Sawyer 3-Way Inline vs Squeeze?

Depending on water quality it can take as little as just under two minutes. You can also help it along by squeezing water through.

Don't quote me on this, but I think it's ok to squeeze this type of filter because of its glass tube construction. You can't change te pore size by squeezing. However, some of the membrane/fabric filters like Katydin can be affected by squeezing. Again, don't quote me on that. I was wrong once before. Once.

Ben,

It is okay to squeeze the inline sawyer filter.

I did that on my JMT trip last August and did not have any problems.

Given that you can attach a faucet to the inline filter to back flush it, that means that it can take a lot of water pressure without damaging the hollow plastic tubes inside of it.

I have been using the same older "black" Sawyer inline filter for about 4 or more years now and mine is still going strong.

Other than cracking the case/housing and allowing the filter to freeze, it should last forever with regular back flushing.

I find that I use mine in camp as a gravity filter and a sqeeze bag on the trail to speed things up if I don't want to pull out my setup for a gravity filter.

Tip: If you are using two platypus bags for a clean and dirty bag, a really easy way to maintain your filter in the field is to simply squeeze the clean bag when you are done to forced some clean water back through the filter after every use. This will help keep the rate of flow at max. and later avoid having to use a lot of force and pressure to backflush the filter in the field.

Hope this helps.

-Tony

On trail i use the 3 way filter inline from the dirty bag through the filter to a hydration hose and just suck, at camp, i use it as a gravity filter. By far the most incredible filter system i have ever used. Every person I have been on a trip with buys one after using mine.

Thanks for the insight guys. It sounds like it's the right filter for me, anyway.
Do you know if there are threads on the 3-way that would allow it to be used with these http://www.rei.com/product/820769/platypus-platy-bottle-70-fl-oz or if I should just resign myself to using a reservoir?

Seems like there is an underlying question here that hasn't been answered: is there, functionally, a difference between these two filters?

The only difference I'm seeing is that the Squeeze has threads built in instead of using an adapter. Anybody have insight?

I have both, and the filter is the same. It's the connectors that are different.

So the "squeeze" can be used as a gravity filter, and the "gravity" can be used as a squeeze filter.

FYI this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sawyer-Inline-Water-Filter-with-34-Ounce-Bottle/8283710 is the same filter without the color coding for $36 at WAlMart.

Ty,

Great buy….did not know they still had these in stock.

I bought an extra one last year from Walmart as a back up, in case I managed to break the casing on mine.

This looks like the same one as mine and is the older 1st generation filter without the quick disconnects, which is better for the setup that I use.

The only thing about this older filter to be careful about is that you don't want to be too rough with the input and output nipples or you could break one of them off.

My friend, who is very rough with his gear, managed to do this.

If you check out the User Gear Review section on BPL, I have detailed photos of the 1st generation Sawyer filter that you can look at and see how my setup is.

I will note: my setup is not ideal….I should have more tubing between the dirty bag and the filter to generate more pressure, but save on the weight of tubing, I don't have much tubing there.

-Tony

Their filters are all essentially the same mechanism with some slight variations in the bag systems it's designed for.

Thanks guys, it's clear now they're all basically the same thing.

Called and went to Wally World looking for one and had no luck. Out of stock online and a 'find it a store' search on their site suggests these are out of stock everywhere. Anybody seen one lately?

One other thing, does anyone know what these way 'wet'? my understanding is that you have to pre-flush to use it and naturally it'll remain wet on the trail.

Depends….if you are using the Sawyer filter that is NOT designed to remove viruses, then you can carry it dry.

The Sawyer model that removes viruses may need to be wet because of the force/pressure that is needed to get it wet/primed is more than you might easily generate in the field.

I basically suck mine dry after using it and store it as dry as possible, which makes it light as possible.

-Tony

The Sawyer inline filter weighs 3.5 ounce wet. Give or take a few grams depending on how much water you can shake/suck out of it.

Every time I look at the light weight of the Sawyer Filter (2 ounces?) I get excited. Then I look at the weight of the system and get discouraged.

Total weight of the system doesn't seem to be any better than a traditional pump filter and a gator aid bottle or two. Plus I prefer gator aid bottles over bladder type bottles and prefer to guzzle water rather than suck from a tube.

I bet one of you have modified this system to use gator aid bottles and to reduce the weight of things. Am I right?

The weight isn't bad. I ordered 3-way (2oz) and a big zip for a total weight of 7.5 oz. Could have been 5.5oz if I ordered a Platy Hoser instead. That's all you really need if you're fine with sipping from a reservoir. That's a hell of a lot better than the 1 pound pump filter my dad carries, along with multiple nalgenes, putting him somewhere in the 2lb range.

Ben,

That sounds a lot better.

Is the Sawyer filter compatable with the big zip or did you have to buy some extra fittings to make everyting fit together.

Daryl

I'm pretty sure it comes with all the fittings you need, but that you'll need to cut the hose yourself. The first video shows how it's set up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmHeOB6ecHg

Ben,

You've just converted me.

I'm placing an order for the big zip + Sawyer as soon as I post this thank you.

The two videos did it for me.

Daryl

Sorry, did not realize it was out of stock online. Last time I looked at them online they were available. Wal-Mart will do that though, things come and go pretty fast.

Ben,

The 3 way plus big zip arrived. Looks good.

Question:

What would be the easiest way to back flush in the field? With two bags it looks like you just lift the clean bag higher than the dirty bag. Without the 2nd bag, however, I'm not sure how to go about it.

The fellow in the 2nd video said he would just blow bacwards on the bite valve.

Daryl

Daryl,

I called Sawyer and they said the syringe they sell would be the best way to back flush it in the field. They also said that back flushing in the field for trips of several days in length would be rare if you back flush at home each time.

Your Other Brother Daryl

Daryl,

I've used one of these on my Camleback since late December. Since I've yet to purchase a second bladder for separate use with clean water, I've just been using the one with the filter attached for my bike rides (maybe 130 to 170 miles a week; about 3-4 gallons). There has yet to be a noticeable slowdown in flow rate with the filter.

So, if you're using fairly clean water sources, it should work just fine for normal weeklong+ trips without backflushing. If your water sources are consistently silty, that's an whole 'nother animal, of course.

But, how often are you out of contact with civilization? Most folks don't often go for more than a week or so between resupply either way, what with the weight penalty of carrying that much food. The backflush faucet adapter weighs just under two ounces by my scale; I'd be willing to pay that weight penalty on a long-distance hike to ensure ease of use.

Your mileage may vary, as always.

John,

Just thinking ahead to the possibility that the filter gets plugged up without a lot of warning and shortens my trip.

One example would be if I was filtering water with glacial silt in it and my pre filter efforts were unable to prevent the main filter from clogging. I'd sure want to back flush it in the field rather than go home early. Carrying the faucet back flusher wouldn't help me in the field.

In one of the Sawyer videos it showed a person backflushing the filter with a blue rubber bulbous looking thing that, I believe, is usally used or cleaning out ears.

I have various other syringes at home, however, that would generate more pressure so I think one of those might work. Best way to backflush in the field, per my telephone conversation with Sawyer, is to use the syringe they sell for the job.

Daryl

I think you could probably just blow back into the filter, right? Mouth on the blue end and blow. Oh god that sounded bad.

Daryl,

Fair enough. Goodness knows, "Florida Tea" can slow down a filter in no time flat. The water is rich with tannin and floating junk most places down here.

Please let us know what you finally decide on.

Thanks,
John