Topic
Sawyer filter: does it ever need replacement?
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Sawyer filter: does it ever need replacement?
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Aug 2, 2011 at 2:36 pm #1277565
Does the Sawyer inline 3 way filter ever need to be replaced? I understand it has a 1,000,000 gallon guarantee. So if I took this filter on a through hike would I ever have to replace it? Would back flushing in the field be good enough to keep the filter from clogging?
http://www.rei.com/product/801824/sawyer-3-way-inline-water-filter
Aug 2, 2011 at 3:11 pm #1765575Hi Casey,
It is field-backflushable and so long as it's not too badly clogged I presume it will soldier on for a long time. Filtering, say, glacier flour from the slopes of Rainier or Colorado River murk might eventually render it unusable until you get to high-pressure water for a more thorough cleaning.
I don't know anybody who's sent one in for replacement/repair, so can't verify their guarantee. My feeling is with adequate care and no truly awful source water, the filter's life is quite long. The biggest threat could be mildew from improper long-term storage.
Sawyer's instructions are available on line for more on backflushing.
Cheers,
Rick
Aug 2, 2011 at 3:12 pm #1765577I've read that as long as it is properly maintained (back flushed) the life-span is about infinite (providing it doesn't freeze). From what I understand, the "1M gallons" was a legal thing because they couldn't say it was good forever. I don't know if all that's true, but I 'think' I read that here – which must make it right. Right? ;)
In the Reviews area here, there may be some good reading for you: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=5536&cat=Hydration%20-%20Water%20Treatment&cid=55
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.