Does anybody have any experience with the Sawyer inline purifier filter and especially the flow rate. There is a field test on this filter on the internet at http://sectionhiker.com/2008/04/30/sawyer-inline-water-filter/
and the result was that the flow rate of this filter was terrible. Another question I have on this filter is that I don't think it has any carbon in it to take out bad tastes or color of water? I do like the filter in that it removes bacteria, virusus, and protozoa. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I've used it.

Good:

Effective against all 3 types of baddies -- viruses, bacteria and protozoa.
Fairly compact
Easy to suck (as an inline filter)
Gravity feed option


Bad:

No carbon element -- so foul tasting water will still come out tasting the same (may not be an issue if you hike in places with decent water sources)


Ugly:

Needs to be primed (flushed with faucet water using a faucet adapter) prior to use. Not just the first time, but anytime the purifier element has dried out (i.e. whenever stored in-between trips). If you don't flush prior to use, then it's extremely difficult to get water through. This is what happened to the reviewer you linked -- he flushed his purifier when he first got it, but didn't flush it again prior to his trip. Carrying a damp purifier means more weight and more mess -- but you will have to with this purifier.

Edited by ben2world on 05/31/2008 11:48:10 MDT.