Author Topic: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?  (Read 9286 times)

Steve922

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Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« on: 22:54:56, 16/04/17 »
I bought one of these and tested it out on a local walk today. No running water, so I used a local pond. The thing is that I found it quite difficult and very slow to fill the flexible bottle which fits to the filter. I'd imagine it would be quick under running water (like my kitchen tap!) but in static water, it just doesn't want to expand. Took me about 10 minutes to get 300ml of filtered water.  Am I missing something? Should I get a better (or one of the bigger) 'filler' bag? Or rig up a bottle or something? Or is this normal?

quixoticgeek

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #1 on: 23:12:02, 16/04/17 »
I bought one of these and tested it out on a local walk today. No running water, so I used a local pond. The thing is that I found it quite difficult and very slow to fill the flexible bottle which fits to the filter. I'd imagine it would be quick under running water (like my kitchen tap!) but in static water, it just doesn't want to expand. Took me about 10 minutes to get 300ml of filtered water.  Am I missing something? Should I get a better (or one of the bigger) 'filler' bag? Or rig up a bottle or something? Or is this normal?


I use one, I had the same issue. Filling it in standing water you either need to push the bottom down and submerge the top so that it fills up, or some people use an old coke bottle to fill the bladder. It takes some practice to get the knack of it.


J
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Percy

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #2 on: 23:51:12, 16/04/17 »
I also found the pouch pretty hopeless unless there was fast running or, better still, falling water. I take an old pop bottle instead. A 500ml coke style one. The thread is the same as the filter so it fits right on, I don't bother taking the pouch anymore.
« Last Edit: 09:13:46, 17/04/17 by Percy »

Cairncamper

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #3 on: 11:40:50, 17/04/17 »
You can cut the top off one of the sawyer pouches and have a massive opening to catch water, then pour the water into a normal pouch.


You can also cut a pop bottle in half or the bottom of one and use it as a scoop.




Glyno

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #4 on: 14:54:23, 17/04/17 »
You can cut the top off one of the sawyer pouches and have a massive opening to catch water, then pour the water into a normal pouch.


best idea I've read or heard.


...or if you have one of those little filler jugs that come with steam irons?

fernman

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #5 on: 18:57:22, 17/04/17 »
Sounds identical to the problem I faced with my old Field & Trek water bag (a bit like what you get in big cartons of wine) and my current 5 litre plastic water carrier that folds flat. Both fine to fill in falling water, or running water provided it was deep enough, but hopeless in still water even deep pools.

I used to painstakingly fill them with my half-pint drinking mug but it took at least 30 scoops because when pouring the water into the carrier a proportion of it missed the narrow spout.

This has been overcome by buying a small folding funnel on eBay, so all the water goes in without losing any, while the process is also quicker with the 500ml plastic measuring beaker I now use, also from eBay. The latter is useful for measuring the correct amount of water to boil for freeze-dried meals, and it is lighter weight than the mug.

Prior to these I tried a 500ml drinks bottle cut to make a funnel but it soon got crushed and broken in my rucksack, while I found a whole 500ml bottle took too long to fill compared with a mug, and it was also extra bulk to fill my pack.

Cairncamper

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #6 on: 19:01:23, 17/04/17 »

best idea I've read or heard.


...or if you have one of those little filler jugs that come with steam irons?


I used one once lol but found it too small and bulky. You can crush some of the thinner, lighter pop bottle down a bit multiple times until it needs replacing, but a cut sawyer pouch packs down to nothing and is quite rigid too.


If you do have access to a waterfall or deep amount of water, you can dunk a big zip lock bag in it with a bit cut out of the corner, and grab a load of water, and fill pouches, bottles etc with the little cut corner spout bit. You can also cut a little corner of a sawyer pouch too obviously.


Its a good way to get water in your pouch etc without having loads of dirty water spill all over the outside of the pouch, that can drip down onto the mouthpiece of your filter, potentially contaminating your filtered water.

hiho

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #7 on: 20:44:20, 17/04/17 »
£1 shops sell pouches like the sawyer one 2 in a pack. That's what I use

route2rock

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #8 on: 23:54:17, 17/04/17 »
I normally inflate the pouch first, as if blowing up a balloon. It holds its shape in the 'inflated' position fairly well, and the water fills it much easier. ;)

I've used this method in slow streams, but I've not tried it in standing water.
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quixoticgeek

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #9 on: 14:33:01, 18/04/17 »
I normally inflate the pouch first, as if blowing up a balloon. It holds its shape in the 'inflated' position fairly well, and the water fills it much easier. ;)

I've used this method in slow streams, but I've not tried it in standing water.


Be slightly careful when doing this. You should assume the dirty bag is dirty, all of it, so getting your mouth in contact with the opening to inflate it exposes you to the same nasties you have a filter to keep out...


J
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Motile

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #10 on: 14:56:38, 18/04/17 »
I've bought one, completely forgot to take it to Snowdon this past weekend.. Would have been the perfect opportunity to use it! All the reviews of it look great.

forgotmyoldpassword

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #11 on: 19:20:42, 18/04/17 »
I bought one of these and tested it out on a local walk today. No running water, so I used a local pond. The thing is that I found it quite difficult and very slow to fill the flexible bottle which fits to the filter. I'd imagine it would be quick under running water (like my kitchen tap!) but in static water, it just doesn't want to expand. Took me about 10 minutes to get 300ml of filtered water.  Am I missing something? Should I get a better (or one of the bigger) 'filler' bag? Or rig up a bottle or something? Or is this normal?


Flexible bottle as a feeder is garbage, imo.  The threads on the Sawyer fit Smart brand water bottles, so I just bring along three of these with one clearly labelled dirty.  If I want lots of water, I'll bring a bladder/flexible water storage and filter from the dirty bottle in until they are full.


There is currently a better MSR water system called the Trailshot at a similar price to the Sawyer, with a better flow rate and which allows a more dynamic experience.  Probably what I'd recommend if you don't already have a sawyer/similar.

Innominate Man

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #12 on: 00:25:20, 19/04/17 »
How about a syringe - i.e. about the same size as a Smartie tube.
No needle of course - just use the plunger to draw up water & squirt it into the pouch straight from the nozzle.
I got a small one from Boots a few years ago and assume you can get the larger sizes too.


Just a thought.


Beefy posted a vid on here a year back which included a handy bit of DIY for these filters - but I can't remember what his modification was. If he sees this he may jump in and 'fill you in' - so to speak     :knuppel2:
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Geoffrey Winthrop Young

route2rock

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #13 on: 12:06:23, 19/04/17 »

Be slightly careful when doing this. You should assume the dirty bag is dirty, all of it, so getting your mouth in contact with the opening to inflate it exposes you to the same nasties you have a filter to keep out...


J

Should of added I place my hand around the neck of the bottle so that my mouth only goes near my hand, not the bottle. They inflate really easily so a complete seal is not needed ;)
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April

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Re: Anyone use a Sawyer Mini Water Filter ?
« Reply #14 on: 13:53:20, 19/04/17 »
How about a syringe - i.e. about the same size as a Smartie tube.
No needle of course - just use the plunger to draw up water & squirt it into the pouch straight from the nozzle.
I got a small one from Boots a few years ago and assume you can get the larger sizes too.

We also have a syringe we use to draw up water from places where the water is more difficult to access with a bladder. We try to get it from running streams if possible but the syringe has been our saviour a few times. We also have wide mouthed bigger bladders too for when we are out camping. Easier to fill from standing water or streams that don't have a big enough drop to use the other bladder.The bladders that came with the filter gave up the ghost pretty quickly, we bought cheapo replacements from Home Bargains, 79p I think.
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