What is your hydration system using the Sawyer Mini filter?

"A Smartwater bottle in each side pocket of my pack, either the 700ml or the 1L. I plan on keeping the Mini attached to one of the bottles, a Smartwater flipcap (off the 700ml) on the other bottle, and a spare cap in my pack."

This is exactly what I've been doing. I originally went with the mini specifically to use with my bladder, but ended up ditching the bladder altogether because the bottles were so much easier to fill. In fairness, this is the first Sawyer mini I've used, and have only tried out this set-up a handful of times, so perhaps I'll see areas for improvement after some use ….

Dont the 1L sawyer soft bottles work well with it?I think they are good size(2L might be too big and unpractical).
Unfortunately they dont come with the mini,you have to get them separately.

"Enter the Smartube, now I can see how much water I have, I stay hydrated, and I don't have to unpack my pack to fill up."

Good idea! I'm going to give this a shot.

All my buddies were big on the bladders; I'd never used one, but forked out some cash & tried it out. I gave it about 6 months, but realized I was only really using it for the first fill, then relying on filter/bottles, mostly for the reasons you cite. I just didn't want to stop, remove/loosen bag, fill bladder, etc.

I enjoy looking and reading about all of your set ups. I recently bought a sawyer mini from REI and experimented with it at home.

I am currently using a smart water bottle and a platypus soft bottle. I have not decided which will be the clean and which will be the dirty.

I'm leaning toward the smart water bottle to be the dirty since would be easier to gather water in it from sources that are not that strong.

any input on that?

"I'm leaning toward the smart water bottle to be the dirty since would be easier to gather water in it from sources that are not that strong."

I'd do the opposite, using the bladder for dirty water; it's easier to squeeze. I think the Smartwater is better for drinking on the go; easier to stand up when you set it on the ground, easier to slide into side pockets on the pack. But fill the bladder using a scoop of some kind (I use a cut up old platypus) and then filter the clean water directly into the bottle. Then the empty bladder can go inside the pack or flat in the back outer mesh pocket empty or (if needed) full with dirty water if you aren't going to see another water source for a while.

smart. will do that definitely.

"All my buddies were big on the bladders; I'd never used one, but forked out some cash & tried it out. I gave it about 6 months, but realized I was only really using it for the first fill, then relying on filter/bottles, mostly for the reasons you cite. I just didn't want to stop, remove/loosen bag, fill bladder, etc."

Actually, I just tried fitting the Camelback bladder in the exterior mesh pocket (Flash 45) & seems to fit nicely (there's a nice place to hang it from a clip as well). This would alleviate removal/loosening pack … then use 1 (now) empty smart bottle for filling, keep one clean … damn it! Too many choices! :)

I just carry a 1L smart water bottle and a platypus 2L pouch. I only use the pouch for gathering water at camp. 1L at a time is enough for me pretty much anywhere I've hiked so far.

What I'm going to do on my next trip is I have taken two playtpus drinking tubes and cut them short. The filter is hooked on each end. I attach the platypus tubes to the platypus bottles, and one will be squeezed or allowed to gravity fill into the other.

I HATE trying to wrestle a water bladder, empty or full, into or out of a full backpack. I've found that it is not necessary though to fill it up with a gravity filter setup (or a pump filter for that matter). Simply remove the bite valve, attach tube to outlet of filter, connect other end to dirty water reservoir, place dirty reservoir higher than backpack, and sit back and relax. Works great, no hassle.

I just did 3 days on the AT in the Smokies and ditched my old Platypus 3L hoser with in-line Sawyer filter in favor of a new system. I'd been using the hoser with the in-line filter since 2008 and been using a water bladder in lieu of bottles since probably 1995.

While packing my bag in a last minute desire to try something new I packed two 2L old-style Platypus bladders, my Sawyer Mini filter and a 700ML smart water bottle with the nipple cap. I left the syringe and other Mini accessories at home.

My original plan had been to keep the SmartWater bottle clean and filter directly into it from the Platypus bladders. But one bladder had a good seal with the Mini and the other didn't and so I started to consider all them of them "dirty."

On the trail I kept one bladder filled in the side pocket of my G4 pack and the Smartwater bottle with the Mini attached directly to it filled in the other side pocket. The second platypus bladder would be stashed in another pocket empty until needed at camp. I would drink directly from the bottle through the Mini and would refill it during breaks from the Platypus.

When I got to camp I would fill up both Platypus bladders and the Smartwater bottle and would have enough water for dinner, breakfast and to get on the trail in the morning.

I think the system worked pretty well for me. I don't know that it was actually much lighter than using a water bladder. But I was able to spread the water weight around in my pack better compared to the 3L hoser inside the packs main compartment.

I think I'll stick with this system for the time being.

Sawyer and 2L Evernew. I find that the smaller bags don't easily "inflate" with enough water to make it worth the trouble. Hence the larger bag.

I also carry a 96 oz. Nalgene container which adds 3 full ounces but pays dividends when you have enough water for dinner and breakfast in camp with no further water trips, especially when hiking with a second person.

My latest rendition uses a cut-down 1L Smartwater(in this case an identical Walgreens brand) bottle instead of a 500mL water bottle, or a much heavier capped storage container I tried. It brings the total weight up from 4.25oz to 5.125oz vs the 500mL, but everything fits in the chopped bottle, its thicker plastic makes no crinkling noises, and makes a more compact package in the same little stuff sack.
I've taken to carrying the Mini and straw in my shoulder strap's pocket, but here it all is in one place with a pair of 700mL Smartwater bottles(with fliptops for backflushing).

Mini, straw, 1.5L Evernew, screened fuel filter:

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Fyi

On a separate thread (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=100770) I shared a simple, lightweight system that uses generic PET bottles. The easy addition of a small silicone valve to the bottle makes this arrangement work better. The valve relieves the vacuum that builds up in the bottle as you drink, so you don't have to work so hard to get water. I find rigid PET bottles easier to use that collapsible bottles.