Minibulldesigns Sawyer Mini Adapter

Hoser screwed onto soda bottle, connected to Squeeze:

Close up (0.25 ounces):

I drilled out a regular cap with 1/2 inch drill. I couldn't get the hoser fitting back out, but didn't try very hard. Maybe 3/4 inch would be better.

edit: I backflushed the Squeeze and it seemed like it worked pretty good. I think the pressure you can get with a soda bottle works better than with a roll up bag.

"why is it I'm always arguing with Tom?"

Because you're a sadist who likes jerking an old man's chain? ;0))

Now, to the meat of your post. :)

"I don't think bits and pieces are what cause Sawyer filters to clog, it's minerals dissolved in the water. And letting it dry out."

If minerals are dissolved in water, they will dissociate and form cations and anions, which are far too small to clog any filter on the market this side of those used in reverse osmosis water treatment. Minute particles of granite are another matter entirely, as are bits and pieces of organic material of whatever size. I watched a new Sawyer Mini clog up repeatedly on a recent trip using seemingly clear Sierra water. Back flushing improved its flow temporarily, but the problem reappeared before long. It needs to be said here that my partner was using a smaller syringe to do the back flushing, so there may not have been enough water volume to completely clear the pores, in addition to losing some water and pressure due to the poor fit between the syringe and the Mini. In any case, I concluded the device is too finicky for me, although I suspect a good connection between the filter and the flushing syringe would make it usable with frequent flushing. I would also recommend pre filtering thru something like a bandana or coffee filter to remove particulates, as a means of lengthening the interval between back flushing. This is a good idea when using a Steripen, too, so that particular technique is a wash if you are comparing them.

ohhhhh….. I'm pretty much just as old as you are…

people have reported that warm water or vinegar clear it. And letting it sit a while and repeating

that says to me that the problem is minerals or alkaline ions in the filter, and then allowed to dry. It crusts up the pores.

"small" particles like granite or organic material are way bigger than the pores. They'll just sit outside. Easily backflushed.

A bandana or coffee filter would only remove huge particles. Nowhere near small enough to get into the pores and so be difficult to backflush.

I tried Steripen. I concluded the device was too finicky for me, although I suspect if I removed the batteries between trips, and carried a spare set even if I used the batteries for only one treatment would make it usable.

I've been using Squeeze for a couple years without problem. 4 or 5 day trips. Backflush before and after.

: )

"why is it I'm always arguing with Tom?"

Lol, you didn't say which Tom. Since I have a way of unintentionally irritating people, I assumed it was me.

I've never had to use the SteriPen yet in silty water, but I did read about that on the SteriPen website. I'd be more likely to go with a different method in those cases, being that I have no way of knowing if it did its job.

Regarding the issue of carrying extra batteries, I tend to lean on the conservative side and carry an extra set, even though I carry a few individually wrapped tablets as a back up. But I've been looking seriously at the SteriPen Ultra which is rechargeable and is charged via USB. The Adventurer Opti that I'm using now weighs 3.5 oz on my scale with batteries. According to the SteriPen website, the Ultra weighs 4.94 oz. So the Opti is roughly .5 oz lighter. But if you include an extra set of batteries (at 1.1 oz for a set of two) for the Opti, now its .5 oz. heavier. With convenience of USB charging, and not having to buy batteries (CR123's are somewhat pricey), the Ultra is looking pretty good.

Regarding the Mini, mine is fairly new and while it doesn't flow as well as the Squeeze, it is flowing well enough to meet my needs and justify the lighter weight/smaller package. The big question that will be answered in the near future, I believe, will be whether or not I can keep it flowing well enough.

"just kidding Tom, as you know"

Of course. I was just indulging in a little counter chain jerking. ;0))

"Steripen has a problem with silty water, like glacier run-off. The silt blocks the UV. You can double the treatment time as they recommend which might make it effective. Maybe glacier run-off usually doesn't have harmful stuff in it very often.

I think the silt would go right through the Sawyer without clogging it? I'll have to try that sometime."

True for the Steripen. You can let it settle out, but that takes a long time, especially if there is also clay in the mix. Clay takes days to settle out. Probably best to treat chemically. When I was hiking/climbing in Austria back in 1978, knowledgeable Austrians told me not to drink milky colored glacial runoff because it would screw up my kidneys. Folk wisdom? I don't know, but I did as they said, and melted snow or drank clear water right where it was coming off the glaciers. Those same suspended particles in milky glacial runoff would bring your Sawyer Mini to a grinding halt in no time. I'd put money on that. Let me know how it turns out if you get a chance to try it.

"ohhhhh….. I'm pretty much just as old as you are…"

Just what BPL needs, a couple of drooling old f@rt$ comparing birth certificates. :)

"that says to me that the problem is minerals or alkaline ions in the filter, and then allowed to dry. It crusts up the pores."

Ions will pass right on thru. I propose an experiment: Buy a bottle of good mineral water, Apollonaris, Gerolsteiner, Perrier, et. al. and see how many times you can run it thru your Mini before it clogs up. I'll bet you run out of patience first. Then let the Mini dry out and repeat. I'll bet you'll still run out of patience before it clogs.

""small" particles like granite or organic material are way bigger than the pores. They'll just sit outside. Easily backflushed.

A bandana or coffee filter would only remove huge particles. Nowhere near small enough to get into the pores and so be difficult to backflush."

Perhaps, but I'd like to see it proven, one way or another. Should be relatively easy. In any case, it's academic for me as concerns a Sawyer Mini. I am primarily concerned with making it work for my Steripen, and it does fine there.

I argue with anyone named Tom : )

Yeah, that Ultra looks pretty good. Then you won't have to continuously buy non rechargeable CR123s

FAQ from their website:

"Calcium Build Up
(If after above steps your filter still seems to be clogged) Soak the filter in hot tap water for about an hour and then back wash using hot tap water. If this doesn’t work, it could be dried calcium. Soak the filter in vinegar for 1/2 hour and then flush with hot water. You may have to repeat this a few times to get it all the way clean. Make sure you back flush with all the force you can – hold the faucet adapter on the faucet and turn the water on. The filters are tough and can take more force than you can give with the faucet adapter."

Of course this doesn't explain all clogged filters. You could have other minerals than calcium.

I filtered some water that had algae in it once, not a Sawyer filter. It immediately plugged up and I had to replace it