Water filter straws are overhyped for long trips

I brought a Sawyer mini on the JMT last summer and after day 4 the flow rate was so slow I was spending 20 minutes just to fill a liter. Backflushing helped a little but not enough. Has anyone else had better luck with the full size Squeeze instead?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray6132d ago

@xena_hernandez98 nailed it with that PCT switch. The Mini is great for a weekend trip but anything longer than a week and the flow just tanks. I tried backflushing every day on a 10 day trip in the Sierras and it still took forever by day 7. The full size Squeeze doesn't backflush as often and you can actually fill a bottle in a minute or two even after a few weeks of use. Plus the bag it comes with is way more durable than the little one on the Mini. Had a friend try the CNOC bag with the Mini and even that didn't fix the clogging problem.

xena_hernandez983d ago

Oh man, I feel you on that! I ditched my Mini halfway through the PCT and switched to the full size Squeeze and it was way better for flow even after weeks of use.

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casey2682d ago

Nah man, I actually liked the Mini better - that smaller bottle fits in my pack side pocket way easier.