What to use for water

I've had my MSR filter for 14 years and it has been great, but this year I've been messing around with the Sawyer Mini and the Lifestraw. The Sawyer is by far the best IMO. It does gravity and you can even squeeze it right into your water bladder or run inline. The Lifestraw tastes strongly of plastic no matter what I do to it.

None of these devices freeze well FWIW. Chlorine drops are your friend but allow 20 minutes of contact time before drinking.
 
Bambi - If your Sawyer doesn't seem to recover to new flow rates, check out the FAQ on their website about backflushing. I've never needed to until recently. My wife and I did the full backflushing including alternating between a hot water soak and a vinegar soak (to dissolve mineral buildup) and after 2-3 cycles of each, our full size Sawyer is back to gravity filtering at a full flow speed. Water flows out the exit of the filter at full volume. It reminds me of new when it would fill a 4-liter platypus bag before I could get the camp setup.
 
MSR Mini Works. I've been using it for years. Not much heavier than most hand pumps. For storage I have (2) collapsible 2 1/2 gallon containers for camp. I usually only fill one unless we have 4 in our hunting party. I have a LifeStraw that I keep in my backpack for emergencies, but have never had to use it.
 
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First, if you cooking for that many guys, I would have a separate collapsible jug just for the cooking water if you have clear water near. You have to boil the water for MH so why go through all the BS for that? Boiling will do what a filter will.
As far as the drinking water, I use both tabs and a filter depending on the water source.
 
As a water treatment operator, I really wouldn't recommend not using a filter no matter how clear the water is. Sodium hypochlorite (bleach) in and of itself isn't very effective at killing either Giardia lambia or Cryptosporidium. The potable aqua tablets are more effective against Giardia but not Crypto. I came into contact with crypto tainted water once, and let me tell you it is not something that you want. I didn't leave the toilet for 7 days and I lost over 25 pounds by the time it ran its course. Cryptosporidium is a cyst so the only way to remove it is by filtration. Chlorine or other disinfectants will not penetrate the cyst wall to kill the organism inside. The Sawyer Mini is a great choice, because it allows a 5-log removal (99.99999%) which is equivalent to municipal water filtration standards. You may get lucky for years, but it will only take one organism to make you deathly ill. I think water treatment is definitely something you shouldn't skimp weight on, IMO.

Between lifestraw and saywer which one does a better job of filtering all of the bad things that can happen? Am finally going to purch one of the two for this falls elk hunt. Tired of running out of water late in the day.
Thanks
 
The sawyer is a 0.1 micron filter compared to a 0.2 micron for the lifestraw. Either will work, but the sawyer definitely has the capability to remove more simply because of the smaller filtration size. According to what info I have found on the sawyer mini, it mets or exceeds EPA drinking water filtration requirements for municipal tap water.
 
I am a certified wastewater plant operator. Unlike the water operators, I treat the other end of the pipe!

However, I totally agree with them about definitely using a water filter. I have a LOT of experience using Katydin (Pur) Hiker model filters for over 20 years. I carry one in my pack and use it religiously. I do not use iodine or chlorine. I also only use filtered water that I boil for freeze dried meals. While boiling can kill pathogens, it only works if you boil for a set period of time like several minutes. A backcountry hunter is not going to want to waste that much fuel.
 
I am a certified wastewater plant operator. Unlike the water operators, I treat the other end of the pipe!

However, I totally agree with them about definitely using a water filter. I have a LOT of experience using Katydin (Pur) Hiker model filters for over 20 years. I carry one in my pack and use it religiously. I do not use iodine or chlorine. I also only use filtered water that I boil for freeze dried meals. While boiling can kill pathogens, it only works if you boil for a set period of time like several minutes. A backcountry hunter is not going to want to waste that much fuel.

I've got my wastewater license too. That is primarily what I work at is wastewater. Nice to know there are some other certified turd-testers here :D
 
The sawyer is a 0.1 micron filter compared to a 0.2 micron for the lifestraw. Either will work, but the sawyer definitely has the capability to remove more simply because of the smaller filtration size. According to what info I have found on the sawyer mini, it mets or exceeds EPA drinking water filtration requirements for municipal tap water.

Thank you
 
After dealing with frozen filters and pumps I purchased a UV pen for this season. Seems I can always find clear water everywhere I hunt here in Colorado.
 
I use an MSR sweetwater but if I were concerned about something smaller than perhaps bacteria or cysts in my water, like maybe viruses then Katydn would make more sense.

I'd avoid a bottle filter. My buddy did that one year and it was so hard for him to suck the water out that I ened up pumping water into my Nalgene for him while I carried a 100 oz bladder.

the UV pens seem to work well, though you'll have whatever is floating in the water left, even though you've killed the critters swimming in it. I still prefer a pump filter,
 
Been using a katadyn ceramic filter since 1984. 50,000 liter capacity which I'll never get close to hitting in another 30 years.

Did seven days in Idaho filtering from the seep into an elk wallow at 8,000 feet.

1 visit to the wallow a day and I had a gallon in the pack (20min evolution). 1st day, stashed 32 extra oz at the tent, in case i couldn't make it to the wallow...never used it.
 
I carry chlorine dioxide tablets. They are effective, weigh next to nothing, and don't make the water taste bad.

If I know that my only water sources will be murky or dirty, I will supplement the chlorine dioxide with a Sawyer squeeze filter.
 
I've had good results with both the Sawyer and the Katadyn basecamp. I leave the basecamp in, well, basecamp and take the sawyer with me for topping off bottles or drinking from seeps. I like the fact that I can use the sawyer in conjunction with the basecamp if the filter clogs or breaks for backup. Another little trick for collecting water in arid climates is to bring a 3' section of 1/2'' grey conduit for tapping into hillside seeps and springs to produce flowing water out of the pipe. It takes a little backcountry engineering but works surprisingly well for filling the basecamp or a gallon water container. It allows you to camp on the ridges instead of the drainages in some places. I do carry aquamira tablets too in case shtf, clean water production isn't something to skimp on.
 

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