Posted: 12/24/2025 12:18:52 AM EDT
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I'm sure this has been discussed before what personal water filter to ger, stick with name brands or go cheaper? thabks |
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Lots of folks use the Sawyer Squeeze systems and a filter bottle too for convenience. Sawyer makes several types. I’ve got an old large filter we used in the scouts but it’s too heavy for just me anymore. The lighter ones like the squeeze are pretty nice. |
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+1 Sawyer mini I've have a handful of them and have used them many times hiking and camping. They come with pretty much everything you need in the kit. Theres some extra accessories too. They can be used with the roll up 1ltr water bags, in line with hiking pack bladders, or a few other ways. They can be back flushed and cleaned and can process a very large amount of water. They used to be on the shelf at wally world, but any outdoor supply place should have them if you're in a pinch on the road. |
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We have a couple of these, they work well and fill a camelback quickly. Katydyne Vario We also carry Lifestraws as a backup, and I have a Steripen UV filter also as a backup, but its a bit slow/limited. |
| I like the full size Sawyer Squeeze.. I find the mini does not flow enough for me. I also dislike the Sawyer bags, I've popped a few, some with hardly any force. This appears to be the way to go https://www.amazon.com/Cnoc-Outdoors-Container-Thread-Orange/dp/B07QBQ894L |
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| I prefer the Katadyn BeFree, it’s nice not having to backflush, deal with dirty & clean water containers, etc. Filter life is given as 1000 liters, it’s probably quite a bit less in the real world but I replace mine every year and keep a spare or 2 on hand. My bottle is 7 or 8 years old and hasn’t leaked a drop. |
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Originally Posted By JackRebney: I like the full size Sawyer Squeeze.. I find the mini does not flow enough for me. I also dislike the Sawyer bags, I've popped a few, some with hardly any force. This appears to be the way to go https://www.amazon.com/Cnoc-Outdoors-Container-Thread-Orange/dp/B07QBQ89 |
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Originally Posted By mvmm: I'm sure this has been discussed before what personal water filter to ger, stick with name brands or go cheaper? thabks The answer is the same as it was decades ago. Water is one of the most important things you prep for…. There is only one water filter on the market that has a warranty and it’s for Life, on the Katadyn Pocket. Not cheap, but when I was shopping for a filter 20 years ago, there was a display setup at REI where you could play with the pump filters in a fake stream. Every plastic filter was broken in the display and the only one not broken was the metal Pocket…. If these filters can break in 70F indoor conditions, I’d hate to rely on one in the winter to keep me alive. |
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Originally Posted By JackRebney: I like the full size Sawyer Squeeze.. I find the mini does not flow enough for me. I also dislike the Sawyer bags, I've popped a few, some with hardly any force. This appears to be the way to go https://www.amazon.com/Cnoc-Outdoors-Container-Thread-Orange/dp/B07QBQ894L Ditto. My first hiking/hunting filter was one of those huge Katadyn Combi pumps (still have it somewhere), then the smaller Katadyn Hiker (still have it somewhere). The Sawyer Squeeze was a godsend. The bags do suck. I carry flattened Smartwater one liter bottles. One is marked with black tape...it's the dirty water collector. Two are for filtered water. Tried the Minis. Like you said, they are much harder to use. Makes a difference if your hands are cold. The only drawback on any Sawyer is you cannot let them freeze after use. The freezing messes up the fibers inside. If I'm camping in cold weather, the Sawyer is in a pocket next to my body. I'll pass on a tip for this system.... Figured this out when I arrived at a camp I was told had a great water source. It did. A shallow pool below a slow seep. I recall the mosquito larvae jerking around in it.  The pool was too shallow to submerge a liter bottle. I made a little cup from a small plastic water bottle....cut the top half off. I could gently avoid the larvae and dip out a few ounces at a time until I filled the dirty water container. The little cup can be crushed and weighs nothing.
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