SawyerProducts Mini Water Filtration System

The Sawyer Mini is an excellent bit of kit for those occasions where one cannot carry enough drinking water, and where weight carried is a prime consideration. There’s not a lot that can be added to Sawyer’s technical overview of the unit, suffice to say, provided that it is used correctly, it works. – Competently, and with a minimum of fuss!A couple of points worth noting are: -1) Some reviewers suggest that Sawyer’s collapsible water bags are very difficult to fill, unless there is a strong flow of water. The simple way to ensure that the bottle fills easily, regardless of whether there is strong water flow or not, is to “inflate” the bottle before presenting it to the water supply - by blowing into it as if you were blowing up a balloon.Of course this advice comes with the caveat that your mouth will come into contact with the bottle’s outlet, which may carry contamination from previous fillings with unfiltered water. Only the user in the particular circumstance involved can decide whether there might be any riskinvolved.2) It has been suggested that the threads of the Sawyer filter are the same as those of other makes of collapsible bottle such as Platypus,and of various plastic drink bottles.I cannot comment on the use of plastic drink bottles, but I can say definitively, that the threads of Platypus collapsible bottles are NOT exactly the same as those of the Sawyer Mini.Although a Platypus will actually screw onto the Sawyer, it will only do so with a very slight “cross threading”. In the case of the Platypus bottles I’ve tried, this resulted in a slight seepage of water from around the unfiltered “neck” side of the Sawyer. Meaning that unfiltered watercould easily end up in whatever filtered water container was being used at the time. The seepage increases when squeezing the Platypus in order to speed up liquid flow through the filter.Personally I’ve not had any real problems in using Sawyer’s own bottles, although I find the 32oz. is much to be preferred over the 16oz.The one small gripe I do have, and the distinct advantage a Platypus bottle would have, (assuming a perfect connection to the Sawyer could be made), is that the Platypus range includes a fully transparent bottle, so its content can be seen and inspected for any obvious debris or other matter. It also makes it easy to see whether the inside of the bottle has been properly cleaned and dried before long term storage.EDIT (27 May 2016)One reviewer has given a one star rating which, on the basis of his comments, I think is inappropriate.I have made a comment on that particular review, but copy that comment here, as I think it has some general relevance: -The Sawyer Mini is designed to filter out bacteria and protozoa. It is not designed for, and will not, remove dissolved solids, (which consist of minerals, salts, metals, cations, and anions dissolved in the water), Neither will it filter out chemicals in general, nor any associated tastes or smells.Totally pure water is virtually electrically non-conductive, whereas any "non-pure" water will have some measureable degree of electrical conductivity. TDS meters use this conductivity in order to display the amount of dissolved solids present in the sample being tested.Since dissolved solids won't be filtered out by the Sawyer Mini, it is unsurprising that filtered/non-filtered TDS meter results would be the same. To give the product a one star rating based on an assumption that it should be doing something it was never designed for, is, in my opinion, not justifiable.There is plenty of information on the Mini's technical specification, along with numerous FAQ's as well, on the Sawyer website. Elsewhere, there is plenty of online information to be found on Total Dissolved Solids in drinking water.Reverse Osmosis, Activated Carbon type filters, Deionisation, and Distillation, are all options that will remove some, but not necessarily all, dissolved solids.

It's smaller than my Katadyne Hiker Pro. It filters better (Katadyne 0.03 microns - Sawyer 0.01 microns). It will last waaaaay longer than the Katadyne. It's less than half the price, and it fits in my pocket.All these reasons the Sawyer wins, or otherwise outdoes my Kat. Yet. I still really don't like using it.Trying to get water into those silly, fiddly little bags is a ballache. Then trying to squeeze it into your mug, or whatever is also awkward. God help you if you've injured a hand.Also, while you're farting around getting water into your bottle, there's water dripping everywhere, which makes it very difficult, in my opinion, to keep potentially unhealthy water out of your drinking water.I carry it when on the moors with the dog. I have used it under such conditions, and I wasn't ill. But I treat it as an absolute last ditch survival item. Which is what I think it is.I am going to try it with a squeezy bottle instead of the bag. And also, use it as a drip filter to see if I get on with that method better.But, I think, if I want water at the riverside, whilst on the move, I'm sticking with my Kat. Bigger, heavier, not as efficient at filtering (though more than adequate for the UK). But simple, easy, quick and keeps both ends of the supply seperate from each other, and doesn't need any bags.To be honest, some of my most pleasant memories include sitting on a rock by the river, dangling my Kat hose in the water and pumping a few litres whilst looking at the scenery around me. (Rather than bent double, cursing and more likely to fall in the scenery than to appreciate it.All this is a matter of personal preference, at the end of the day, but for me, it all comes down to those stupid bags.I love that the filter fits coke bottles and radiators and all that, but, you know.Try one. They work. It does exactly what it claims to do. It may be perfect for you.But if I'm carrying both, I know which one will get used.

Works well and useful to have a spare. Great price, thanks