Water Filtration System

Each of these 4 sets include a 16 oz reusable squeeze pouch, a drinking straw, and a cleaning plunger. Each filter is rated up to 100,000 gallons which is more than I plan to drink in my lifespan. They work well for filtering out bacteria. With the included straw you can drink directly from your water source. Also, you can fill a disposable water bottle from your water source and then screw the filter directly onto it as the filter will screw onto most disposable drinking bottles.

I've only had this set for 5 months but I have used them quite a bit during that time and have encountered no issues with water flow or anything else. It takes little effort to suck the water through the filter. I am always sure to backwash the filters after every use which is quick and easy to do and which is recommended by the manufacturer. If you need to drink from water which appears excessively dirty I would pre-filter the water as I can imagine you could clog this tiny thing up quickly that way.

This is perfect to take on a backpacking trip. They are very small and each filter only weighs a couple ounces. Not only is it way better than trying to haul a bunch of heavy water bottles around, it is a nice feeling knowing you will not run out of potable water...provided there are water sources in the area. Drinking directly from a pond with this tastes as good if not better than drinking from a bottle of water purchased from the store. For the going prices of this filter I find it to be the most economical compact water filter and it functions very well.

I love my mini sawyer water filter. It's so small, I don't mind taking it even in a fanny pack for a day trip. While I am often on Lake Superior and comfortable drinking the water, if there's any doubt, I now have the easy assurance of filtered water.

It's fast and simple and inexpensive. Very highly recommended.

The common complaint with the Sawyer is that the 'dirty' bags rupture when you are squeezing them through the filter. I never tried that, choosing to use the Sawyer as a replacement for my Platypus gravity, which means I wanted to hook a large bag to the intake and let the water drip into my clean bags.
Unfortunately, this requires a series of adapters that you can purchase from various companies, including Sawyer. extra money.
Plus I needed to make a pre-filter for the thing. These ultra-small micron filters clog so easily you MUST be aggressive in your pre-filtering. Although my Katadyn Hiker pump filter is more forgiving, the Sawyer is not. Check the internet for ways people have modified the Sawyer. It can be done and once accomplished, you have a good lightweight gravity filter.

So, if you want the Sawyer as a drink-and-go system I cannot help you, though the reviews say this works well, so long as you dump the supplied bags and replace them with decent bags. As a gravity filter, IF pre-filtered, it works very well indeed.