Sawyer mini vs MSR miniworks

[bcopley1116]

What are you guys using to filter water in the backcountry? I have a msr miniworks that I have used for several years now, but it is heavy and takes up space in my pack. I am thinking about buying a sawyer mini and using it in Colorado this year. Has anyone had any problems with the sawyer? Or should I use my MSR and just buy a steri pen?

 

[PantherCity]

Get the sawyer squeeze over the mini. Less than an oz heavier and twice as fast and you don't need to backflush as often.

I have mine rigged with a 2" hose to a female QD on the outlet so I can fill straight into by bladder in the pack (there is a set of QDs in the drinking hose near the mouth piece) by squeezing or hang the dirty bag and use gravity. The filter is screwed directly to the dirty bag. I can hang larger bags back at camp. I'm sure you could set up an mini the same way but I would think it would be too slow. I can stop at a creek and gravity filter a couple liters and take a breather and I'm ready to go in no time.

 

[RoJo]

I use a miniworks. Yep, it is a bit on the bulky/heavy side, but I trust it. I have been using it for years and it has never let me down. I am not sure why you would get a steripen in addition to the miniworks. If I was to get a steripen, it would be to replace the miniworks. But I like something that removes the particulates. I have considered a Sawyer, but the freezing issue bugs me a little.

BTW, I have QD's and filter directly into the bladder no problem...

 

[twall13]

Get the sawyer squeeze over the mini. Less than an oz heavier and twice as fast and you don't need to backflush as often.

I have mine rigged with a 2" hose to a female QD on the outlet so I can fill straight into by bladder in the pack (there is a set of QDs in the drinking hose near the mouth piece) by squeezing or hang the dirty bag and use gravity. The filter is screwed directly to the dirty bag. I can hang larger bags back at camp. I'm sure you could set up an mini the same way but I would think it would be too slow. I can stop at a creek and gravity filter a couple liters and take a breather and I'm ready to go in no time.

I agree, after some experimentation with both, I prefer the Squeeze. This setup is almost identical to mine and is pretty versatile. You can use it to drink directly from the source, squeeze it in to a bladder (or pot or nalgene, etc.), or use it as a gravity filter.

 

[Owenst7]

I have a Sawyer and a Sawyer Mini that I've been using since the spring. I've also had a SteriPen Classic that I've had for several years.

The full size Sawyer is much more practical if you plan to hang out until your water is filtered. I leave the backflush thread adapter on mine and screw a SmartWater bottle to the outlet with the threads cracked. Then, I fill up a Sawyer bag with dirty water, screw it on to the inlet, and hang the whole thing upside down by some mason line that's tied to the bottom of the Sawyer bag. It filters a liter in less than two minutes I think (I'm usually eating/cooking/setting up camp and don't really pay attention). When you're done, I tighten the SmartWater bottle down, hold the bottle upside down, and give a quick squeeze to backflush the filter. I haven't had the filter slow down at all this way, and I don't have to carry the backflush syringe.

The Mini shines if your conditions are such that you'd want to drink from the filter. I frequently take it on day hikes where I want to just fill up a bottle in a spring and walk away with it. I hold the bottle tipped up so there's no bubbles in the filter, and find that I don't have to suck or squeeze very much to get plenty of water out. I try to carry a backup water system most of the time (if it's hot out, I hate the idea of having to boil all my water), and frequently I'll just carry the Mini as my backup. For 2 ounces and the size of a roll of quarters, it's debatable if Aqua Mira would be any lighter or smaller.

With both Sawyers, I've found that they have a fairly consistent flow rate regardless of how much you squeeze the dirty water container, so I just put some gentle pressure, or gravity with the standard one, and let the water do all the work. I also haven't had any issues with the Sawyer bags breaking, and I suspect that's part of the reason. The WalMart/Platypus/Evernew bags all thread on in my experience, but I've acquired so many Sawyer bags between the two filters and a couple fittings kits that it will be a long time before they're all used up.

You do have to protect the Sawyers/filters in general from freezing, but both Sawyers easily fit in a pocket, so I just have them on my person when that's an issue.

I really like my SteriPen when I'm out fishing or canoeing. At 8 ounces, it doesn't make much of a case for backpacking over the Sawyer (both deliver a liter of clean water at about the same rate), but I like not having to do the juggling operation in my canoe or on the edge of a fishing hole. Mine works fine with a standard Coke/SmartWater bottle, so it's not like I need a heavy Nalgene to go with it either. Sometimes I like the SteriPen for afternoon hikes around town because I can easily treat water while I'm hiking and then be able to gulp a bunch of water quickly, which isn't as easy to do when drinking from the Sawyer Mini like a straw (the full size Sawyer will allow that pretty well though, but it ends up really tall when attached to a bottle.