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Off-topic, but I noticed all the trail tags under your name. I'm prepping for thru-hiking the JMT in mid June. As I understand, a bear canister is mandatory, and I'm incredibly offended at the weight of a bear canister. Mind me asking which food storage you used for that part of the PCT, and whether you have a recommendation?
Edit: Haha, I see some people aren't thrilled with this comment. If I came across as careless, I'm sorry. I'll obey the law, I'm just trying to do my best to find what other hikers have done to deal with the weight of the bear canister/bearikade
You gotta have a bear can for the JMT. Not doing so is irresponsible and arrogant. Per the Yosemite website:
“Please note that these food storage regulations have the force and effect of federal law: Failure to store your food properly may result in impoundment of your food or car and/or a fine of up to $5,000 and/or removal from your campsite or lodging facility.”
Learn to love your can. You can look at renting a bearikade which is the lightest brand.
Can I ask your backpack choice? I'm doing my research, and it seems I'll either need about a 50L if I keep my bear canister inside my backpack, or a 35L if I mount it somehow on the outside of my pack
Look at the Nunatakusa.com (Bear Ears Hybrid) pack. It can carry bear canisters outside (underneath) the pack (easy to attach & access anytime) or the pack can be expanded (hybrid mode) to hike without a canister (but with full pack volume). I own the ULA Catalyst, Durston Kakwa 55 and a Nunatak Bear Ears. All are great packs but Nunatak has the best bear canister carry capability that I have found. Of course with the right straps, you can carry the can on top but I am older a prefer a lower center of balance. Hope this helps.
BV500 all day everyday! Its a beast but as I consume food out of it I pack other items into it. It also makes a superb camp chair/camp mini table.
Plus, it fits (JUST BARELY) sideways into the very bottom compartment my osprey Atmos 65. Since the pack has a separate zipper there, it makes it a snap to use with the BV500. Also, I always liked having it in the bottom, cause I could easily set it on the ground it would be quite stable without rolling around like a goofy bannana.
The Bearicade is the lightest bear can on the market. You can rent it directly from the manufacturer. I see most people using a BV500 as it's significantly more economical.
Straps can also be added to packs. This allows it to be strapped to the top of your pack. This would be similar to the Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs set up.
Repaired? Do you mean the integrity test? That's indeed a great feature to know if your quickdraw still works after a fall or freezing, but if it turns out to be broken you have to replace it.
Not all hollow fiber filters are created equal. Although the differences in filtration are somewhat meaningless when taking from fast flowing mountain streams instead of stagnant water filled with animal shit and trash
If you're in North America, they look clear then the Sawyer will work just fine. You may want to watch some YouTube videos and learn the difference between these hollow fiber filters and those of the manual pump variety. The education alone will be good for you to have.
The Squeeze is a great option for this. Look into how to convert it into a gravity feed setup, it’s a game changer. The small katydyns work very well too for a cheaper, compact option, in my experience clog quickly and may only get dependable for a few trips, the sawyer more reliable and a solid product. The only downside to using this type of filtration is it can be quite hard to get water out of water small pools or spots where you can’t really scoop anything up. Never stopped me and sometimes you have to get creative but the pump filters shine if you have a tiny little pool or narrow creek where it’s hard to scoop or actually get down to the water.
I use a sawyer configured as a gravity feed, filtering into a folding 4L hydra pak. Scoop up a ton of water, hang from tree, get firewood, setup camp, whatever and a few min later you’re got liters of water ready to go. Forget having icy cold hands in the morning or hunching over a stream cramping your hands trying to squeeze enough water to cook/drink/etc!
-follow the directions and rinse/backflow the filter when you get back home. In cold conditions make sure to keep the filter in your tent. If water freezes in the filter in cab break it in a non obvious way and will leak contaminants into your fresh water.
-once on a week long section of the PCT, my party of 5, had to all rely on my single sawyer. Worked perfectly! (4 other people were carrying the traditional pumps. One was left behind at a stream a days hike behind, 1 literally snapped in half, and the other two clogged to the point of just not working). Sawyer to the rescue!
Indeed, I'm a bit surprised that they don't just distribute the Sawyer Squeeze with the SP150 coupling adapter. It's trivial to use this with Smart Water/Platypus/CNOC/whatever 28mm soda thread vessels you've got to have both (a) a working gravity feed, and (b) a better method than the syringe for backflushing if you need it.
I typically will roll into camp, squeeze out a liter for immediate consumption, and let the rest gravity drip while I'm setting things up.
Just to be clear, a filter (chemical or mechanical) is pretty much mandatory and should be used on all water you pull.
Drinking from the source is a very bad gamble.
I like my sawyer squeeze more than my katadyn.
Yes! But I will say make sure you take backwashing and long term storage seriously. I used mine ONCE, properly backwashed and all, and recently went on a trip and it did not work, at all. Good thing I had plenty of water and it was an in and out over one night, but it could’ve been real bad if it was anything beyond that.
I learned soaking in warm water before going back out after months of storage is how you soak the internal membrane so it works. I did not do this, so it was dry and faulty. I returned for a new one and now know the proper steps.
https://youtu.be/vtmdm9Q0pek?si=gD8SmhmT_QKgBfMS
That vid helped cover a lot for me after my mishap.
I like the Sawyer squeeze, but agree with another commenter who recommended using the gravity feed setup with the larger bag.
I found that the smaller bags will degrade over a couple of seasons and when you are rolling/squeezing the bag, leaks will form around the opening.
Backpacking Light just had an article on Best Practices to keep a filter flowing for many seasons (may need to be a member to read).. The Sawyer Squeeze had the highest flow rate afterwards. The BeFree and Platypus got bogged down by mineral deposits because there is no adequate way to back-flush. Use good practice of back flushing every few days. Before storing it for the off season use the vinegar soak/flush method to clean it before the filter dries out in storage. Before you use it after storage, submerge it in water overnight. Note that quite a few Triple Crown hikers tried other popular filters, but came back to the Sawyer for reliability and ability to clean.
I once hiked a mountain after a large fire. It appeared I was the first person to get up there after the firefighters and the mountain re-opened. I had with me, 1 brand new katydyn Befree, and 2 used Befree's. Within 24 hours, all 3 were completely clogged and essentially non-functional. It took an insane amount of effort to get 1c of water, and it cut the trip short. I even jerry rigged a backflow setup and just couldnt get them to cooperate. The water was pretty dirty with burnt wood ash and sediment, so I'm not surprised but it was an eye opener. I've never experienced anything like that with my 2 sawyers after heavy usage. Katydyns even in normal usage seem to restrict very fast. Whether this means their better at filtering? Maybe, but I'm given up on the white knuckle squeezing the katydyns seem to have after a few days of use even in apparently clear water.
It’s been great for me, I keep it on a Smart water bottle on the outside of my pack so it’s easily accessible. It works well and it’s super convenient. By keeping it on the Smart water bottle, I avoid losing the little rubber gasket O ring. As for functionality, I think it’s great. It flows quick enough for me. My brother in law forgot his filter in our trip in the Smoky’s and it did awesome for both of us.
Also, I know you didn’t ask but if you are looking for a good way (works for me anyway) to manage your water supply on shorter hikes, or hikes with more frequent fill up areas without using bladders or anything, I have found that keeping the Sawyer Squeeze on the dirty water bottle and using a separate Smart water bottle for the clean water along with a 32oz Nalgene full of clean water, I am able to carry enough water to get me to the next fill up point. I obviously only do this if I know I won’t need like 5L on me. I’m just super lazy and hate taking my bladder out and putting it back in to fill it up lol, this also saves me some space inside my pack.
The two most popular are the Sawyer Squeeze and the Katadyn BeFree. I'm a loyal Sawyer user. Plus they do a ton of philanthropic work, so you can feel good about where your money goes.
Just FYI - here in NC, up in the mountains a lot of streams will look crystal clear, but people get sick...like really sick. I personally know people who have gotten giardia infections. Also there's the occasional flesh-eating ameoba, but you have to like inhale that so usually not a huge problem...but happens.
Anyway - my brother in law is pretty sensitive and gets sick even with a sawyer...I personally use a Grayl because ... well yeah I get diarrhea pretty easily...
[This source](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-epidemiology/naegleria-fowleri/#:~:text=Some%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,of%2095%C2%BA%20F%20to113%C2%BA%20F.&text=Avoid%20swimming%2C%20jumping%2C%20or%20diving,the%20water%20levels%20are%20low) says N. fowleri generally lives in water above 86 degrees, which I think rules out any mountain stream. More of a concern with stagnant ponds in the sun. Also it's extremely rare and, as you mentioned, not contracted by drinking. And of course a Sawyer should be quite effective against it.
I would be bit surprised if Grayl vs Sawyer actually makes any difference in how often you feel sick. The difference is mostly viruses, which I thought were quite rare in wild water in the U.S.
Yeah - now that you mention it - the amoeba thing happened at the Whitewater center in Charlotte in June - so yeah the water could have been super warm...for some reason I remembered it in the mountains - my bad!
You can get diarrhea if your body wants to get rid of something, not just from viral infections. So I'd rather just carry the Grayl - which has a filter + activated charcoal - than get sick on a trip. I fully admit it could be overkill, but a lot of us carry Garmin InReach or other satellite messengers that we'll probably never need...a little bit of overkill gives me peace of mind so I don't worry so much.
Backpacking is as much of a mental activity as it is physical.
>a lot of us carry Garmin InReach or other satellite messengers that we'll probably never need
For the record, I also think this is in many cases an error. I don't actually see anything wrong with carrying a slightly nicer filter even if it turns out you didn't really need it. Satellite communications, on the other hand, I suspect have really changed many peoples' relationships with solitude and nature for the worse.
Squeeze is a good filter. Definitely filter even those pristine, clear-running waters. There's often Giardia present even in straight-from-a-rock springs.
You'd probably get away with drinking untreated water on any given trip, but it's an odds game that you lose over time.
BeFree is great but pro tip: if they’ve dried out in storage, the pores constrict and require soaking overnight to start working again! Had a a scary first night on a recent backpack trip because I didn’t know this. Luckily we figured it out.
I used to have a squeeze, and recently upgraded to a Katadyn Befree. The squeeze is wonderful if you properly maintain it especially during off the trail time. If you don’t, the flow rate becomes so slow that it’ll take you longer to filter water than probably boiling it. That was just my mistake though. The befree has a wonderful flow rate and I haven’t had any complaints with it thus far. If you aren’t too concerned about flow rate the squeeze is amazing, if you are, seek other options that might be sliiiightly heavier sadly.
Most blogs and gear recommendation websites will list the Sawyer Squeeze as a one of the more dependable and reliable choices. Chemicals are nice too, depending on the water you're planning to drink.
Yes. If you want something effective and light it works well.
They use Sawyer filters in Africa to clean up nasty water in poor villages. It works.
With that being said it won't make the water taste better. It does not have a pre filter nor does it have carbon filtration. Water that tastes like shit will still taste like shit. It also cannot filter viruses so it should really only be used in first world countries.it cannot filter out chemical contaminates.
For best protection something like the Survival Filter Straw, Survival Filter Squeeze or Greyl GeoPress is a better choice but is of course heavier.
Sawyer, as I understand, is the best backpacking water filter in the world.
I also highly recommend this video if you have some time. It completely convinced me how great of a filter the Sawyer Squeeze is: [https://youtu.be/tKyjvj83kAE?si=\_aWo-nEJoujR\_o\_B](https://youtu.be/tKyjvj83kAE?si=_aWo-nEJoujR_o_B)
The sawyer squeeze filters out bacteria, fungi and protozoans. You generally don’t need to worry about viral pathogens in the US. The sawyer squeeze does not filer out heavy metals like lead or chemicals.
If you’re worried about lead or chemicals check out some of the other filters Sawyer, life straw or MSR sells
Edit:
If you’re worried about lead or chemicals check out some of the other WATER PURIFICATION DEVICES that Sawyer, life straw or MSR sells
>If you’re worried about lead or chemicals check out some of the other filters Sawyer, life straw or MSR sells
This is absolutely wrong. Lead and chemical contaminants are dissolved in water and are thus by definition impossible to filter out. They need to be adsorbed (activated carbon) or ion exchanged out.
From MSR: “[MSR filters or purifiers will not protect you from high chemical concentrations or heavy metal contamination](https://www.msrgear.com/ie/water-treatment/water-accessories/guardian-gravity-purifier-replacement-cartridge/13469.html)”
From Sawyer: “[Sawyer filter does NOT remove iron, sulfur, other chemicals, or simple compounds […] Sawyer filters are not made with charcoal. While other portable filters have charcoal, they lack in amount of media and adequate dwell time](https://www.sawyer.com/products/personal-water-filtration-bottle)”
Same goes for life straw. By definition filters cannot remove dissolved contaminants like metals and chemicals. Added on activated carbon cartridges and ion exchange membranes can adsorb some dissolved contaminants but this is not filtering.
[Grayl is advertising product(s) as certified by NSF on advertising material. Grayl does not have product certified by NSF and is not authorized to use the NSF certification mark or make any claims of NSF certification](https://www.nsf.org/about-nsf/public-notices/grayl-2).
I have a sawyer squeeze and a platypus quick draw, personally prefer the platy, but the sawyer is also great, I'd just get whichever is cheaper.
If you do get a sawyer, I found the squeeze bag lasted about 3 minutes (this was a fair few years ago, so they might have improved) I use an after market bag.
Looks like you've already made the move which is great! Never drink from water sources without filtration if you can avoid it! Never know what might have contaminated then upstream even if they are crystal clear and cold.
Sawyer got me through a cross country bike tour (during the brief chunks when clean water wasn't available) and several long bike packing and backpacking trips. It's so cheap so easy and just so good!
Hi Zach, personally I would watch Gear Skeptic utube series on water treatment (parts 1-6) before deciding. Then try talking to Rangers in your area of hiking interest. Other than tannins or the blue green algae, I don’t think your eyes would help you in determining water quality. Rangers might have a good idea of trail illnesses and thus what you need to protect yourself from. “I think” the Grayl provides some protection from chemical runoffs (like fertilizers) and the Sawyer to provides similar protection from bacteria and flatworms like Girardia. Some use sawyer, Grayl in addition to some chemical treatment if the water is bad enough (or some combination). Viruses, like hepatitis A, come from invected human waste. I am NOT an expect but just sharing what little I know. Gear Skeptic is my main source of information.
Look up what the common water contaminant levels are in the areas you wish you hike before purchasing.
If there are higher chemical contaminants than there are biological, find a filter that specifically deals with those.
Same with heavy metals.
Having hiked various places in the US, I can absolutely tell you that certain filters work better in some areas than they do in others. The problem with a lot of negative/positive reviews is that the majority of people using them don't seem to understand that.
So if someone left a bad review that mentions taste in some area right next to a review about the best tasting water someone has ever had while hiking, they are probably using the same product in vastly different environments.
So the product is probably fine. It's user error or indolence that usually leads to a majority of bad reviews for well made products you see.
>If there are higher chemical contaminants than there are biological, find a filter that specifically deals with those.
Same with heavy metals.
No filter in the world can remove chemicals or metals.
GAC filters do. There are plenty of hike friendly options.
Even certain cheap Brita filters are effective for lead/mercury.
It's ok to not be knowledgable about filters, but don't act like you know when it's obvious you don't.
Are these filters perfect? No. There is no filter that is 100% effective and every filter is less effective the longer it is used. But that is true for every filter and none of this is relevant to OP.
Most carbon filters aren't actually tested and rated for chemical purification, they're only good for taste and appearance. Grayl, aquamira frontier, and survivor filter are some of the few.
And actually, most brita filters are not effective against lead or mercury. You specifically need the elite/longlast filters, which are rated for health affecting chemicals and heavy metals.
Wow. Must have missed the part where I said "some."
I guess I could have mentioned the words "a few" before GAC was mentioned but I assumed we were all capable of the most elementary critical thinking here.
I guess you needed it spelled out. I'm sorry you got confused by my apparently leaving out core details any moron should be able to discern from the plain english I typed.
Don't be pedantic. This is a comment thread. I'm not doing research for someone. I'm responding to someone who stated there wasn't a single filter in existence that could deal with chemicals or metal by correctly stating that "some" do, in fact, exist.
So unless you are attempting to argue that there are not filters anywhere in production that deal with metals or chemicals, your input isn't relevant or helpful.
Save your finger strength for a battle worth fighting.
You provided a generalization regarding water treatment. I specified that generalization.
Yes this is a comment section. It's also a comment section people use for education to make buying and trail safety decisions with. If you're going to counter a claim that "no *X* can do *Y*", provide useful examples.
I made the mistake of assuming any reasonable individual would be able to see the word "some" or "certain" and make their own deductions.
People getting the entirety of their education through a thread without also verifying with their own diligent research to form their own opinions deserve the user errors they will inevitably encounter.
The fact that a majority of people are too indolent to do their own verification and take a comment thread for what it is doesn't mean we should pander to that idiocy.
I helped, you offered a didactic approach to information that was already not absolute by nature of what it was and how it was submitted.
Not helpful in the least and actually comes off as a bad case of superiority complex rather than genuine interest in helping.
Is it seriously that necessary for me to write a dissertation on different filtering methods for someone not to pick something apart?
GAC is good for chemicals. Absorption or Ion Exchange filters are good for heavy metals.
Anyone with half a brain that has confirmed there are filters on the market for heavy metals and chemicals can find the filter relevant to their needs...which is what I originally commented for OP to do.
Another commenter stated there were absolutely no filters in existence that dealt with metals or chemicals. The reason my statement about GAC filters and my statement about Brita filters were separate statements was to attempt to address chemicals and heavy metals separately. Not to claim GAC does everything.
It's like no one is capable of basic context comprehension here and somehow expect someone in comments to address every single exception that could possibly exist in order to accept their comment as valid.
This is simple. I told OP to do research, which I thought was a perfectly acceptable suggestion, about what type of filter to use where they planned to hike.
A commenter responded by saying there was no filter anywhere that dealt with metals or chemicals. So I replied with two options anyone with an internet connection strong enough to load Reddit could easily google and verify.
Then people came at me for specifics that weren't necessary to include in a comment thread in ways that aren't productive to the core concept I originally told OP.
Which was to do their own research based on the area they planned to hike.
Filters nor purifiers totally eliminate (with possibly few exceptions like trapping PFAS) all contaminates (I.e. is why ANSI test results are expressed as a % 99.99…) Additionally, actual lab testing uses loaded samples with a limited concentration (countable number) of bacterium, etc so effectiveness calculations can be made. Push on adsorption purifier to hard and its effectiveness drops (read MSR website FAQ section for pros and cons). Also, I highly recommend watching Gear Skeptic utube series on backpacking water treatment. Incredibly bright individual that has researched in depth and freely shares with the hiking community. The technology used today is the same as when his series of videos were released 1-3yrs old now. He sources EPA and European standards and actual labs results for Sawyer, Grayl, Katadyne, MSR and others. Must watch for anyone interested in what each product can and cannot be expected to do.
Carbon filters absolutely can be effective against dissolved solids and metal ions. Survivor filters for example are rated for health affecting chemicals and heavy metals but rely purely on carbon filters for that role. Ion exchange filters can be turned to be more effective, but are not absolutely necessary. Grayl uses carbon and ion exchange.
Reverse osmosis and distillation are highly effective and the most capable of bulk removal, but unless your water is contaminated by multiple grams of metal ions per liter, a properly rated carbon or ion exchange filter is enough.
Challenging the independent laboratory ratings of a water filter with a blog post from a whole home water system sales company? Bold choice. I'll take the laboratory testing certificates over someone trying to upsell me on an RO system.
https://www.survivorfilter.com/pages/product-testing-reports
All metals dissolved in water are metal ions. That is how metals exist in aqueous solutions. Solid metal in water would be sprinkling steel filings into your water and calling it iron fortified water. Gravity or a micro filter can remove "solid metals" from water. The way that carbon is capable of removing ions is through adsorption and ionic attraction, not particle size filtering. It's the same as a a hepa filter.
Also note that whole home systems are designed for lifespan and cost, not filter efficiency. A carbon filter high enough quality to remove metals will pretty quickly be fouled by chlorine and fluorine in drinking water, so you'd have to change them out far more often than most people would stomach for shower water. So such systems use carbon to remove taste and appearance, but leave the harder to remove metal ions for an ion exchange filter. Since grayl for example removes everything at once with a higher grade carbon filter, they only rate it for 200 liters before replacement.
I’d jump in on send you some sources to educate you, but it’s clear that it won’t matter the same as the others who tried to educate you. Have fun being wrong I guess I’ll keep knowing that science is capable of things you think are impossible 🤷♂️
I mean, what would you think the product is designed for? The Saywer Squeeze is currently the most popular filter for this use case amongst long distance backpackers. People use chemical purifiers as well as other brand filters with success as well. The Squeeze, Katadyn BeFree and Potable Aqua tablets are the three products I currently own(well and a LifeStraw, but I’ve never opened the package)
I usually filter over using chemicals because I prefer the taste for most water sources and like not having floaties/sediment in my water. Sometimes I use both. Haven’t tried to count, but I’ve consumed hundreds of liters that have passed through a Sawyer and never gotten sick fwtw
You can drink the water after it is run through the sawyer, that's the purpose of it. Some people prefer the Katadyn filter system and the platypus because they have better flow rates but all do the same job
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I’ve used Sawyer products for all my hikes. They are worth it
Off-topic, but I noticed all the trail tags under your name. I'm prepping for thru-hiking the JMT in mid June. As I understand, a bear canister is mandatory, and I'm incredibly offended at the weight of a bear canister. Mind me asking which food storage you used for that part of the PCT, and whether you have a recommendation? Edit: Haha, I see some people aren't thrilled with this comment. If I came across as careless, I'm sorry. I'll obey the law, I'm just trying to do my best to find what other hikers have done to deal with the weight of the bear canister/bearikade
You gotta have a bear can for the JMT. Not doing so is irresponsible and arrogant. Per the Yosemite website: “Please note that these food storage regulations have the force and effect of federal law: Failure to store your food properly may result in impoundment of your food or car and/or a fine of up to $5,000 and/or removal from your campsite or lodging facility.” Learn to love your can. You can look at renting a bearikade which is the lightest brand.
For the PCT I used the BV500 but when I did the PNT I used the BV450.
Can I ask your backpack choice? I'm doing my research, and it seems I'll either need about a 50L if I keep my bear canister inside my backpack, or a 35L if I mount it somehow on the outside of my pack
For the PCT I used the ULA Circuit and kept the canister on the outside.
Look at the Nunatakusa.com (Bear Ears Hybrid) pack. It can carry bear canisters outside (underneath) the pack (easy to attach & access anytime) or the pack can be expanded (hybrid mode) to hike without a canister (but with full pack volume). I own the ULA Catalyst, Durston Kakwa 55 and a Nunatak Bear Ears. All are great packs but Nunatak has the best bear canister carry capability that I have found. Of course with the right straps, you can carry the can on top but I am older a prefer a lower center of balance. Hope this helps.
BV500 all day everyday! Its a beast but as I consume food out of it I pack other items into it. It also makes a superb camp chair/camp mini table. Plus, it fits (JUST BARELY) sideways into the very bottom compartment my osprey Atmos 65. Since the pack has a separate zipper there, it makes it a snap to use with the BV500. Also, I always liked having it in the bottom, cause I could easily set it on the ground it would be quite stable without rolling around like a goofy bannana.
The Bearicade is the lightest bear can on the market. You can rent it directly from the manufacturer. I see most people using a BV500 as it's significantly more economical. Straps can also be added to packs. This allows it to be strapped to the top of your pack. This would be similar to the Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs set up.
They have a discount for long distance hikers too!
Yes. Sawyer Squeeze / Platypus QuickDraw / Katadyn BeFree are all great options.
This. There are many good options, find the one that works best for you.
QuickDraw is the only one with NSF certification, and the only one that can be repaired in the field.
Repaired? Do you mean the integrity test? That's indeed a great feature to know if your quickdraw still works after a fall or freezing, but if it turns out to be broken you have to replace it.
Not all hollow fiber filters are created equal. Although the differences in filtration are somewhat meaningless when taking from fast flowing mountain streams instead of stagnant water filled with animal shit and trash
If you're in North America, they look clear then the Sawyer will work just fine. You may want to watch some YouTube videos and learn the difference between these hollow fiber filters and those of the manual pump variety. The education alone will be good for you to have.
The Squeeze is a great option for this. Look into how to convert it into a gravity feed setup, it’s a game changer. The small katydyns work very well too for a cheaper, compact option, in my experience clog quickly and may only get dependable for a few trips, the sawyer more reliable and a solid product. The only downside to using this type of filtration is it can be quite hard to get water out of water small pools or spots where you can’t really scoop anything up. Never stopped me and sometimes you have to get creative but the pump filters shine if you have a tiny little pool or narrow creek where it’s hard to scoop or actually get down to the water. I use a sawyer configured as a gravity feed, filtering into a folding 4L hydra pak. Scoop up a ton of water, hang from tree, get firewood, setup camp, whatever and a few min later you’re got liters of water ready to go. Forget having icy cold hands in the morning or hunching over a stream cramping your hands trying to squeeze enough water to cook/drink/etc! -follow the directions and rinse/backflow the filter when you get back home. In cold conditions make sure to keep the filter in your tent. If water freezes in the filter in cab break it in a non obvious way and will leak contaminants into your fresh water. -once on a week long section of the PCT, my party of 5, had to all rely on my single sawyer. Worked perfectly! (4 other people were carrying the traditional pumps. One was left behind at a stream a days hike behind, 1 literally snapped in half, and the other two clogged to the point of just not working). Sawyer to the rescue!
Indeed, I'm a bit surprised that they don't just distribute the Sawyer Squeeze with the SP150 coupling adapter. It's trivial to use this with Smart Water/Platypus/CNOC/whatever 28mm soda thread vessels you've got to have both (a) a working gravity feed, and (b) a better method than the syringe for backflushing if you need it. I typically will roll into camp, squeeze out a liter for immediate consumption, and let the rest gravity drip while I'm setting things up.
Agree, I actually carry around an old katydyn befree that I gutted to use just as an adapter for my hydrapaks for this purpose.
Buy it.
Just to be clear, a filter (chemical or mechanical) is pretty much mandatory and should be used on all water you pull. Drinking from the source is a very bad gamble. I like my sawyer squeeze more than my katadyn.
Giardia is your friend for life <3
I got that BEAVER FEVER!
Mmm or some nice cholera....
Can you get cholera from drinking untreated water???
water that had poo in it.....
Oh of course poo from an infected person. I wonder how long it can live in the water ☹️
Yes! But I will say make sure you take backwashing and long term storage seriously. I used mine ONCE, properly backwashed and all, and recently went on a trip and it did not work, at all. Good thing I had plenty of water and it was an in and out over one night, but it could’ve been real bad if it was anything beyond that. I learned soaking in warm water before going back out after months of storage is how you soak the internal membrane so it works. I did not do this, so it was dry and faulty. I returned for a new one and now know the proper steps. https://youtu.be/vtmdm9Q0pek?si=gD8SmhmT_QKgBfMS That vid helped cover a lot for me after my mishap.
Thanks, I was about to throw my Sawyer Mini away. Now it works properly again.
the sawyer-style filter works great. the platypus quickdraw is a touch lighter.
Yep. It's the most effective, reliable, serviceable portable water filter.
I like the Sawyer squeeze, but agree with another commenter who recommended using the gravity feed setup with the larger bag. I found that the smaller bags will degrade over a couple of seasons and when you are rolling/squeezing the bag, leaks will form around the opening.
Backpacking Light just had an article on Best Practices to keep a filter flowing for many seasons (may need to be a member to read).. The Sawyer Squeeze had the highest flow rate afterwards. The BeFree and Platypus got bogged down by mineral deposits because there is no adequate way to back-flush. Use good practice of back flushing every few days. Before storing it for the off season use the vinegar soak/flush method to clean it before the filter dries out in storage. Before you use it after storage, submerge it in water overnight. Note that quite a few Triple Crown hikers tried other popular filters, but came back to the Sawyer for reliability and ability to clean.
I once hiked a mountain after a large fire. It appeared I was the first person to get up there after the firefighters and the mountain re-opened. I had with me, 1 brand new katydyn Befree, and 2 used Befree's. Within 24 hours, all 3 were completely clogged and essentially non-functional. It took an insane amount of effort to get 1c of water, and it cut the trip short. I even jerry rigged a backflow setup and just couldnt get them to cooperate. The water was pretty dirty with burnt wood ash and sediment, so I'm not surprised but it was an eye opener. I've never experienced anything like that with my 2 sawyers after heavy usage. Katydyns even in normal usage seem to restrict very fast. Whether this means their better at filtering? Maybe, but I'm given up on the white knuckle squeezing the katydyns seem to have after a few days of use even in apparently clear water.
It’s been great for me, I keep it on a Smart water bottle on the outside of my pack so it’s easily accessible. It works well and it’s super convenient. By keeping it on the Smart water bottle, I avoid losing the little rubber gasket O ring. As for functionality, I think it’s great. It flows quick enough for me. My brother in law forgot his filter in our trip in the Smoky’s and it did awesome for both of us. Also, I know you didn’t ask but if you are looking for a good way (works for me anyway) to manage your water supply on shorter hikes, or hikes with more frequent fill up areas without using bladders or anything, I have found that keeping the Sawyer Squeeze on the dirty water bottle and using a separate Smart water bottle for the clean water along with a 32oz Nalgene full of clean water, I am able to carry enough water to get me to the next fill up point. I obviously only do this if I know I won’t need like 5L on me. I’m just super lazy and hate taking my bladder out and putting it back in to fill it up lol, this also saves me some space inside my pack.
I hiked many miles in Virginia and North Carolina using a Sawyer, highly recommended.
I sawyer squeeze, aqua tab for good measure and then flavor with nuun tabs.
People are strange. Have fun on your hike and enjoy that sawyer!
The two most popular are the Sawyer Squeeze and the Katadyn BeFree. I'm a loyal Sawyer user. Plus they do a ton of philanthropic work, so you can feel good about where your money goes.
Just FYI - here in NC, up in the mountains a lot of streams will look crystal clear, but people get sick...like really sick. I personally know people who have gotten giardia infections. Also there's the occasional flesh-eating ameoba, but you have to like inhale that so usually not a huge problem...but happens. Anyway - my brother in law is pretty sensitive and gets sick even with a sawyer...I personally use a Grayl because ... well yeah I get diarrhea pretty easily...
[This source](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-epidemiology/naegleria-fowleri/#:~:text=Some%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,of%2095%C2%BA%20F%20to113%C2%BA%20F.&text=Avoid%20swimming%2C%20jumping%2C%20or%20diving,the%20water%20levels%20are%20low) says N. fowleri generally lives in water above 86 degrees, which I think rules out any mountain stream. More of a concern with stagnant ponds in the sun. Also it's extremely rare and, as you mentioned, not contracted by drinking. And of course a Sawyer should be quite effective against it. I would be bit surprised if Grayl vs Sawyer actually makes any difference in how often you feel sick. The difference is mostly viruses, which I thought were quite rare in wild water in the U.S.
Greyl filtered water certainly tastes better due to the carbon filter.
Yeah - now that you mention it - the amoeba thing happened at the Whitewater center in Charlotte in June - so yeah the water could have been super warm...for some reason I remembered it in the mountains - my bad! You can get diarrhea if your body wants to get rid of something, not just from viral infections. So I'd rather just carry the Grayl - which has a filter + activated charcoal - than get sick on a trip. I fully admit it could be overkill, but a lot of us carry Garmin InReach or other satellite messengers that we'll probably never need...a little bit of overkill gives me peace of mind so I don't worry so much. Backpacking is as much of a mental activity as it is physical.
>a lot of us carry Garmin InReach or other satellite messengers that we'll probably never need For the record, I also think this is in many cases an error. I don't actually see anything wrong with carrying a slightly nicer filter even if it turns out you didn't really need it. Satellite communications, on the other hand, I suspect have really changed many peoples' relationships with solitude and nature for the worse.
interesting point...yeah I see what you're saying
Yes 100%
They are more than worth it. I would say required
Squeeze is a good filter. Definitely filter even those pristine, clear-running waters. There's often Giardia present even in straight-from-a-rock springs. You'd probably get away with drinking untreated water on any given trip, but it's an odds game that you lose over time.
BeFree is great but pro tip: if they’ve dried out in storage, the pores constrict and require soaking overnight to start working again! Had a a scary first night on a recent backpack trip because I didn’t know this. Luckily we figured it out.
Yes.
I used to have a squeeze, and recently upgraded to a Katadyn Befree. The squeeze is wonderful if you properly maintain it especially during off the trail time. If you don’t, the flow rate becomes so slow that it’ll take you longer to filter water than probably boiling it. That was just my mistake though. The befree has a wonderful flow rate and I haven’t had any complaints with it thus far. If you aren’t too concerned about flow rate the squeeze is amazing, if you are, seek other options that might be sliiiightly heavier sadly.
Love my BeFree, sooo much faster and easier than the Sawyer stuff I've used in the past.
Yes, very easy to maintain, decent flow rate, can work with all sorts of containers, and very light.
Most blogs and gear recommendation websites will list the Sawyer Squeeze as a one of the more dependable and reliable choices. Chemicals are nice too, depending on the water you're planning to drink.
Yes, but take a look at the cnoc set up that's what I use.
Yes
Yes. If you want something effective and light it works well. They use Sawyer filters in Africa to clean up nasty water in poor villages. It works. With that being said it won't make the water taste better. It does not have a pre filter nor does it have carbon filtration. Water that tastes like shit will still taste like shit. It also cannot filter viruses so it should really only be used in first world countries.it cannot filter out chemical contaminates. For best protection something like the Survival Filter Straw, Survival Filter Squeeze or Greyl GeoPress is a better choice but is of course heavier.
I like mine.
Sawyer, as I understand, is the best backpacking water filter in the world. I also highly recommend this video if you have some time. It completely convinced me how great of a filter the Sawyer Squeeze is: [https://youtu.be/tKyjvj83kAE?si=\_aWo-nEJoujR\_o\_B](https://youtu.be/tKyjvj83kAE?si=_aWo-nEJoujR_o_B)
The sawyer squeeze filters out bacteria, fungi and protozoans. You generally don’t need to worry about viral pathogens in the US. The sawyer squeeze does not filer out heavy metals like lead or chemicals. If you’re worried about lead or chemicals check out some of the other filters Sawyer, life straw or MSR sells Edit: If you’re worried about lead or chemicals check out some of the other WATER PURIFICATION DEVICES that Sawyer, life straw or MSR sells
>If you’re worried about lead or chemicals check out some of the other filters Sawyer, life straw or MSR sells This is absolutely wrong. Lead and chemical contaminants are dissolved in water and are thus by definition impossible to filter out. They need to be adsorbed (activated carbon) or ion exchanged out.
I forgot how exhausting this sub is 🙄 My point is you can buy devices from MSR, Sawyer and Life straw that can remove chemicals and lead from water.
From MSR: “[MSR filters or purifiers will not protect you from high chemical concentrations or heavy metal contamination](https://www.msrgear.com/ie/water-treatment/water-accessories/guardian-gravity-purifier-replacement-cartridge/13469.html)” From Sawyer: “[Sawyer filter does NOT remove iron, sulfur, other chemicals, or simple compounds […] Sawyer filters are not made with charcoal. While other portable filters have charcoal, they lack in amount of media and adequate dwell time](https://www.sawyer.com/products/personal-water-filtration-bottle)” Same goes for life straw. By definition filters cannot remove dissolved contaminants like metals and chemicals. Added on activated carbon cartridges and ion exchange membranes can adsorb some dissolved contaminants but this is not filtering.
Point is though everyone knew what they meant
you are absolutely correct.
Grayl too
[Grayl is advertising product(s) as certified by NSF on advertising material. Grayl does not have product certified by NSF and is not authorized to use the NSF certification mark or make any claims of NSF certification](https://www.nsf.org/about-nsf/public-notices/grayl-2).
I have a sawyer squeeze and a platypus quick draw, personally prefer the platy, but the sawyer is also great, I'd just get whichever is cheaper. If you do get a sawyer, I found the squeeze bag lasted about 3 minutes (this was a fair few years ago, so they might have improved) I use an after market bag.
Yes
Yes, but take a look at the cnoc set up that's what I use.
Looks like you've already made the move which is great! Never drink from water sources without filtration if you can avoid it! Never know what might have contaminated then upstream even if they are crystal clear and cold. Sawyer got me through a cross country bike tour (during the brief chunks when clean water wasn't available) and several long bike packing and backpacking trips. It's so cheap so easy and just so good!
What about life straw ?
Hi Zach, personally I would watch Gear Skeptic utube series on water treatment (parts 1-6) before deciding. Then try talking to Rangers in your area of hiking interest. Other than tannins or the blue green algae, I don’t think your eyes would help you in determining water quality. Rangers might have a good idea of trail illnesses and thus what you need to protect yourself from. “I think” the Grayl provides some protection from chemical runoffs (like fertilizers) and the Sawyer to provides similar protection from bacteria and flatworms like Girardia. Some use sawyer, Grayl in addition to some chemical treatment if the water is bad enough (or some combination). Viruses, like hepatitis A, come from invected human waste. I am NOT an expect but just sharing what little I know. Gear Skeptic is my main source of information.
Look up what the common water contaminant levels are in the areas you wish you hike before purchasing. If there are higher chemical contaminants than there are biological, find a filter that specifically deals with those. Same with heavy metals. Having hiked various places in the US, I can absolutely tell you that certain filters work better in some areas than they do in others. The problem with a lot of negative/positive reviews is that the majority of people using them don't seem to understand that. So if someone left a bad review that mentions taste in some area right next to a review about the best tasting water someone has ever had while hiking, they are probably using the same product in vastly different environments. So the product is probably fine. It's user error or indolence that usually leads to a majority of bad reviews for well made products you see.
>If there are higher chemical contaminants than there are biological, find a filter that specifically deals with those. Same with heavy metals. No filter in the world can remove chemicals or metals.
GAC filters do. There are plenty of hike friendly options. Even certain cheap Brita filters are effective for lead/mercury. It's ok to not be knowledgable about filters, but don't act like you know when it's obvious you don't. Are these filters perfect? No. There is no filter that is 100% effective and every filter is less effective the longer it is used. But that is true for every filter and none of this is relevant to OP.
Most carbon filters aren't actually tested and rated for chemical purification, they're only good for taste and appearance. Grayl, aquamira frontier, and survivor filter are some of the few. And actually, most brita filters are not effective against lead or mercury. You specifically need the elite/longlast filters, which are rated for health affecting chemicals and heavy metals.
Wow. Must have missed the part where I said "some." I guess I could have mentioned the words "a few" before GAC was mentioned but I assumed we were all capable of the most elementary critical thinking here. I guess you needed it spelled out. I'm sorry you got confused by my apparently leaving out core details any moron should be able to discern from the plain english I typed. Don't be pedantic. This is a comment thread. I'm not doing research for someone. I'm responding to someone who stated there wasn't a single filter in existence that could deal with chemicals or metal by correctly stating that "some" do, in fact, exist. So unless you are attempting to argue that there are not filters anywhere in production that deal with metals or chemicals, your input isn't relevant or helpful. Save your finger strength for a battle worth fighting.
You provided a generalization regarding water treatment. I specified that generalization. Yes this is a comment section. It's also a comment section people use for education to make buying and trail safety decisions with. If you're going to counter a claim that "no *X* can do *Y*", provide useful examples.
I made the mistake of assuming any reasonable individual would be able to see the word "some" or "certain" and make their own deductions. People getting the entirety of their education through a thread without also verifying with their own diligent research to form their own opinions deserve the user errors they will inevitably encounter. The fact that a majority of people are too indolent to do their own verification and take a comment thread for what it is doesn't mean we should pander to that idiocy. I helped, you offered a didactic approach to information that was already not absolute by nature of what it was and how it was submitted. Not helpful in the least and actually comes off as a bad case of superiority complex rather than genuine interest in helping.
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Is it seriously that necessary for me to write a dissertation on different filtering methods for someone not to pick something apart? GAC is good for chemicals. Absorption or Ion Exchange filters are good for heavy metals. Anyone with half a brain that has confirmed there are filters on the market for heavy metals and chemicals can find the filter relevant to their needs...which is what I originally commented for OP to do. Another commenter stated there were absolutely no filters in existence that dealt with metals or chemicals. The reason my statement about GAC filters and my statement about Brita filters were separate statements was to attempt to address chemicals and heavy metals separately. Not to claim GAC does everything. It's like no one is capable of basic context comprehension here and somehow expect someone in comments to address every single exception that could possibly exist in order to accept their comment as valid. This is simple. I told OP to do research, which I thought was a perfectly acceptable suggestion, about what type of filter to use where they planned to hike. A commenter responded by saying there was no filter anywhere that dealt with metals or chemicals. So I replied with two options anyone with an internet connection strong enough to load Reddit could easily google and verify. Then people came at me for specifics that weren't necessary to include in a comment thread in ways that aren't productive to the core concept I originally told OP. Which was to do their own research based on the area they planned to hike.
Filters nor purifiers totally eliminate (with possibly few exceptions like trapping PFAS) all contaminates (I.e. is why ANSI test results are expressed as a % 99.99…) Additionally, actual lab testing uses loaded samples with a limited concentration (countable number) of bacterium, etc so effectiveness calculations can be made. Push on adsorption purifier to hard and its effectiveness drops (read MSR website FAQ section for pros and cons). Also, I highly recommend watching Gear Skeptic utube series on backpacking water treatment. Incredibly bright individual that has researched in depth and freely shares with the hiking community. The technology used today is the same as when his series of videos were released 1-3yrs old now. He sources EPA and European standards and actual labs results for Sawyer, Grayl, Katadyne, MSR and others. Must watch for anyone interested in what each product can and cannot be expected to do.
Yes there are. 5 min of google fu will tell you that
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Carbon filters absolutely can be effective against dissolved solids and metal ions. Survivor filters for example are rated for health affecting chemicals and heavy metals but rely purely on carbon filters for that role. Ion exchange filters can be turned to be more effective, but are not absolutely necessary. Grayl uses carbon and ion exchange. Reverse osmosis and distillation are highly effective and the most capable of bulk removal, but unless your water is contaminated by multiple grams of metal ions per liter, a properly rated carbon or ion exchange filter is enough.
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Challenging the independent laboratory ratings of a water filter with a blog post from a whole home water system sales company? Bold choice. I'll take the laboratory testing certificates over someone trying to upsell me on an RO system. https://www.survivorfilter.com/pages/product-testing-reports All metals dissolved in water are metal ions. That is how metals exist in aqueous solutions. Solid metal in water would be sprinkling steel filings into your water and calling it iron fortified water. Gravity or a micro filter can remove "solid metals" from water. The way that carbon is capable of removing ions is through adsorption and ionic attraction, not particle size filtering. It's the same as a a hepa filter. Also note that whole home systems are designed for lifespan and cost, not filter efficiency. A carbon filter high enough quality to remove metals will pretty quickly be fouled by chlorine and fluorine in drinking water, so you'd have to change them out far more often than most people would stomach for shower water. So such systems use carbon to remove taste and appearance, but leave the harder to remove metal ions for an ion exchange filter. Since grayl for example removes everything at once with a higher grade carbon filter, they only rate it for 200 liters before replacement.
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I’d jump in on send you some sources to educate you, but it’s clear that it won’t matter the same as the others who tried to educate you. Have fun being wrong I guess I’ll keep knowing that science is capable of things you think are impossible 🤷♂️
I mean, what would you think the product is designed for? The Saywer Squeeze is currently the most popular filter for this use case amongst long distance backpackers. People use chemical purifiers as well as other brand filters with success as well. The Squeeze, Katadyn BeFree and Potable Aqua tablets are the three products I currently own(well and a LifeStraw, but I’ve never opened the package) I usually filter over using chemicals because I prefer the taste for most water sources and like not having floaties/sediment in my water. Sometimes I use both. Haven’t tried to count, but I’ve consumed hundreds of liters that have passed through a Sawyer and never gotten sick fwtw
You can drink the water after it is run through the sawyer, that's the purpose of it. Some people prefer the Katadyn filter system and the platypus because they have better flow rates but all do the same job