Dimensions - 5.5 inches tall, 1.4-inch diameter Dry Weight - 2 ounces Filtration Lifespan - 100,000 gallons (requires occasional backflush cleaning) Operation Type - Suction, inline, squeeze from included pouch, or screw onto a bottle The same holds for a gravity filter configuration, . The filter was backflushed with 2 liters of cold tap water using a soft bottle with hand-squeeze pressures as high as possible. The folks at Sawyer sent us one to test. At home today, I "checked" filter, and it seemed to work. Most Sawyer kits come with a pair of these already, but I wanted to add a pre-filter to my gravity-feed system. And yes OP, it does the trick. Backflushing my Sawyer Squeeze - Keeping a great flow rate Whether in the field, or at home, keeping a good flow rate on your Sawyer Mini, Micro, or Squeeze comes from backflusing it. The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System is a lightweight and versatile product, weighing in at just 2 ounces and fitting in the palm of your hand makes this product very attractive to those hikers looking to save on weight and space in their packs. Hiked the Colorado trail last year, used the Sawyer One, without need to backflush once for the entire month @ about 5 to 6 L/day. The Sawyer Mini is one of the lightest and most versatile options we've tested and a reliable filtration system for personal use. According to my scale (1.85 oz) the new Micro Squeeze Filter is even lighter than the 2.0 oz Sawyer Mini Filter. This is thanks to its relatively larger size compared to other Sawyer filters, such as the Mini. I know most backpackers use the Sawyer Squeeze and that most reading this will want to hear how the two compare, so that is the angle by . Works pretty well. For backpackers, hikers, and campers, the Sawyer MINI is a tiny water filtration device that won't take up any space in your pocket or pack. Sawyer offers the most technologically advanced and durable, yet incredibly simple to use water filtration solutions on the market. My first Sawyer water filter was the Mini Squeeze, which had a terrible flow rate that made it a piece of garbage. Lifestraw was very badly pointing out that without proper backflushing the unit will clog on the intake end. Backflushing means pushing water backward through the filter to remove the dirt and grime built up on the filter. The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System may fit in the palm of your hand. Rather, you can instea d insert your Lifestraw personal water filter through the opening. Use the included syringe to backflush the filter to maintain a high-flow rate. Purewell Personal Water Filter Straw alternative to LifeStraw Original or Sawyer Mini K8625 Model: K8625 Net Weight: 50g Flow Rate: 800ml/min Life Span: 5 years Filter Accuracy: 0.01 micron (minimum) Product Size: . However, it possesses the highest level for filtration. Ideal for outdoor recreation, hiking, camping, scouting, domestic and International travel, and emergency preparedness. You end up flushing the same few filaments over and over. Fill up your Sawyer cleaning plunger with clean water and shoot it through the filter in the opposite direction (against the flow arrow). Why not backflush with water first and then backflush with air (in both directions), in an attempt to remove water from inside filter. high performance High-performance 0.1 Micron absolute inline filter fits in the palm of your hand and weighs just 2 ounces; 100% of MINI units individually tested three times to performance standards by Sawyer. For backpackers, hikers, and campers, the Sawyer MINI is a tiny water filtration device that won't take up any space in your pocket or pack. When inserting the syringe, you have to be really careful when pushing the water. Second, take the backflushing syringe along! The critical component to Sawyer's filters is their Absolute Micron Filtering Technology. Clean up is easier with BeFree just rinse it out, Mini can backflush BeFree has a larger mouth (43mm) so filling it up is easier but is hard to find bag attachments. Hydropak makes a large one. The filter weighs in at 2 ounces and everything all together is only about 3.7 ounces. Both filters are inexpensive and easy to use. . Backflush the filter with water and force a bleach solution through the filter media. Quantity. Add some water residue to the equation, and it ends up weighing around 1.8 oz. Place the tip cap of the syringe onto the Sawyer MINI's opening and press down to push water through the filter. Total weight is 102 gr / 3.6 ounces. This small-size-big-value backpacking water filter is manufactured by US-based Sawyer Products. I back flushed our Sawyer mini last night, I have always backflushed this one with syringe after every trip, and was able to flush some gunk out of that too. This is likely why the Squeeze has a much better guarantee than the BeFree. 29 Continue this thread The Sawyer Mini is just about the same but only comes with one 16 ounce bag, the filter, a straw, and the syringe for backflushing. 4) BeFree has a larger mouth (43mm) so filling it up is easier but is hard to find bag attachments. Sawyer Filters Save Rural Families in Fiji over $600/year. You can use a smart water flip-top to backflush both the mini and regular squeeze. Although, I would recommend the full size Sawyer. Evidently, the minerals in tap water are enough to clog the filter once it dries out. While the Sawyer dual-threaded Mini Water Filter is similar, the Versa Flow has a faster flow rate because it's a larger and longer filter, it has end caps that stop the filter from leaking into your backpack and onto your clothes between uses, and a transparent inspection window so you can see when it needs to be backflushed to clean it. ounce squeeze bag - 24 gr / 0.85 ounces. Weight As the name suggests already, the Mini is smaller than the Squeeze, meaning it weighs less. Backwashing with warm to hot water will loosen the dirt up. Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System - Blue. Filter will also fit the threads on most bottles of water that you buy at a grocery store . Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System -- You want to fill up your tub and sinks before a hurricane to help ensure you have water for cleaning dishes and flushing the toilet. I tested the flow rate of backflushing the Sawyer Squeeze, Sawyer Mini, and Sawyer Micro using three different methods: 1. . 2 liters per minute. The MINI, Micro Squeeze, and Squeeze Filters are our most popular options for camping and hiking. Photo: Sawyer. The new mid-sized Sawyer Micro Squeeze Filter with the new squeeze pouch is 1/2 the weight of the full-sized Sawyer Squeeze filter with the old squeeze pouch. The flow rate of the filter (Q_backflushed) was measured again. The trick to a successful backwashing is to be very forceful with the process. Weighing all of 2 ounces, the Sawyer Mini comes with a 0.1 Micron absolute hollow fiber membrane inline filter. Specifically, it removes 99.99999% of all bacteria and protozoa. Learn a lightweight and super. Sawyer was established in 1984 and is a renowned manufacturer of solutions for protection against insects, sun, and water-borne contaminants. The Sawyer Mini Water Filter is so versatile you can drink directly from a stream, use inline, attach to a bottle of water and drink through like a straw, or attach to the included Sawyer Squeeze Pouch, for easy effective, filtration. The Sawyer Mini, on the other hand, includes a . It is tiny, very portable, works with the included flask or your standard disposable water bottle, and lasts for 100,000 gallons. The Lifestraw is much longer compared to the Sawyer Mini, which means it doesn't have the ability to link to a hydration pack or bottle. The syringe is used as a backflush for the filter to keep the flow-rate right and to ensure its longevity. The Sawyer Mini is a revolution in water filtration. The Sawyer Micro Squeeze is the latest in Sawyer's ongoing line of palm-sized hollow-fiber water filters.In theory, the Micro combines the flow-rate of the Sawyer Squeeze with the weight savings of the Sawyer MINI.Like its older brothers, the Micro is versatile and easily connected to any 28mm water bottles, including, of course, the beloved Smartwater Bottle. If I would fill a Sawyer Mini or Sawyer Squeeze fully with a (saturated) salt . and sized to fit in the palm of your hand, the Sawyer Mini water filter is one of the lightest, most compact filters available, and you can use it to drink straight from a stream. With the help of Sawyer filters, Fiji will become one of the first nations with a border to border clean water solution. Sawyer Mini Water Filter 16oz Weighing only 2 oz. If you're looking for a simple and lightweight filter that can be carried on day hikes and backpacking trips look no further than a Sawyer Products Squeeze or Mini filter. It's a bit more expensive, but the Squeeze is the filter we feel more . Sawyer filters will bring clean water to the nearly 25% of the population that does not have access to a treated water supply. Unlike the Squeeze, the BeFree cannot be properly backflushed. Hydropak makes a large one. It does not treat viruses, though. Backflushing - Like all filters, a little maintenance is required. Sawyer filters have very strong fibers (see Fiber Strength Study) and are capable of handling up to 40 PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) of pressure. To backflush the water filter, reserve a batch of clean water, then fill the included syringe with this batch of water. We think the Squeeze is a bit more durable, plus the larger filter size means you can go longer between backflushes. When the hour is over, you drain the bag and allow everything to dry out. Then there was a Phantom guess. It helped that I inserted a 75 micron nylon screen . The MINI filter removes 99.99999% of all bacteria (like salmonella) as well as other harmful bacteria which causes cholera and E. coli and 99.9999% of all protozoa such as giardia and cryptosporidium. Here's the 30ml (marked 35ml) next to the Sawyer supplied 60ml unit. The Sawyer Tap filter connects directly to faucets by means of a rubber seal. Doing soft flushes creates "Paths of least resistance" that make flushing out the entirety of the filter nearly impossible. THE BACKFLUSHING: You get a plunger with the Micro which is for backflushing your filter. Back-flushing at home after each trip makes sense, much like putting fresh batteries in your headlamp. (In fact, it significantly exceeds EPA guidelines.) The Sawyer mini will filter down to 0.1 microns, and anything that small is definitely invisible without a microscope. The Sawyer Mini we received for testing. For example, if you live to be 80 years old and drink 1 gallon of water per day, you will have drank only 30,000 gallons of water. The seal is designed to connect to faucets 17 to 20 mm wide. The Sawyer Mini is has the same level of filtration as the PointOne, just lighter and . There will never be mold inside of the fibers. The mini just has a slower flow and clogs quicker, that's why people prefer the squeeze. The Sawyer MINI along with included 16oz pouch, drinking straw, and a cleaning syringe for backflushing. . Sawyers lightest and most versatile personal water filtration system, the Sawyer Mini Filter weighs just 57g, fits in the palm of your hand, and provides 0.1-micron absolute filtration removing 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E.coli, and removing 99.9999% of all protozoa Dirty water goes into a 1.5L Evernew. You can use a bottle or cleaning plunger to backflush the filter. - According to Sawyer's Website you should use a high amount of pressure when backflushing your filter. . For a day hike or overnight you could just carry MicroPur tablets as a backup. Sawyer Syringe (31 grams) 2. As I mentioned above, the backflushing only goes so far when cleaning out your Sawyer. About two months ago when returning from backpack camping, I backflushed sawyer mini at home. However, it's not really convenient because there's always a chance of spillage. Use the force! It's extremely light at just two ounces, but it's a powerful tool that will filter out over 99% of bacteria and protozoa from water sources you find on the trail. Backflushing will keep your Mini flowing strong and it's . It is 0.6oz with packaging vs the Sawyer at 1.2oz, so the saving in space and weight is minimal. The sawyer mini is rated to filter 100,000 gallons (380,000 liters)- That's more water than you will drink in your entire lifetime. After it is connected, it is capable of filtering up to 500 gallons of water per day. Differences: 1) BeFree's flow rate is a lot faster. The first thing you notice is the size and weight. The Sawyer Squeeze is the big brother of the MINI. That's a tenth of what Sawyer claims for the Mini but maybe it's more realistic? Finally, screw the lid onto the bottle and drink from the spout as needed. Sawyer Mini lets you filter up to 1000 gallons of water without worrying about carrying around heavy, bulky equipment. Use the included syringe to backflush the filter to maintain a high-flow rate; Includes: Mini Water filter . Both the Mini and the Squeeze technology are rated to 0.1 micron pore size and remove 99.99999% . Ultralight Tips: Backflushing A Sawyer Filter (The Light Way) 30,356 views Feb 17, 2015 No need to carry around that heavy syringe to backflush your Sawyer filter! In the bench study, two replicate filters were used from each brand. Honestly, mold growth is almost impossible to prevent completely. Fun fact: you can also backflush the Sawyer with a water bottle and a sport cap.If you remove the top of your Sawyer, you can fit the small black spout directly into the sport cap and squeeze (clean!) Here, there are fewer parts to keep track of and lighter weight to carry. Get rid of all those weird bacteria colonies living inside your Sawyer Mini Filter right now! . The Sawyer Squeeze can filter 2 liters of water per minute, while the Mini can only filter 1.1 liters per minute. For group camping, we . It works in many configurations. It's got the same impressive 100,000-gallon lifespan, but it's a bit bigger and weighs an ounce more. The SP129 is sheer genius and the Mini continues that trend. Mini can filter 100,000 gallons vs BeFree's 264 Clean up is easier with BeFree just rinse it out, Mini can backflush BeFree has a larger mouth (43mm) so filling it up is easier but is hard to find bag attachments. Features Hollow-fiber membrane offers a high flow rate; sip on the Mini like a straw and it filters the water while it's on the way to your mouth The higher you get the dirty water bladder above the filter, the faster it goes. Carrying the Mini and straw separately in a shoulder strap's pocket lets me drink directly from water sources on the go, carry up to 3.5L of water on a dry stretch using the Evernew, and backflush via the Smartwater fliptops. The Sawyer Mini is rated to filter up to 100,000 gallons of water whereas the LifeStraw is rated only to 1,000 gallons, a significant difference. 2) Mini can filter 100,000 gallons vs BeFree's 264. This uses tiny U-shaped micro-tubes that allow water to enter into micro-pores while other harmful particles are unable to enter (check out their YouTube overview here as well).. . LifeStraw recommends that you backflush your filter by blowing back into the straw in order to remove any remaining water trapped in the filter. . The water used to backflush the Sawyer Mini's filter should be clean in advance (kind of ironic), therefore you will ensure there is no accumulation of undesired particles or other sort of microorganisms (such as bacteria growth). How to Backwash a Sawyer Mini Water Filter? After that, put the cap back on or close the filter cap and let the filter sit for an hour. It's hard to get enough pressure by squeezing the hard plastic bottle. Lightweight The pack comes with the filter itself - 38 gr / 1.3 ounces (dry weight), the syringe for back flushing - 33 gr / 1.2 ounces, a drinking straw - 7 gr / 0.25 ounces, and a 1/2 litre / 16 fl. Backwashing a Sawyer Filter Backflush With Filtered Water: Start off by backflushing the filter with distilled water. Before you even discuss potential drawbacks, the size and weight alone are grounds for justifying its inclusion in your pack. I have carried the filter in my shirt pocket on day hikes. Based on customer videos, it has a faster flow rate (than Sawyer Mini) and easier maintenance (no backflush, just swirl it in clean water). Sawyer Mini And 3 Hacks Using A Smartwater Bottle Watch on To use a Sawyer Mini with a smart water bottle, first screw the Mini onto the bottle. However, I can . Sawyer MINI Water Filtration System. Flip-top nozzle from a 0.7-liter Smartwater bottle (6 grams) The photos below demonstrate how to use each device to backflush. Give your filter time to sit with the bleach solution and repeat the process. Seems to have the potential to rejuvenate old filters. Soak in vinegar overnight or longer, backflush with hot water From sawyer website I STORED MY FILTER FOR A WHILE AND NOW IT WON'T WORK, WHAT DO I DO? Water will always take the path of least resistance, so in order to full flush out the filter and restore it's flow. There is a slight chance the . For use with a HydroBlu Versa Flow, Sawyer Mini or Sawyer Micro: attach one end of the hydration hose directly to the outflow side of the filter. In this video. This high performance Mini filter fits in the palm of your hand, weighs 2 ounces, and filters up to 100,000 gallons (30 times more than comparable filters). compatibility Then you run some of the bleach water through the filter. After months/years of using your filter you will eventually slip up and need to deep clean your filter. Add to Cart. It's extremely light at just two ounces, but it's a powerful tool that will filter out over 99% of bacteria and protozoa from water sources you find on the trail. Mini's mouth is smaller (28mm) but you can find lots of bottle attachments. This tiny filtration system is loaded with a certified 0.1-micron absolute filtration system that has the capabilities of eliminating bacteria, E. coli, protozoa, and cysts from your drinking water. THE WEIGHT: At only two ounces (.125lbs / 56.7g) the Sawyer MINI is a no-brainer for anyone looking to go light. Sawyer has built a complete game changer with the Sawyer Mini. 3) Clean up is easier with BeFree just rinse it out, Mini can backflush. The ability to drink clean water directly from the source without having to carry a bulky filter or harsh chemicals is ideal for backcountry travelers. Offgrid Sawyer MINI Water Filtration System. Sawyer coupler (6 grams) 3. Close the plunger and force the clean water through the filtered fibers. To backwash your filter, fill the cleaning plunger with water and push it forwards through the filter to remove the dirt. . The Sawyer Mini is so small and portable that some ultralight backpackers and survivalists like to tie it around their neck by using a paracord bracelet. Reported results represent the averages of measured values. The interesting thing was that all our filters clogged; a brand new Cnoc, a used but well maintained Sawyer and our Platypus unit. and sized to fit in the palm of your hand, the Sawyer Mini water filter is one of the lightest, most compact filters available, and you can use it to drink straight from a stream. Used on day hikes, thru-hikes, or any other kind of hikes, the Sawyer Mini is the little filter that just keeps going. After backwashing, they recommend filling a 64 ounce bladder with water and adding a cap full of bleach. Weighing only 2 oz. water back through . Use the included syringe to backflush the filter to maintain a high flow rate Sawyer filtration technology. 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