Sawyer filter usage

[Quixoticgeek]

Like nearly everyone on here I have a Sawyer Mini Filter, it's lovely and wonderful and I'm finding it really useful. Question I have for other users: How frequently do you back flush the filter with the syringe? Do you carry the fringe on all trips?

Julia

 

[Shewie]

I hardly ever carry the syringe, I've only taken it on one three week hike, for shorter trips I don't bother.

I always back flush a few litres and some bleach through when I get home.

 

[Teepee]

IME, every 3 days on average. I usually use a plumbed in pre-filter, lighter and smaller than the syringe and I'll get a weeks use before the flow starts slowing noticably.

At home, I never use the syringe. I use a tap adaptor from the Aquaguard filter and mains pressure on the kitchen sink.

Even filtering the clearest mountain streams pick up lots of debris. A pint glass can catch a lot of the backflush and you can see what the sawyer has taken out.

 

[Bishop]

Depending on the amount of crud in the water and/or if I've cobbled together a pre-filter from sand & moss etc then 2-4 days so for most trips I don't carry the syringe and only regretted it once.
Would be nice though if Sawyer put the same screw thread end on the output side of the filter that way one could use any plastic bottle that fitted to backflush it without needing to carry the syringe.

 

[Teepee]

Depending on the amount of crud in the water and/or if I've cobbled together a pre-filter from sand & moss etc then 2-4 days so for most trips I don't carry the syringe and only regretted it once.
Would be nice though if Sawyer put the same screw thread end on the output side of the filter that way one could use any plastic bottle that fitted to backflush it without needing to carry the syringe.

Agreed, that would be ideal. Often thought that msyelf. You can do second best though; make a hole in a spare bottle cap and push fit it onto the center pipe, means a drinks bottle can be used to backflush.

 

[Joonsy]

Would be nice though if Sawyer put the same screw thread end on the output side of the filter that way one could use any plastic bottle that fitted to backflush it without needing to carry the syringe.

Agreed, that would be ideal. Often thought that msyelf. You can do second best though; make a hole in a spare bottle cap and push fit it onto the center pipe, means a drinks bottle can be used to backflush.

A screw top off a small evo-stik wood glue bottle fits a platypus bottle (and pop bottle) and is ready-made for the job having a central hollow nozzle, just stick a bit of tube on the end of nozzle. Screw the top on a platy/pop bottle and shove the tube on the filter and squeeze bottle to backflush.

See photo below, the flow is not as fast as with the syringe, my only concern is bursting the platypus bottle through squeezing too hard but it’s been okay so far. I never carry the syringe as I don’t like it as it’s bigger than the filter itself. I have had the filter about a year and used it quite a bit, though mostly on relatively clear water on small streams and brooks, backflushing in the field has not yet been needed so I carry the homemade job as above just in case, though it has been tried at home I’ve not yet needed to use it in the field so it has not had a thorough test yet to see how effective it is on a dirty filter.

 

[Andy BB]

If you don't mind spending a few quid, Minibull Designs sell fittings to enable standard water bottles etc to back-flush the Sawyer. Let me see if I can find the page

Sawyer squeeze https://www.minibulldesign.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=208&idcategory=5


Sawyer Mini https://www.minibulldesign.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=222&idcategory=0

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Cheers

Julia

 

[Midnitehound]

There is also this one:

[video=youtube;AVi_-8GVOM4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVi_-8GVOM4#t=290[/video]

 

[Harvestman]

My question with these would be: could you, if you really needed to, filter your own urine with one of these (mine arrived in the post today) to extract drinkable water from it? I can't see a circumstance in the UK where such a thing might be needed, so it is just a theoretical question.

 

[BigMonster]

I don't think so. It filters bigger particles like bacteria and parasites. It won't work with chemicals like heavy metals, amonia etc which are solutions.

Also the biggest problem with urine is salt concentration, and separating salt and water is a big job.

 

[Harvestman]

I don't think so. It filters bigger particles like bacteria and parasites. It won't work with chemicals like heavy metals, amonia etc which are solutions.

Also the biggest problem with urine is salt concentration, and separating salt and water is a big job.

Thanks BigMonster

 

[Midnitehound]

Thanks BigMonster

Suggesting using your Sawyer to filter urine is beyond humorous, it is taking.............

Big Monster is quite right, don't tell him I said that, a Sawyer Mini doesn't filter viruses never mind defrosted yellow snow. To effectively recover water from urine you need expensive and bulky kit like NASA has on, oh say, the ISS. The Sawyer is good but it ain't that good. Keep this in mind when choosing your water sources. You are unlikely to get exposed to viruses in your water in the UK but heavy metals, pesticides, other chemicals are a distinct possibility if you aren't picky.

The evo-stik cap certainly looks like a good possibility as an adapter. The pic looks like a 125ml or above. The more pointy top off the 50ml Mini may well accomplish the same thing and is obviously cheaper.

You may be able to convert one of these by pulling the top apart and adding a tube. The thread is standard pop bottle, I have some.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Porta...K_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item259547f5ea