L&F and the rest of you-
Screw sawyer. Anecdotally speaking- I find it hard to believe that putting 50lbs of body weight on a bag and flushing ½ liter of water is less effective than putting 2 ounces of water in a syringe. From my experience as an owner of an anti-freeze recycling company- volume is really the main concern when flushing a filter, not PSI. You only need enough incoming pressure to overcome the backpressure of the clogged filter. If you are horribly concerned- mimic the action of the syringe with the bladder by rolling it tight, eliminating all air, and applying a quick steady force (say with your foot or ass) to generate a higher PSI blast. (Although the sharp push would be hard on the bags or bladders) Empirically speaking-I’d rather not. I can assume are a recovering BPL member, as am I, and while hooking up a PSI gauge wouldn’t be that hard- it’s more than I care to deal with.
The Sawyer 3-way kit I recommend comes with not a syringe, but an attachment for your kitchen sink or hose bib. Domestic water can be as low as 20psi, so I suppose that is enough according to sawyer.
Real life-
On the AT, I have never actually backflushed my filter. The water sources I select are pretty clean, and not that hard to find. At home, I have done it once per day as there is more sediment in the flatlands here at home. After a trip I hook it up to the faucet and let it run for a bit before storing it.
Real life math- If a single user uses 4 gallons per day, for one week that is 28 gallons. A six month hike- 728 gallons. Assume you are abusing the filter and it only gets half it’s lifespan- 728 over a half million gallons means you have effectively used .1456% of the filter’s life. A four man group sharing the filter on a thru would barely break .5%. Even Swami would get a lifetime of use out of them.
That said- you could clog it in one dirty job- hence the need to backflush. Even if you buy Sawyer’s “partially opened channels” explanation- the worst case scenario is that your filter is x% slower than normal- but still operational. Not that I believe in disposable gear- but these filters are cheaper than the pur hiker replacements I regularly purchased for years- so if I lose one to inadequate maintenance somehow I won’t be butthurt.
A filter is just that- a fancy lint trap to physically catch stuff. But just like your dryer- if you forget to clean the trap or only partially clear it- the dryer won’t explode. For most folks- giving it a good cleaning after every trip is plenty. IF you know you are going to a bad area with high particulate in the water- then bring the syringe. I find little need even for a multi-week trip. The sink fitting could also be put in a bounce box for LD hikers.
Platy bags-
Still my hands down favorite, mainly because I have been abusing them in the manner described for years. Sit on a bag and use the pressure to wash your hair or take a billy bath. Slap it on the bench while car camping and kneel on it so you can wash hands or dishes. Replace your first aid kit syringe with the platy for wound irrigation. Let it sit in the sun to warm water, or pour a quart of near boiling water over a few quarts of cold into a Platy tank and you have a fine shower. My current oldest bag is about 10 years old. I have been abusing them since they first came out. I have only replaced a bladder because I screwed up and let the funk monster eat it and was too lazy to clean it. I never had a leak, failure, or issue until my son was born. He has since chewed up and/or spit out six bite valves. So while they suck for teething toddlers- they are the best bag in my opinion. Better than MSR, Camelback- which I have used and have failed me, no idea about evernew bags as they are not lighter and since I like the platy- I haven’t bothered. The sawyer bags have been the only major bladder of any brand to see such universal complaints and to have earned a lifetime ban in the circle of trust.
Setups-
Up until the mini launched I was very happy with the 3way. My long standing filter of choice was the PUR (katadyn) hiker. It weighed 12 ounces. (Socks- if I was packing for the zombie apocalypse then I would carry the Katadyn pocket filter- but otherwise it stays home) The 3way with hoses, water tank, 3l, and fittings weigh 12 ounces for a much better system and water storage thrown in. The larger filter, greater storage capacity, and versatility make it the best system period, with an inborn backup in case a bladder busts- but with the tank- it really can’t. I would likely take this system on the PCT or other water scarce trails because I could carry up to two gallons at a crack. The worst case is that the ziplock closure busts open- which does happen. But other than mashing a fitting under a stray hiking boot- you can’t screw it up. The larger original also gravity feeds much better simply because of the larger volume filter. I would never take the mini if there was more than one person along. 12 ounces divided by two is six ounces- no point in going any lighter for two folks unless you are setting a record.
The only reason to take the mini is weight. It is NOT a better filter than the original. Since weight is the goal I wouldn’t tie my hands with backups you don’t need. The goal is to keep it light, roughly six ounces. I could use a bladder in lieu of the smartwater, but since I like to mix flavored drinks and Malto- I wouldn’t want to use a bladder since I can’t clean it or replace it if it gets gunked up with the funk.
1- Use it as an inline or gravity filter and you can never break a bladder. You only need to squeeze if you’re in a hurry. Put it under one cheek or a knee if you want to play it safer than flat out sitting on it.
2- If the bladder breaks- the patty fittings are compatible with the smart water bottle. If the bladder breaks on trail and you can’t find an immediate bladder replacement- you can pick up a 2l pop bottle to get you to the next town at any gas station or trailside picnic area garbage can.
3- If all else fails I can use the mini with the hoses as a decent “straw filter” which sucks but will certainly do the job to prevent death from dehydration.
4- If the whole damn thing goes to shit because my bladder breaks, squeezing the smartwater bottle cracks it, I suck water from a muddy puddle and didn’t bring the syringe- well I guess I just have to boil some water- but again I won’t die- so no big crisis.
5- Although I don’t tell people because I am a light weight hiker- I secretly carry two mini dropper bottles of aquamira (one for a, one for b) that weigh under an ounce. I determined that one ounce is an acceptable luxury emergency backup.
If you don’t care about weight and compact size- don’t take the mini. If you’re nervous or want to play it safe until you trust the system-adding a spare bladder to the mini setup (no hoses) would put you at around 9 ounces- again not a life altering weight. But I would rather have 1 ounce of Aquamira in case I run across that water source with the beaver’s copulating in it and nothing around for 10 miles in either direction. The sawyer is the best filter period- but as Socks pointed out- it’s still not a purifier. You could also slash the weight in half and use a mini dropper bottle full of bleach for gram weenie levels of safety if you are so inclined. My simple rule of thumb- take the simplest system possible, backup critical stuff- and realize that as long as a gear failure will not result in you losing your life- it’s not that big a deal- the absolute worst thing that can happen is that you have to cut your trip short or hitch to a town for a replacement.
Stay (not) thirsty my friends!
Screw sawyer. Anecdotally speaking- I find it hard to believe that putting 50lbs of body weight on a bag and flushing ½ liter of water is less effective than putting 2 ounces of water in a syringe. From my experience as an owner of an anti-freeze recycling company- volume is really the main concern when flushing a filter, not PSI. You only need enough incoming pressure to overcome the backpressure of the clogged filter. If you are horribly concerned- mimic the action of the syringe with the bladder by rolling it tight, eliminating all air, and applying a quick steady force (say with your foot or ass) to generate a higher PSI blast. (Although the sharp push would be hard on the bags or bladders) Empirically speaking-I’d rather not. I can assume are a recovering BPL member, as am I, and while hooking up a PSI gauge wouldn’t be that hard- it’s more than I care to deal with.
The Sawyer 3-way kit I recommend comes with not a syringe, but an attachment for your kitchen sink or hose bib. Domestic water can be as low as 20psi, so I suppose that is enough according to sawyer.
Real life-
On the AT, I have never actually backflushed my filter. The water sources I select are pretty clean, and not that hard to find. At home, I have done it once per day as there is more sediment in the flatlands here at home. After a trip I hook it up to the faucet and let it run for a bit before storing it.
Real life math- If a single user uses 4 gallons per day, for one week that is 28 gallons. A six month hike- 728 gallons. Assume you are abusing the filter and it only gets half it’s lifespan- 728 over a half million gallons means you have effectively used .1456% of the filter’s life. A four man group sharing the filter on a thru would barely break .5%. Even Swami would get a lifetime of use out of them.
That said- you could clog it in one dirty job- hence the need to backflush. Even if you buy Sawyer’s “partially opened channels” explanation- the worst case scenario is that your filter is x% slower than normal- but still operational. Not that I believe in disposable gear- but these filters are cheaper than the pur hiker replacements I regularly purchased for years- so if I lose one to inadequate maintenance somehow I won’t be butthurt.
A filter is just that- a fancy lint trap to physically catch stuff. But just like your dryer- if you forget to clean the trap or only partially clear it- the dryer won’t explode. For most folks- giving it a good cleaning after every trip is plenty. IF you know you are going to a bad area with high particulate in the water- then bring the syringe. I find little need even for a multi-week trip. The sink fitting could also be put in a bounce box for LD hikers.
Platy bags-
Still my hands down favorite, mainly because I have been abusing them in the manner described for years. Sit on a bag and use the pressure to wash your hair or take a billy bath. Slap it on the bench while car camping and kneel on it so you can wash hands or dishes. Replace your first aid kit syringe with the platy for wound irrigation. Let it sit in the sun to warm water, or pour a quart of near boiling water over a few quarts of cold into a Platy tank and you have a fine shower. My current oldest bag is about 10 years old. I have been abusing them since they first came out. I have only replaced a bladder because I screwed up and let the funk monster eat it and was too lazy to clean it. I never had a leak, failure, or issue until my son was born. He has since chewed up and/or spit out six bite valves. So while they suck for teething toddlers- they are the best bag in my opinion. Better than MSR, Camelback- which I have used and have failed me, no idea about evernew bags as they are not lighter and since I like the platy- I haven’t bothered. The sawyer bags have been the only major bladder of any brand to see such universal complaints and to have earned a lifetime ban in the circle of trust.
Setups-
Up until the mini launched I was very happy with the 3way. My long standing filter of choice was the PUR (katadyn) hiker. It weighed 12 ounces. (Socks- if I was packing for the zombie apocalypse then I would carry the Katadyn pocket filter- but otherwise it stays home) The 3way with hoses, water tank, 3l, and fittings weigh 12 ounces for a much better system and water storage thrown in. The larger filter, greater storage capacity, and versatility make it the best system period, with an inborn backup in case a bladder busts- but with the tank- it really can’t. I would likely take this system on the PCT or other water scarce trails because I could carry up to two gallons at a crack. The worst case is that the ziplock closure busts open- which does happen. But other than mashing a fitting under a stray hiking boot- you can’t screw it up. The larger original also gravity feeds much better simply because of the larger volume filter. I would never take the mini if there was more than one person along. 12 ounces divided by two is six ounces- no point in going any lighter for two folks unless you are setting a record.
The only reason to take the mini is weight. It is NOT a better filter than the original. Since weight is the goal I wouldn’t tie my hands with backups you don’t need. The goal is to keep it light, roughly six ounces. I could use a bladder in lieu of the smartwater, but since I like to mix flavored drinks and Malto- I wouldn’t want to use a bladder since I can’t clean it or replace it if it gets gunked up with the funk.
1- Use it as an inline or gravity filter and you can never break a bladder. You only need to squeeze if you’re in a hurry. Put it under one cheek or a knee if you want to play it safer than flat out sitting on it.
2- If the bladder breaks- the patty fittings are compatible with the smart water bottle. If the bladder breaks on trail and you can’t find an immediate bladder replacement- you can pick up a 2l pop bottle to get you to the next town at any gas station or trailside picnic area garbage can.
3- If all else fails I can use the mini with the hoses as a decent “straw filter” which sucks but will certainly do the job to prevent death from dehydration.
4- If the whole damn thing goes to shit because my bladder breaks, squeezing the smartwater bottle cracks it, I suck water from a muddy puddle and didn’t bring the syringe- well I guess I just have to boil some water- but again I won’t die- so no big crisis.
5- Although I don’t tell people because I am a light weight hiker- I secretly carry two mini dropper bottles of aquamira (one for a, one for b) that weigh under an ounce. I determined that one ounce is an acceptable luxury emergency backup.
If you don’t care about weight and compact size- don’t take the mini. If you’re nervous or want to play it safe until you trust the system-adding a spare bladder to the mini setup (no hoses) would put you at around 9 ounces- again not a life altering weight. But I would rather have 1 ounce of Aquamira in case I run across that water source with the beaver’s copulating in it and nothing around for 10 miles in either direction. The sawyer is the best filter period- but as Socks pointed out- it’s still not a purifier. You could also slash the weight in half and use a mini dropper bottle full of bleach for gram weenie levels of safety if you are so inclined. My simple rule of thumb- take the simplest system possible, backup critical stuff- and realize that as long as a gear failure will not result in you losing your life- it’s not that big a deal- the absolute worst thing that can happen is that you have to cut your trip short or hitch to a town for a replacement.
Stay (not) thirsty my friends!
, I thought you might be interested in this video.
