Water filter

[richard]

During the warmer months,when hiking in the mountains on day hikes, I’ll generally carry at least 3 quarts of water in my backpack. I was considering buying a sawyer water filter and bringIng less water. Does anyone else use these on day hikes? Do they work well enough that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything?

 

[ChrisB]

During the warmer months,when hiking in the mountains on day hikes, I’ll generally carry at least 3 quarts of water in my backpack. I was considering buying a sawyer water filter and bringIng less water. Does anyone else use these on day hikes? Do they work well enough that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything?

Don't know about the Sawyer, But when traveling in areas where I know there is likely to be water sources I carry a LifeStraw. In a pinch I've used it to get water out of solution pockets in boulders! Been using it for several years and never got Giardia or anything else.

At 20 bucks it's super affordable and it's performance is as good as most filters. Check it out. Oh yes, and its light weight compared to a traditional filter.

cb

 

[JoshandBaron]

I've used every iteration of the Sawyer and never carry more than 40oz of water in the Whites. The original Squeeze is easily the best. The Micro Squeeze clogs with every use, meaning you have to carry the backflush syringe and risk popping your bags, negating any weight or space savings. I popped 2 bags and broke the syringe on a 7 day trip last summer and had to finish the trip with AquaMira. The Mini doesn't clog as quickly as the Micro but it suffers from a decreased flow rate when compared to the Squeeze which also increases the risk of popping a bag. Also, the new lighter soft bags are awful. They are more difficult to fill in pools and are weaker than the ones they were making a couple years ago. Not sure if you can get the older bags but an alternative can be found with a little effort. Or you can use a SmartWater bottle.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I have been generally happy with my katadyn hiker pro. Not particularly light, but reliable, easy to use, and lighter and smaller than a liter of water.

Tim

 

[wardsgirl]

I rarely filter or treat water, but when I do, I've been using the Katadyn Be Free for the past few years.

https://www.katadyn.com/us/us/14946-8019639-katadyn-befree-0.6L_usa

It's simple to use. It's light. You can drink directly from the device or you can squeeze water from the device into another storage bottle if you choose to carry more water with you between sources.

 

[iAmKrzys]

I started out with Sawyer Mini water filter but ultimately switched over to using Steripen. My reasoning was that I didn't have a sensible way of verifying that my unit did not have any defects while with Steripen it is pretty clear if I am getting UV light working or not. Also, if you plan to use your filter in winter you need to keep it from freezing up.

 

[nartreb]

A filter is a lot lighter than a liter of water. The only problem is, you have to have water sources along your route for you to filter. That's not always the case on a day hike up a ridge in late summer. On the other hand, for a short hike you can probably get by just fine without drinking any water at all. The bottles and/or filter are for longer routes. There aren't many of those that don't have any water available.

Three or four liters should last you all day, even in the summer, unless your day hikes are of the thirty-mile type. Are you under-hydrated before you start? Consider downing a half-liter of Gatorade at the trailhead, and keep another one in a cooler in the car for when you finish the hike.

I've been happy with the Katadyn Hiker Pro for years, haven't looked at what else might be on the market. Easy to use, fits any bottle, low maintenance.

Besides the filter, I generally carry 1.5 liters of bottle capacity, and if I know my route I may hike with the bottles mostly empty between planned water stops. If I'm not sure I'll find water all day, I'll carry a little more, but I can't remember the last time I went over 3 liters.

 

[DayTrip]

I have been generally happy with my katadyn hiker pro. Not particularly light, but reliable, easy to use, and lighter and smaller than a liter of water.

Tim

Second this option. I was a Sawyer Squeeze user for the first few years I carried a filter. Super light and idiot proof but the bags can be annoying to get started and you need either some water flowing or a reasonable sized pool to fill the bags, which can be limiting. The pump style, while heavier, is far more versatile and quite a bit faster and is well worth the weight. You can pump water out of very small places that the Sawyer bags simply do not work in. I will generally carry my filter on any hike where I'll hit a water source versus carrying it all. Makes a big difference.

 

[DayTrip]

Besides the filter, I generally carry 1.5 liters of bottle capacity, and if I know my route I may hike with the bottles mostly empty between planned water stops. If I'm not sure I'll find water all day, I'll carry a little more, but I can't remember the last time I went over 3 liters.

My "default" set up is a 1L Nalgene, an MSR heavy duty 4L bladder and my Katahdin Hiker Pro filter (with all the accessories in a sea to summit bag with some of their filtration tablets). This weighs about 1.7 lbs (without any water). This way I have all the flexibility I need to carry as much or as little water as I need depending on what I planned. And if I changed plans, am thirstier than I thought I'd be (say from high heat), etc I'm covered. It's also helpful when I overnight. I can tank up the MSR bladder so I have plenty of water for cooking, drinking, etc. I very rarely have more than 3L on me at any time but have flexed up under certain conditions.

 

[alexmtn]

During the warmer months,when hiking in the mountains on day hikes, I’ll generally carry at least 3 quarts of water in my backpack. I was considering buying a sawyer water filter and bringIng less water. Does anyone else use these on day hikes? Do they work well enough that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything?

Always fun to see how various products stack up in the experience of hiking my friends. My issue with filtration and sterilization in whatever form is one of process rather than product. On a long hikes, I like to track the time I take, and I enjoy seeking and finding safe ways to optimize on the time dimension. One such optimization is to avoid taking the time to filter/sterilize. On a pemi loop, for example, schlepping 3L of water gets me to the end faster than 1L+filter. That said though, it makes total sense also to carry a squeeze/be free/lifestraw -- all pretty much weightless -- as backup.

 

[sierra]

This thread has been very helpful to me and timely as well. I have never filtered water in all my years hiking. I have always carried enough and used springs and huts when needed. Out west, I did use tablets on really longs hikes. In the last few years, its been tough carrying all my water for one reason, I hike with my dog. My dog always drank from natural sources, in fact, I never let him pass one up to save on water. But, I'm tired of the weight of all that water. I have another dog and this year, I'm going to filter to try and ease my pack weight. I am not getting any younger and have been trying ways to off set that fact to keep going at a reasonable pace. From the feedback here and from some you tube videos, I'm going to go with the Katadyn hiker pro. I like the way it flows, the bottle attachments are great and it last a long time. The weight it will save me, will certainly offset its own weight. It will also give me peace of mind. Nothing like not be able to drink on a hot hike, because your saving all your water for your dog. I ran out once last year, it was almost 90 and me and my dog went through about 90 ozs. in half our hike. I felt like the worst dog owner out there. Thanks for all the information.

 

[DayTrip]

I can unpack my Katahdin Hiker Pro and all its stuff, filter 2-3L of water and put it all away in 5-6 minutes at a comfortable pace. That is hardly much of a time penalty for safe drinking water. Using Sawyer bags and the squeeze was a much longer and more irritating process, especially based on the water source used. The weight of a pump style filter is more than offset by it's speed and efficiency in my opinion.

 

[TCD]

That's what I have, Katadyn (PUR) Hiker. Most non-solo parties usually have a faster hiker and a slower hiker, so if you plan correctly, the time it takes to filter is transparent to your overall timing. Practiced this to great effect for years when my wife and I were hiking the Great Range every year.

 

[egilbe]

I've been using the same sawyer squeeze for about 5 years now. I'm on my third 2 liter bag for it. They do start to leak after a year or two. I filter water for myself and my GF. I've never carried more than two liters of water anywhere in the Whites or along the AT. I've found I only need to backflush about once a week. I use a cut off water bottle if I need to scoop. I usually incorporate a water, filter stop with a food and rest stop anyway, so I'm not spending any extra time not hiking. Its about as simple as can be. The two liter size gives me extra water if I want to dry camp. I carry mine whenever I go out hiking. I don't always need it, or use it, on day hikes, but I have when its been very hot and I've sucked down water at a faster than expected pace.

 

[richard]

”Using Sawyer bags and the squeeze was a much longer and more irritating process, especially based on the water source used. The weight of a pump style filter is more than offset by it's speed and efficiency in my opinion.”

I was under the impression that you could connect the Sawyer squeeze directly to a water bottle and drink from that.Am I wrong ?

 

[alexmtn]

That's what I have, Katadyn (PUR) Hiker. Most non-solo parties usually have a faster hiker and a slower hiker, so if you plan correctly, the time it takes to filter is transparent to your overall timing. Practiced this to great effect for years when my wife and I were hiking the Great Range every year.

Great point -- slow the faster hiker(s) down so as to match the pace of the slowest hiker by assigning them a filtration chore -- with a payoff of needed additional water. A complementary tactic: redistribute weight so as simultaneously to slow the fast hiker down and speed up the slow hiker.

 

[iAmKrzys]

”Using Sawyer bags and the squeeze was a much longer and more irritating process, especially based on the water source used. The weight of a pump style filter is more than offset by it's speed and efficiency in my opinion.”

I was under the impression that you could connect the Sawyer squeeze directly to a water bottle and drink from that.Am I wrong ?

If I remember correctly Sawyer Mini fits a thread of Smartwater bottle.

 

[egilbe]

”Using Sawyer bags and the squeeze was a much longer and more irritating process, especially based on the water source used. The weight of a pump style filter is more than offset by it's speed and efficiency in my opinion.”

I was under the impression that you could connect the Sawyer squeeze directly to a water bottle and drink from that.Am I wrong ?

Nope, you aren't wrong. Having never used a pump style filter, I can honestly say that its not irritating using a Sawyer Squeeze. No mechanical parts to break. There's a reason the majority of the long distance hikers, that use a filter, are using a Sawyer squeeze. Almost every hiker you see hiking the AT is using one. You would think after hiking 2000 miles, they would know what works for them.

 

[DayTrip]

Nope, you aren't wrong. Having never used a pump style filter, I can honestly say that its not irritating using a Sawyer Squeeze. No mechanical parts to break. There's a reason the majority of the long distance hikers, that use a filter, are using a Sawyer squeeze. Almost every hiker you see hiking the AT is using one. You would think after hiking 2000 miles, they would know what works for them.

Most through hikers use the Sawyer Squeeze for the weight factor. They screw it right onto a Smart Water bottle which is indeed a very light and idiot proof set up provided you don't need a lot of water in between fill ups. It is also common in through hiker videos to see them go 15-18 miles with no water because they run out and then fill their Smart Water bottle in a nasty cattle trough. I think the process of a through hike is entirely different than a weekend or even week trip.

And don't misunderstand what I'm saying. The Sawyer Squeeze is a great product, is very reliable and well made. And carrying their fill bags is also extremely light and delivers comparable benefits to what I mentioned with my pump type set up. The filter screws right on those bags too. But it has trade offs depending on what you are doing, whether you use the fill bags versus screwing on a bottle, etc. If I was walking 2000 miles I might reconsider my pump style filter but for the most part I prefer that style of pump now over the Squeeze. The primary benefit is being able to obtain water in very small and/or awkward places where you simply can't stuff a Smart Water bottle. When I did Katahdin for the first time it was a very hot and humid day (I did Helon Taylor>Knife Edge>Table Lands over to Hamlin>Down Hamlin Ridge). I planned on filtering at one of the springs on the Table Lands (forget the name). When I located the spring it was a puddle the size of a coffee cup tucked under a large rock. If I had a Sawyer filter I would have been screwed. But with my pump filter I was able to quickly tank up 2L of water and be on my way. (I wound up drinking 6L of water that day and was still dehydrated). That was well worth carrying an extra 8-10 ounces in my pack that day.

 

[DayTrip]

”Using Sawyer bags and the squeeze was a much longer and more irritating process, especially based on the water source used. The weight of a pump style filter is more than offset by it's speed and efficiency in my opinion.”

I was under the impression that you could connect the Sawyer squeeze directly to a water bottle and drink from that.Am I wrong ?

The threads on the model I had would fit on any "conventional" thread beverage bottle, so soda bottles of various sizes, Smart Water bottles, the Sawyer bags, etc would all work. I believe that is still true but I am not positive. I think the Smart Water bottles are popular with through hikers because they come as big as 40 ounces and hold up well to wear and tear. That of course can be a big deal if you're in the middle of nowhere and your only water bottle gets a crack or a hole in it. So for roughly 4-5 ounces you have a water filtering system.