder Randy said he uses. He said it's got the smallest pore size inside which equates to less surface area for crud to grow.

[Ladytrekker]

The 3-way filter itself is only 2 oz. I like that you can use it as a gravity filter as well. I suppose you can do that with the Hiker Pro filter too, it's just not that easy. I love my Hiker Pro. I've always been concerned with this type of filter and the fibers getting broken.

Instead of Gatorade try the Camelback or Nuun elixirs. The sugar in the other drinks is what kills you and can ruin a hydration bladder.

I wish I'd caught which bladder Randy said he uses. He said it's got the smallest pore size inside which equates to less surface area for crud to grow.

http://www.deuterusa.com/products/pr...rt=accessories

I picked it up and looked at it.

[Mühly]

Just checked Wal-Mart website. Sawyer 34 oz Water Treatment Bottle is $34.00. Excellent for scouting, the Sawyer Inline Water Filter ensures that your water is safe to drink. Simply use the filter by dipping it inline in a hydration pack or in the bottle, or with a gravity-feed shower bag for large quantities of water. It filters up to 500 gallons of bacteria-free water from any fresh-water source. The filter is -0.1 micron absolute, which offers the highest removal of bacteria, cysts and protozoa. This Submicron Hollow Fiber Membrane Filter uses a cluster of fibrous tubes to filter out 99.99999% of contaminants.

Sawyer Inline Water Filter with 34-Ounce Bottle:

• -0.1 micron absolute hollow fiber membrane inline filter
• Highest removal (99.99999%) of bacteria, cysts and protozoa
• Also filters out sediment and other contaminants
• Ensures that water meets EPA and WHO recommended levels
• No iodine required
• No pumping or chemicals
• More effective than pump filters and more convenient
• Removes the following contaminants:
  
  • Cholera
  • Botulism (Clostridium batulinum)
  • Typhoid (Salmonella typhi)
  • Amoebic Dysentery
  • E. Coli, Coliform Bacteria
  • Streptococcus
  • Salmonella
  • Giardia
  • Cryptosporidium
  
  
• Includes:
  
  • 0.1 Micron Absolute Hollow Fiber Membrane Inline Filter
  • 34-oz. polycarbonate bottle with convenient flip-top cap (weighs 7.5 oz.)
  • Twp extra drinking straws
  • Twp stainless-steel hose clamps
  • Tube re-connector
  • Tube adapter
  • Detailed instruction sheet
  
  
• Model SP140

Go to the gear reviews section of the backpackinglight.com forum under hydration and you will find some very comprehensive reviews of in-line gravity filtration systems using Sawyer filters.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...eatment&cid=55

[tammons]

Get the Sawyer 3 way kit. It uses quick connectors and it has enough connectors and whatnot you can set it up almost any way you want. Moontrail has them for cheaper. The filter alone is about 3 oz dry.

It filters down to .1 micron, so IMO you might want to still treat with drops.
There are a few bacterias right at .1 micron and viruses are smaller.

Sawyer does make a .02 micron which should get most viruses, but its probably a lot slower. I would definitely want to use that with a pressure bag for faster flow.

I just set up a a 3 way with a geigerrig bag which is a bit heavier but pressurized.
With the Sawyer filter it weighs 14-15 oz for the complete system.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ight=geigerrig

But it pressure filters 2L of H20 in 2 minutes.
I think this rig actually works best as a bladder with the filter in the output line.
That or if you had to process a lot of water.

One good thing about a pressure rig, is you can find a clean water source or use clean or treated water and back flush the filter in the field.

I have decided not to use a aquamira frontier pro filter setup in that link as it only filters down to 3 microns and only last 50 gallons. Good as a backup though

I put together another lighter gravity setup with a 2L platy hoser bag. The hoser bag without the clip weighs 2 oz so its a lot lighter. This is wha tit looks like packed inside a cut down soda bottle.

Contents are Sawyer 3 way.
Misc pieces of silicone and vinyl tubing.
Misc quick connectors.
Platy hoser bag
Clean tube in a freezer bag
Quick connect cap for the filter clean side
1 oz chorline in a dropper bottle
1L split bottle for a dipper, funnel etc

Weighs about 10 oz as shown.



This is what it looks like spread out.

The bag, filter and tubing alone weighs 7.2 oz.
This is with the filter wet.



As far as the gatoraide I imagine it would clog the filter. .1 microns is very small and the sugar probably clogged it. You might be able to back flush it with hot tap water.

[tammons]

This is my latest geigerrig sawyer setup for a pressure filter.
The rig as shown weighs 11oz with a wet filter.

The wet filter alone weighs 3.5 oz.

[tammons]

There is also a new Sawyer product out.
The Sawyer squeeze with a screw on .1 micron filter.

It comes in 2 kits. one with a 2L bag the other with a 12oz, 16oz and a 32oz bag.

I ordered the 2L version as I already have a bunch of 1L platys
and cant see much of a use for a 12oz water bag.

Weighs about 5oz.

[azb]

My local WalMart has the Sawyer bottle with the .1 micron filter on clearance for $20. It's the exact same filter as the black one pictured above. It's designed to be used in the bottle, but I removed the filter and just put it inline on my Camelbak. It's very simple to use, fill the bladder and start drinking. For camp, simply hang the bag and gravity feed as needed. Although it does not come with the backflush accessory, it can still be backflushed. At home, before and after each trip, I use a Turkey baster to backflush and remove any water (by pumping air) for storage. Where water is scarce and barely puddles, you can remove the tube from your bladder, drop it in the smallest of puddles, and drink through the filter.

It weighs ~3ozs, and takes up no room in the pack. It seems very sturdy, and much less delicate than ceramic filters.

I've used several systems for handling water while hiking, and this beats them all for simplicity, light weight, convenience, small form factor, and effectiveness. Add in the fact that the filter cost me $20 and should last the rest of my life, and it's also the most cost effective.

Az

[tammons]

Grab them while you can. I think they are closing them out.
I went to two walmarts here and they were both out.