Ben, Thanks for the response. That would probably work if I had one of those first need filters already.

I had thought about replacing my sawyer with the MSR hyperflow since it would offer both modes.

Edited by heathpitts on 03/24/2012 13:36:46 MDT.

Any idea how well the First Need pump works with the sawyer filter on the intake? I have a first need and a sawyer and was wondering if it would work. Guess I could just try it...

As long as you are using it in the designed method of flow (pushing vs pulling) it should work great. Sounds like a good idea to non-destructively renew a worn out First Need and drop the weight at the same time. I assume you could back flush with it too.

John,

Can you give us your impression of how the Evernew bottle compares to the Platypus?

More so in terms of does the plastics seem as flexible and pliable as the Platypus and also as durable?

This could be the right solution to the Platypus bottles not threading to the Sawyer.

Thanks!

-Tony

On a recent overnight trip west of Tahoe I used the Sawyer squeeze filter in conjuction with the Evernew 1.5L "water carry" bag rather than the suspect bags provided by Sawyer for the dirty water. I'm happy to report that the Evernew bottle snugs up nice and tight to the filer with no concerns and is much more robust than the Sawyer bags.

Tony, I would say the Evernew bottles feel very similar, if not the same, as the Platypus bottles.

I also swapped the outlet cap on the Squeeze filter for a more friendly Smartwater sports cap.

> replacing my sawyer with the MSR hyperflow since it would offer both modes.
Before you do that, try reading our reviews of the Hyperflow:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/msr_hyperflow_microfilter.html

and the modified Hyperflow:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/msr_hyperflow_modified_cartridge_review.html

You might change your mind.

Cheers

Right now, I have a Hiker Pro. Love it because I have a Big Zip Platy, as does my hiking partner, so refills are a breeze... water tastes great, don't mind pumping for all of a minute or two.

My ONLY issue with it, is weight. But the more I consider getting a Sawyer inline, the more I think I wouldn't be saving all that much weight anyway? Say the Sawyer is 4 oz wet. Throw in a "Dirty Bag" @ 3 - 5 oz, and an optional fill cup, and you're around 9ish oz. The Hiker Pro is 10 or 11 oz.

Anyone wanna convince me why a Sawyer is the better option? I don't really like the idea of just dunking my bladder under water and drinking from it. Especially for thru-hikes, that's a long time of having your primary water storage be all dirty.

Sawyer Squeeze weighs 3 ounces

Katadyn weighs 11 ounces

I may get a Squeeze. I'd have a Platypus for dirty water. Squeeze filtered water into pint bottle.

With Pro, I filter water into the Platypus. I also have a pint bottle.

Pro and Squeeze have the same additional weight requirement, a Platypus and a pint bottle

I got two 2 L Evernew bottles a couple of years ago, and they are holding up just fine. I'll have to wait a couple more years to see if they get brittle as Platypus do after about 4 years. I'm glad to hear they're compatible with the Sawyer Squeeze, because I want to try one of those.

Note that Evernew bottles are slightly heavier than the corresponding Platys. However, their cap attaches to the bottle, so you can't lose it! This is part of the reason for their being heavier, but it means you don't have to carry an extra cap or two as I always did with the Platys. There is also an elastic cord, which is removable, to hold the bottle tightly when it's rolled up. The cord is nice, but not really necessary unless you are trying to squeeze all your stuff into a too-small pack.

I have several old Platys that are getting brittle, so I will have a good supply of dipping containers to pour water into the "dirty" bag.

Has anyone actually used the Squeeze filter as part of a gravity system? That would be the best of both worlds!

Edited by hikinggranny on 05/15/2012 20:47:24 MDT.

Alex,

Thanks for reporting back on your Tahoe trip and using the Evernew Bottles with the Sawyer squeeze filter.

The only issue for me is if I should swap out my current inline Sawyer filter to the squeeze bottle setup.

Mine has been serving me well for the past 4 or so years and should go on for many more years to come.

I wonder if anyone has done a comparison between the Sawyer inline filter vs. the Squeeze?

The main attraction to me is that I think that the Squeeze filter might hvae a faster rate of flow vs. the inline filter, which would give me a compelling reason to make the switch over.

I thought that BPL was going to have a review of the Sawyer filters?

If so, when is it going to come out????

-Tony

With the inline filter don't you need a second Platypus (or whatever) bag? That adds a little weight - maybe 1 ounce - so maybe not important. Also some extra tubing.

@ Tony: "I wonder if anyone has done a comparison between the Sawyer inline filter vs. the Squeeze?"

The filters are the same. The only difference is the connections. The only difference is rate would be due to the large openings on the squeeze, which is there to accommodate the different connections.

With the advent of the Steripen and Katadyn chlorine dioxide tablets I thought carrying water filters was "so '90s".

I have a PUR filter and a First Need filter that never, EVER go along with me any more except for car camping.

Do you guys really carry these filters for personal use or are you talking about some kind of group use?

> I thought that BPL was going to have a review of the Sawyer filters?

Indeed.
You may recollect my mentioning that I had a disasterous disk crash last year and lost everything for a while. This delayed all the reviews I was doing. The series on 'water treatment METHODS' is coming long nicely. No ETA yet, but I have been working on it this last week.

Cheers

Eric,

Everyone knows RETRO is in!

Sawyer squeeze = 3oz, possibly 4oz wet; dirty water bag = 1oz. So, 4-5 ounces total for the setup and no batteries or electronics to worry about. How much does your Steripen setup weigh?

Reliability - from the reviews I've read, it sounds like Steripen still has some issues to address. I've used a similar Sawyer filter for the past two seasons for up to a week straight with no problems so I have confidence in this setup.

I've used CLO2 tabs for shorter solo trips, but I really like the instant gratification of the Sawyer setup so I'll probably stick with it for now.

Edited by FeetFirst on 05/16/2012 17:25:27 MDT.

With an inline system, you don't need a second "clean" water bag. You can just get by with your "dirty" bag, a filter and something to connect the two. Just drink right from the other end of the filter. For around camp, it isn't hard to setup a gravity system, and use other things (cook pot, for example) as your clean water bag.

I could also see doing the opposite, just having one "clean" bag. You would need something on the other end, of course, but this could basically be a cut off platypus (saving some weight). This would probably be the fastest way to get your water, using the "sip and go" method. Every so often, when you cross a creek, just stop, pull out the filter and cut bag (which would be connected to each other) stick the thing in the stream, hold upright and drink. No attaching or detaching. Use the clean bag for when you want to have a bunch of water available (around camp or on sections where you have to carry water). If their are a lot of water sources, the "sip and go" method can be a great way to quickly meet your hydration needs while never carrying water.

Having two bags gives you flexibility. If you are traveling with two people, one person can carry a dirty water bag, while the other carries the clean one. If you are on a section where water isn't plentiful, then fill them both up. Drink out of the clean one first. This means that you have plenty of capacity, while keeping your weight low.

The thing is a few years ago a filter would need a pump (inline filters were a slow joke), weight 10 oz and up and with a .2 micron pore size it'd take some pumping to get a decent amount of water. And they would clog easily plus other common failure reasons.

This Sawyer is like it's too good to be true. Is it? Am I missing something?

I am just curious why some of you are saying that the Sawyer Squeeze won't thread onto a Platypus bladder?
I have read numerous accounts of the stock Sawyer bags being fragile, so one day I decided to see if the Sawyer would attach to my 2L Platypus bladder. It screwed right on, nice and tight, with no leaks.
What am I missing here guys? Are certain Platy bladders not compatible?

Hi Inaki

Those were my thoughts too.
But since working on the survey of treatment methods, I am starting to think you are not missing anything here. Testing continues, but ...

Cheers

Hi David,

I purchased a new 2L platypus from REI a few months ago and it was not able to securely screw onto my Saywer squeeze filter. I guess I should say that it kind of screwed on, but not very well, and that it leaked when used with the filter. You can visibly tell that the threads don't match up.

How old is your Platypus? Perhaps there are some that work? I have been using both 1.5L and 2L Evernew bladders which work with the Sawyer Squeeze.

Edited by johnnyh88 on 05/17/2012 06:48:13 MDT.