Sawyer mini water filter
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
Rut Nut's Link
at 2 ounces and $25, why would you buy anything else???!!! ;-)
I stopped at Cabela's yesterday and the shelves were bare! The Sawyer mini's were all sold out. THe clerk said they are selling as fast as they get them in.
I had to order one and have it shipped to my home. Fortunately they had a couple hundred in their distribution center and I will have one in 3-5 days.
The Sawyer filters are great! I haven't tried the mini yet, but for my older Sawyer, I made a .5 micron prefilter. I ordered a .5 micron Polyester PTFE Coated Filter Bag from Dudadiesel, and cut out a bunch of disks the same size as the intake on my filter. I had to replace the stock washer on the filter with a thinner rubber washer, to allow enough room for the prefilter disk and still be able to screw on the stock bag or the cut-up bottle I use as a funnel. Each prefilter disk is good for a day's use, but they hardly weigh anything, so carrying a dozen doesn't add much weight to your set-up.
I found them at Wal-Mart today in the camping section for $19.99.
Yes, I am going to pick up a few of the bigger bags. But I always have a disposable water bottle I take along on hikes and backpacking. That will do in an emergency.
Mathewsman- I saw someone post somewhere else that Walmart had them. Figures! Never thought to look there.
Thanks Rut Nut (and Mathewsman). After reading your thread I drove down and checked the local WalMart. They had 'em in stock @ 19.99. Cool gadget. Looks like I can set it up to use in-line on my hydration bladder. As a replacement for my Katadyn Hiker, it'll knock 10 oz off my pack weight, and free up some space.
You're welcome.
I stopped at Walmart on the way to work today, and sure enough, they had them for $19.99. I usually check the camping/backpacking section at Walmart from time to time, just to see if they have any new stuff. Guess I could have saved myself $5 and a few days.................oh well, story of my life! ;-)
TheLama's Link
I bought mine at REI. It had the 3 sizes for bags. Used it last fall and worked awesome and fast. Water tasted great also.
I think I read that it was good for 1 million gallons?
After looking at the one link mine has the bigger filter. Same company though.
This one
Great filter as long as you can keep them above 32F. I haven't tried the mini but the original worked great for me.
Yes, they advise not to let it freeze. Should not be an issue though. Just keep in a pocket on you and when you get in the tent, put it in your sleeping bag with you. It is so small, this should not be a problem.
With the included straw, I intend to keep it with me anyway, when I am outdoors as an emergency water filter.
Just visited Wally world & picked up one as well !
Just came in the mail yesterday. Can;t wait to try it! :)
just saw these on sale at EMS...
question for those of you that already had them - will this work on gravity? in other words, could you set up a big bag of water, hang it in a tree, have the filter inline on the bottom end, and just let it drain?
i ask b/c the box says something about "squeezing" the bag, making it sound like you have to force the water through...
any thoughts?
thanks
"question for those of you that already had them - will this work on gravity? in other words, could you set up a big bag of water, hang it in a tree, have the filter inline on the bottom end, and just let it drain?"
Yes, it will gravity feed just fine. If it's going too slow you can squeeze the dirty bag to get what you need and then clean the filter before the next batch. It will get slower over time.
I was a huge fan of the Sawyer filters but you'll never know when your filter freezes, even a little bit, and breaks the straws on the inside of the filter.
You would be drinking tainted water from then on and not even know it until you got sick.
Maybe you can keep it above freezing in your pocket or sleeping bag, but realistically can you account for everywhere the filter has been and at what temp?
It's a good product for summer canoe trips to the boundary Waters or peace corp in Africa, but probably not the best for fall and winter in the Rockies.
They work as an inline on a bladder or you can fill a bladder up and let it drain into another container.
I still carry my Katadyn and some tablets for emergency use but picked up one of these last weekend at WM as well just to keep in the truck in case my filter clogs up again at the worst time.
Kevin- when I am "out in the bush" on camping or hunting trips I always have it in an interior pocket of my jacket or vest with the little rubber "straw". It is small enough and light weight that I keep it on me at all times. If I run out of water anywhere I have it to drink out of a stream, lake or even a small puddle. When I go into tent at night it goes from my jacket/vest right into my sleeping bag.
I don't see this as being a problem.
One thing I have found is that after I back flush it(with CLEAN water), there seems to be a bit of water left in the filter. So I shake it vigorously (in a downward motion) to get the excess water out of the filter.
I have shown it to many people since I have gotten it(usually while camping or hunting) and they are always surprised at the simplicity and ease of use of this filter- and most cannot believe the price when I tell them! ;-)
Mine works great and it's very in expensive. I live in the Rockies and have had no issues.
great feedback guys.
i'm gonna pick one up.
for $20 seems like a no-brainer.
Got mine at wal-mart also earlier this year. Glad to hear the great reviews. Mine says good up to 100,000 Gallons.
I also like the mini-filter because the outflow end is designed to fit into the hose of a camelback type bladder. I have a large bladder (4 liter) that I fill at the water source and bring back to camp. THen hang my camelback in tree branch, take out bite valve from hose and insert end of filter. pour water from 4L bladder into 32 oz Sawyer bladder and then squeeze into camelback. I got three 32 oz bladders for $8- much better size than the 16 oz that comes with the mini.(don't have to refill as many times.
Doing it this way, I only put clean water in my camelback and have the convenience of doing the filtering back at camp instead of next to a stream or pond. Also, by hooking it up to the camelback hose, it is a lot easier than trying to shoot it into a bottle or bladder opening.
Make sure you buy the correct filter, they also sell straws and such but if you read the fine print on the package it states to be used on treated water only! Which means it's useless in the outdoors.
I went with the regular size Sawyer Squeeze and then bought the little tornado tube at the local hobby shop for a couple bucks. Also picked up some very inexpensive bags on ebay. You can screw the SS into the tube and the bag on the tube. Then you have your other "dirty" bag at the top. Then you have your gravity filter system.
I got mine at field and stream in erie,pa. The one I got is orange. What is the difference between the color codes? Oh, I paid 24.95.
Boris- the only ones I've seen colored is the ones that come in a four pack. Not sure why they even sell a 4 pack when they are supposedly good for 100,000 gal! And don't know why they are different colors.
So, if it hasn't been used yet, is the freezing a problem? This might be a good back up for me, I'm loving my katadyn pro and since we don't pack way in, the weight isn't an issue, but an inexpensive back up might be nice to have in the pack but I don't want to worry about temperatures before I use it the first time and realize I would have to pay attention to that after the first use!
I am assuming it is only a problem when there is water still in the fibers of the filter- if they freeze and expand and tear the insides, that is where the problem lies. So you should have no worries until the first use.