aquamira vs filter

Maybe. Smell and taste are hard to differentiate. Its a chlorine like odor/taste

I prefer no treatment at all if I'm confident of the source, but for the past few years I've used Aquamira drops when I think the water needs treatment. Convenient, simple. If I treat heavily, the taste is slightly acid–like a tall glass of water with a slice of lemon. Not unpleasant at all, and prob. from the phosphoric acid activator.

When I treat and cap my water bottle immediately, there is a little whiff of chlorine the first time I open the bottle (15-20 minutes later). Not noticeable after drinking the first few mouthfuls.

I just got a Sawyer mini and haven't tried it yet. A little heavier than repackaged Aquamira. I may switch.

There is a mild chlorine taste when using Aquamira. I find it quite tolerable, though I usually opt to use my Sawer for it's ease of use and zero wait time.

I find the Aquamira optimal for sterilizing larger volumes of water and in below freezing conditions where a filter may break. My one complaint about the Aquamira is that the liquid can be painfully difficult/slow to squeeze out of the bottles, so next time I will cut off the tops and transfer the liquids to lighter, softer dropper bottles.

What you will taste is somewhat genetic and you will have to try it to find out for sure. I can't taste it at all using the correct number of drops, but one time I had a friend along and he got the proportions off by an extra factor of 4 or so. I could taste that, but the description of being similar to some lemon in you water is about right. It's not unpleasant particularly.

Mild chlorine flavor for me. I don't get as much of the lemony flavor that others have spoken of.

It certainly has the least distasteful flavor of any chemical water treatment that I've tried.

I can taste the flavor after using Aquamira drops – but given I'm usually going to turn right around and add some electrolyte tablets, or turn it into strong coffee, or rehydrate something strong flavored for dinner…it's hard to care.

Was out this past week in the Deam Wilderness and experimented with the Sawyer mini as well. Somewhat annoying to squeeze with arthritis, but not impossible. The "dirty" reservoir also did double duty as water bucket for my campfire, which was a nice side benefit. The filter spent the one sub-freezing night in a plastic bag tucked into my sleeping bag with me.

I agree with the others, with AM drops, there can be a hint of a smell when I first remove the lid after treating, but that's it. And personally, there have been few times that I noticed any taste. Now, the MP1 tabs on the other hand…. they are a bit different. I notice a strong smell, and can taste it… and after letting it set overnight, even drink flavoring didn't seem to cover the taste up…

Like others though, I have went with the Sawyer Mini filter and have not looked back. Mine is only 1.7 oz wet, so the weight difference is slim to none over the AM drops, and just a little more over the tabs.

I have always used Aquamira drops and have never had an issue with taste. There may be a slight taste left by the Aquamira but for me it is normal at this point. It is very slight.

I am completely satisfied with Aquamira drops but may try the Sawyer Mini this summer because it's affordable and instant. However, a filter could always break/malfunction, I don't see how anything could go wrong with drops.

As others have said the taste is somewhere between bleach and lemon. I can put up with it in a pinch but wouldn't want to drink it day after day.

I tried it and found the taste and odor of chlorine sickeningly strong. I had to force myself to drink the water since I was in hot dry conditions. I followed the directions carefully, so I don't think I used too much.

For comparison, I can usually smell and taste the chlorine in tap water too, though it's nowhere near as potent.

I can definitely taste it, and although it doesn't make the water taste particularly bad to me, I usually just bring a Sawyer Mini for the ease of use. The exception is when I'm in the Sierra, where the water is some of the most refreshing in the world IMO. There I use a SteriPen despite the small weight penalty, as its the only practical method I've found that doesn't affect the taste, short of no treatment.