I've watched a ton of these videos pertaining to hiking/backpacking and I must say this was one of the best I've seen. A very clear and thorough presentation. Thanks!
I have nothing to add that these comments don't already say. Your levels of preparation, organization, brevity, and clarity are optimal. All UA-camrs should aspire to emulate you.
Thanks! great video. I'm excited to use this filter for the first time on the trail tomorrow. Good tip about getting the smart water bottle, I've heard about it before but didn't understand why it's better than the bag until watching this.
I was watching your video how to use the Sawyer squeeze, very informative video. I just purchased one and have not used it yet. You said you had snapped a piece on the plunger where the notches are. I think the notches are there to let you know where to stop pulling clean water so it will not snap
I'm researching for a 100 mile overnight hike on the AT and your video had additional information about water collection and tips for use of the filter that others did not have. Very helpful and thanks a lot.
Great video! I am taking my daughter on her first backpacking trip and she gave me this for Father's Day. I wasn't sure after reading the instructions, how to use it. I can go with confidence now and I can leave the instructions at home.
This video is one of the BEST I've watched on youtube, thanks for showing MEeee some tricks/ideas on how to collect water into the bags when there is shallow &/or slow moving water. I carry a 1 QT Freezer ziplock baggie that I can use when the water flow is shallow & more like a trickle of melting snowpack to collect water that I can easily transfer into the Sawyer Dirty water bag. FORCEFUL backflush PRESSURE can only be obtained by using the syringe. Sadly many other videos show a "hack" of using a smart water bottle to backflush in preference to the syringe. I use the syringe & FORCEFULLY backflush my filter 2-3 times after each use. My syringe doesn't have those 4 weak points in the shaft; it seems Sawyer changed the design of the shaft to make it stronger. I carry a small piece of aluminum foil that is 2 layers thick which I use to form a funnel of water instead of a leaf when the water flow is a trickle like on the edge of melting snowpack.. I've SUBSCRIBED & rang the notification bell.
@@user443 After using my Sawyer 3 times when hiking, I went back to my MSR Trailshot because I don't potentially have cross contamination problems with it that I potentially have with the Sawyer systems. I drop the coffee filter wrapped prefilter in the water source, suck on the outlet nozzle until the tube & bulb is full then start squeezing the bulb to pump water into my water bladder. I don't carry so-called smart water bottles. Absolutely no possibility of cross contaminating water when I'm using my MSR Trailshot PLUS & this is a huge PLUS, I can easily harvest water from the smallest trickle of water from melting snowpack.
@Dean Finley I flush after every use. Might as well flush out the back end all water still in the bulb. You'll want to shake it vigorously before backflushing & after bf, to remove water still in the filter that will otherwise drip out & onto whatever it's stored next to.
There are other vids proving that common pop bottles work. The best way to designate a dirty water bottle is to leave the cap off. Submerging the bag, or bottle will fill it via displacement. LOL, there's no water pressure in the woods. One should have at least one wide mouth container for clean water. Makes filling the syringe easy. My favorite system is the U.S. GI canteen, cup, and stove/stand. Fits any 1qt pouch as intended. There are also 2 qt models that are cheap, durable, and bombproof.
Awesome review I thought I was the only one that wiped off the dirty bag of water first you’re the only guy on UA-cam that I see do that😂😂 and hold it at an angle is a good too. 👍🤙🤙
Thank you so much for this demonstration and helpful tips and strategies! Greatly appreciated. I'm doing an 18mile hike thru this weekend so clean water is a must.
THANK YOU!!! for your very detailed tutorial!! I having brain fog on how to use my filter (only 1 yr old) and it’s clogged so I am soaking filter in a vinegar sweater solution….praying it helps. 😎
Filling up a dirty container with an opening the size of a nickle in mountain seeps is very difficult. My favorite filter is the Katadyn Base Camp...over 2 gallons capacity and gravity feed...easy to fill 2+ gallons with cooking pot in seconds and no squeezing needed.
Try putting the bag in the mesh bag that came with your kit. Then get a coupler and attach your smart bottle, leaving it somewhat loose to allow the air to escape as the bottle fills with water. Let gravity be your friend and do the work while you do other stuff. No need to squeeze and all that.
Re. filling bag from shallow sources: One can ladle water into bag using a cup. Have used Sawyer half-dozen times, sometimes with plastic soda bottle instead of bag (which broke). Either way, I haven't quite got the whole business down adequately to feel comfortable with the product. Will probably keep trying. Also, water isn't normally so "contaminated" that touching it with your lips will make you sick. In fact, for non-immunocompromised patients, there's a chance (between fair and excellent) they could drink directly from most trail sources without any resulting illness. But I do like filtering frog slime, dead bug parts, & etc., and also don't at all mind avoiding disease.
Just bought one. Think I'll pack some disposable gloves and alcohol wipes to prevent cross contamination. Thanks for the tip on the weak syringe, that's a pretty bad design flaw.
It's not actually a design flaw, my friend. Those mystery notches are on the plunger so that when you collect the water and push the air out they will be inside the body of the syringe. I've never had any issues with mine at all. The only 2 things he didn't mention that people ABSOLUTELY MUST KNOW is NEVER let it freeze, because they can crack. Flush all the water out the best you can and sleep with it in your jacket if you have to. And the other thing is that the bags WILL fail eventually, depending on how much you use them, how you store them, how hard you squeeze them, and how you squeeze them. Just use common sense and these things will last pretty much forever. Enjoy your Sawyer!! ;)
@@weirdshibainu I used an old navy surplus platypus bladder for a long time but it was very weighty even when empty just because of it's super durable construction... Similar to gas mask material, not exactly sure of the name... so I'll just use the scientific term Very tough silicone(ish) stuff - LOL What I do now, is just use a little 6 can canvas and PVC liner sling cooler that I cut all the straps and things off of to lighten it and it will store 4 regular 20oz plastic bottles of water (turned on their side) no problem... And I just stuff it in my pack any which-way, without worrying about ripping anything or leaks. I'd most definitely take a modded 8 or 12 can and more bottles on a thru-hike, depending on distance between water sources, of course. When I can, I take a frozen bottle of water and it will cool the ones I fill just fine all day for a day hike. My entire water system holds 80 ounces and weighs just 1 pound, filter, bags, and bottles included. It's not fancy at all, But for under 40 bucks, (30 of which being the Sawyer)... I'm not going to complain! Plus, you can't pop a bottle too easily.... And they have many other potential uses! ;)
I swear by these mini filters dialysis membrane down to 0.1 micron is perfect for large molecules of dirt and bacterial buildup, it wont filter small inorganic's like fluorine but thats for distillation filtration, but one defect or problem i have noticed and its minor is the "O" ring gasket that prevents leakage from bottle fails and allows bad water to get added to the clean, so make a few leather or such copies of the original, one advantage is the screw fitting to the blue bladder bag fits most bottle threads like a cola bottle and so don't worry if you damage the blue bladders any bottle seems to fit in its place.
@@r.w.7232 BAD, BAD, BAD advice. The syringe is REQUIRED & necessary to generate sufficient FORCE/PRESSURE to dislodge contaminates that can never be obtained with using a "dumb" water bottle as a method of backflushing.
@@azclaimjumper You do not know what you're talkin about. Done correctly, it is a very safe, very effective way of backflushing. Maybe you should gain a little more experience before chiming in.
I read a lot of bad reviews on Sawer filters. People mostly complain, that they stop working after a couple of uses. I got a mini and it came with a broker Syringe. What I want to know, since these are famous "survival" products, is it going to work in an emergency, or do I have to rely on a lifestraw or anything else? Any advice would be much appriciated. Thanks
You're welcome. Depending on what's in the water; yes. How likely is it you'll get sick? I'm not sure at all but I suspect the risk is relatively low in most areas. Where I hike, there's a lot of natural springs and some people claim to drink water directly from the resulting stream and never get sick. That's cool and I'm happy for them. I don't judge them or think anything negative. Personally, I'd prefer to reduce the risks of falling ill while far from home. Especially when it's something I can reasonably control like filtering water.
I wouldn't trust a single drop. A few years ago I had a friend filter water into a bottle that had a couple drops from the stream around the rim and he was sick the whole trip from giardia
once i used a water source to simply wash my beard, and i rinsed my mouth out and spit, probably only ingested a ml or 2 maybe and i got sick.. so yeah i wouldnt trust even a drop
LOL, these comments are hilarious. Must be city Folk. People swim in Creeks, rivers and lakes and get the water all over their face and even in their mouth. No harm done if you aren't swallowing the water.
Good job on the video! As far as the Sawyer system goes I am not very impressed. The filter does a good job but all of the squeeze bags and back flushing and filling of extra bottle is a little time consuming and tedious in my opinion, especially in a combat situation where stopping and going through all the shenanigans puts you at risk. The lure lock syringe is not the best choice for ease of use since it is intended to screw onto a female lure lock. A catheter tip syring would be a better choice. Apparently Sawyer in their wisdom or lack there of has replaced the sports type cap (push/pull) with a flip up cap that is really not an improvement in my opinion either. I do use the Sawyer mini as a inline filter with my hydration bladder. My issue is being able to easily and quickly fill my 3L hydreation bladder without removing my armor plate carrier.
One of the best explanatory videos i've ever watched!
This is the best video that I have seen demonstrating the proper use of the Sawyer squeeze. Thank you.
Definitely most comprehensive video of Sawyer Squeeze. Most videos tell me why to use, but not HOW to use. Thanks!
good teaching and thanks you.
Best video I have seen to demonstrate proper use of Sawyer squeeze. No fluff, all useful information.
Best video ive come across on YT for this product. TY
I've watched a ton of these videos pertaining to hiking/backpacking and I must say this was one of the best I've seen. A very clear and thorough presentation. Thanks!
Great video! Straight, no chaser. Well said!
Hey thanks for the demo. FYI the plunger has notches to indicate the user has pulled to far. Syringes typically aren’t meant to be filled to capacity.
I have nothing to add that these comments don't already say. Your levels of preparation, organization, brevity, and clarity are optimal. All UA-camrs should aspire to emulate you.
This is the best video I've seen on youtube concerning a demonstration/explanation OF ANY KIND. You couldn't make yourself more clear. Wonderful!
èthe trick to dry the bottle with the dirty water first is VERY important. Congrats for mentioning this!
Thank you. Th is the best Sawyer instructional video I’ve seen. My Sawyer came with a grey tube. I need to figure out how to use it. 🧐
This is the best video about Sawyer Squeeze! Thank you.
Thanks! great video. I'm excited to use this filter for the first time on the trail tomorrow. Good tip about getting the smart water bottle, I've heard about it before but didn't understand why it's better than the bag until watching this.
Thanks, appreciate the detailed
Instructions, feel more confident about using my Sawyer filter now.
clear and very well done. probably the best vid I have seen on this system to date. thank you.
Very clear and to the point explanation. Excellent. Thank you
Great tips. Just what I was looking for. Thanks for making this.
I was watching your video how to use the Sawyer squeeze, very informative video. I just purchased one and have not used it yet. You said you had snapped a piece on the plunger where the notches are. I think the notches are there to let you know where to stop pulling clean water so it will not snap
I'm researching for a 100 mile overnight hike on the AT and your video had additional information about water collection and tips for use of the filter that others did not have. Very helpful and thanks a lot.
In your research since (your comment is 4 months old) are you still doing a 100 mile "Overnight"? Added time or dropped milage? Lol
Great video! I am taking my daughter on her first backpacking trip and she gave me this for Father's Day. I wasn't sure after reading the instructions, how to use it. I can go with confidence now and I can leave the instructions at home.
Thanks for introducing others to backpacking. I'm sure your daughter will build some great memories!
Just bought one. Thankfully This was the second video I watch. Very good. I’m going to save this video.
Great video well done and glad you discussed the cross contamination.
Thank you, sir. Printed instructions are great, but nothing like actually seeing it in action.
This video is one of the BEST I've watched on youtube, thanks for showing MEeee some tricks/ideas on how to collect water into the bags when there is shallow &/or slow moving water. I carry a 1 QT Freezer ziplock baggie that I can use when the water flow is shallow & more like a trickle of melting snowpack to collect water that I can easily transfer into the Sawyer Dirty water bag.
FORCEFUL backflush PRESSURE can only be obtained by using the syringe. Sadly many other videos show a "hack" of using a smart water bottle to backflush in preference to the syringe. I use the syringe & FORCEFULLY backflush my filter 2-3 times after each use. My syringe doesn't have those 4 weak points in the shaft; it seems Sawyer changed the design of the shaft to make it stronger.
I carry a small piece of aluminum foil that is 2 layers thick which I use to form a funnel of water instead of a leaf when the water flow is a trickle like on the edge of melting snowpack..
I've SUBSCRIBED & rang the notification bell.
Thanks for much for the kind words! Glad the infor was helpful!
@@user443 After using my Sawyer 3 times when hiking, I went back to my MSR Trailshot because I don't potentially have cross contamination problems with it that I potentially have with the Sawyer systems. I drop the coffee filter wrapped prefilter in the water source, suck on the outlet nozzle until the tube & bulb is full then start squeezing the bulb to pump water into my water bladder. I don't carry so-called smart water bottles. Absolutely no possibility of cross contaminating water when I'm using my MSR Trailshot PLUS & this is a huge PLUS, I can easily harvest water from the smallest trickle of water from melting snowpack.
@Dean Finley I flush after every use. Might as well flush out the back end all water still in the bulb. You'll want to shake it vigorously before backflushing & after bf, to remove water still in the filter that will otherwise drip out & onto whatever it's stored next to.
Thanks!!! Going on my first overnight and will be using my sawyer squeeze!!! This was an awesome tutorial!
There are other vids proving that common pop bottles work. The best way to designate a dirty water bottle is to leave the cap off. Submerging the bag, or bottle will fill it via displacement. LOL, there's no water pressure in the woods. One should have at least one wide mouth container for clean water. Makes filling the syringe easy. My favorite system is the U.S. GI canteen, cup, and stove/stand. Fits any 1qt pouch as intended. There are also 2 qt models that are cheap, durable, and bombproof.
This was such a helpful video to get a good visual of how to use this filter and how to backflush it. Thanks so much!
Great video. Thanks buddy
Excellent video, very helpful. I’ll be using my filter tomorrow for the first time.
Awesome review I thought I was the only one that wiped off the dirty bag of water first you’re the only guy on UA-cam that I see do that😂😂 and hold it at an angle is a good too. 👍🤙🤙
Your demo is 🔥
Great job on a very informational video without the fluff.
Thank you! Great instructional video. Well done!
Very informative. Thanks. I just bought this water filter today.
Well done explanation of using this filter.
Absolutely crackin' vid. Clear and concise. Best Wishes, McIntyre. Scotland
Exceptionally helpful. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video. Your video is a perfect explanation of the Sawyer squeeze system. I feel confident now to use mine!
Perfect explanation. Thank you brother
Thanks for this video! So helpful! Just got mine today and wasn't sure how to use it.
Thank you so much for this demonstration and helpful tips and strategies! Greatly appreciated. I'm doing an 18mile hike thru this weekend so clean water is a must.
thank you for the demo
Thank you so much for such an in-depth explanation! Great extra tips and tricks as well. Love it!
THANK YOU!!! for your very detailed tutorial!! I having brain fog on how to use my filter (only 1 yr old) and it’s clogged so I am soaking filter in a vinegar sweater solution….praying it helps. 😎
Awesome video! Helps a lot. Thanks.
Really well done. I never would have figured out these tips. Thanks!
I paniced viewing smooth over - the - rock, yet the leaf held down to stream
directed trickle above the stream. Wonderful idea!
Thanks! I just bought one of these. This was very useful.
A great and informative video and one of the best I've seen on using the Sawyer, many thanks for sharing ~Peace~
Thanks for taking a moment to share your comment. Peace and happy trails!
Filling up a dirty container with an opening the size of a nickle in mountain seeps is very difficult. My favorite filter is the Katadyn Base Camp...over 2 gallons capacity and gravity feed...easy to fill 2+ gallons with cooking pot in seconds and no squeezing needed.
Good video . Cheers buddy, stay safe and live life...
Thank you so much for this video! This was super helpful!
Very well made, quality review video.
Thank you! best video yet
Great video thanks for sharing =)
Thank you sir. Super handy
Thanks so much for this very thorough video.
Nice video very informative. Thank you. I'm sold.
No Bullshit - just facts. Awesome video!
Thank you! This was fantastic.
Very insightful, thanks!
great instructional video!
Try putting the bag in the mesh bag that came with your kit. Then get a coupler and attach your smart bottle, leaving it somewhat loose to allow the air to escape as the bottle fills with water. Let gravity be your friend and do the work while you do other stuff. No need to squeeze and all that.
Great video
Re. filling bag from shallow sources: One can ladle water into bag using a cup. Have used Sawyer half-dozen times, sometimes with plastic soda bottle instead of bag (which broke). Either way, I haven't quite got the whole business down adequately to feel comfortable with the product. Will probably keep trying. Also, water isn't normally so "contaminated" that touching it with your lips will make you sick. In fact, for non-immunocompromised patients, there's a chance (between fair and excellent) they could drink directly from most trail sources without any resulting illness. But I do like filtering frog slime, dead bug parts, & etc., and also don't at all mind avoiding disease.
Great video, very informative. Thanks for sharing! Happy trails
Love this vid. Great demonstrations!
Nice job on the vid. Very helpful tips, thanks
Just bought one. Think I'll pack some disposable gloves and alcohol wipes to prevent cross contamination. Thanks for the tip on the weak syringe, that's a pretty bad design flaw.
It's not actually a design flaw, my friend. Those mystery notches are on the plunger so that when you collect the water and push the air out they will be inside the body of the syringe. I've never had any issues with mine at all.
The only 2 things he didn't mention that people ABSOLUTELY MUST KNOW is NEVER let it freeze, because they can crack. Flush all the water out the best you can and sleep with it in your jacket if you have to. And the other thing is that the bags WILL fail eventually, depending on how much you use them, how you store them, how hard you squeeze them, and how you squeeze them. Just use common sense and these things will last pretty much forever. Enjoy your Sawyer!! ;)
@@ThatGuy-vw2pi Thanks. I'm thinking of modifying a spare camel back for my source water.
@@weirdshibainu I used an old navy surplus platypus bladder for a long time but it was very weighty even when empty just because of it's super durable construction... Similar to gas mask material, not exactly sure of the name... so I'll just use the scientific term Very tough silicone(ish) stuff - LOL
What I do now, is just use a little 6 can canvas and PVC liner sling cooler that I cut all the straps and things off of to lighten it and it will store 4 regular 20oz plastic bottles of water (turned on their side) no problem... And I just stuff it in my pack any which-way, without worrying about ripping anything or leaks.
I'd most definitely take a modded 8 or 12 can and more bottles on a thru-hike, depending on distance between water sources, of course.
When I can, I take a frozen bottle of water and it will cool the ones I fill just fine all day for a day hike.
My entire water system holds 80 ounces and weighs just 1 pound, filter, bags, and bottles included. It's not fancy at all, But for under 40 bucks, (30 of which being the Sawyer)... I'm not going to complain! Plus, you can't pop a bottle too easily.... And they have many other potential uses! ;)
Sawyer has re-engineered the syringe plunger. The shaft no longer have those notches.
Thanks for the video!
GREAT video
Excellent! thanks!
Excellent video!
Very informative. Thank you!
Good review thank you
Awesome video. Thanks!
I swear by these mini filters dialysis membrane down to 0.1 micron is perfect for large molecules of dirt and bacterial buildup, it wont filter small inorganic's like fluorine but thats for distillation filtration, but one defect or problem i have noticed and its minor is the "O" ring gasket that prevents leakage from bottle fails and allows bad water to get added to the clean, so make a few leather or such copies of the original,
one advantage is the screw fitting to the blue bladder bag fits most bottle threads like a cola bottle and so don't worry if you damage the blue bladders any bottle seems to fit in its place.
Super useful video!!!
This was a great video.
Thank you, very helpful.
Thank you
Super informative! Thanks mate!
Thank you for the review, do you need to disinfect the sawyer at anytime.
Good vid. I would suggest to not fill up the cleaning syringe that far. It's only about 25 CCs less. Also, I carry a spare syringe anyway.
Throw the syringe away and just use a smart water bottle Sports cap. The nozzle fits perfectly on me backwash nipple.
How many syringes full do you fill and backwash each time you clean the filter, ?
@@r.w.7232 BAD, BAD, BAD advice. The syringe is REQUIRED & necessary to generate sufficient FORCE/PRESSURE to dislodge contaminates that can never be obtained with using a "dumb" water bottle as a method of backflushing.
@@azclaimjumper You do not know what you're talkin about. Done correctly, it is a very safe, very effective way of backflushing. Maybe you should gain a little more experience before chiming in.
Keep doingit bro great video
that was so helpful thank you!
So helpful! Thanks!
Leave the lid on the water bottle, cut the bottom off effectively making a water scoop. Easy peesy, lemon squeezie.
How often is it recommended you clean the filter with the syringe?
I'm wondering the same thing.
Best to backflush 2-3 times AFTER each use.
Personally, I backflush with clean water every other day on the trail, then a couple times again at the end of my trip.
Thanks very much
Inflating the bottle - what is more contaminated, your hand that touched everything, or the bottle? :) It depends :)
use sawyer coupling or the white cap instead of syringe
Can you use the straw that comes with kit to drink directly from water source ?
I read a lot of bad reviews on Sawer filters. People mostly complain, that they stop working after a couple of uses. I got a mini and it came with a broker Syringe. What I want to know, since these are famous "survival" products, is it going to work in an emergency, or do I have to rely on a lifestraw or anything else? Any advice would be much appriciated. Thanks
Thanks mate, good video. Question: Are you sure that only a few drops of dirty water will actually get you sick?
You're welcome.
Depending on what's in the water; yes. How likely is it you'll get sick? I'm not sure at all but I suspect the risk is relatively low in most areas. Where I hike, there's a lot of natural springs and some people claim to drink water directly from the resulting stream and never get sick. That's cool and I'm happy for them. I don't judge them or think anything negative. Personally, I'd prefer to reduce the risks of falling ill while far from home. Especially when it's something I can reasonably control like filtering water.
I see, ty for the reply!
I wouldn't trust a single drop. A few years ago I had a friend filter water into a bottle that had a couple drops from the stream around the rim and he was sick the whole trip from giardia
once i used a water source to simply wash my beard, and i rinsed my mouth out and spit, probably only ingested a ml or 2 maybe and i got sick.. so yeah i wouldnt trust even a drop
LOL, these comments are hilarious. Must be city Folk. People swim in Creeks, rivers and lakes and get the water all over their face and even in their mouth. No harm done if you aren't swallowing the water.
Good job on the video! As far as the Sawyer system goes I am not very impressed. The filter does a good job but all of the squeeze bags and back flushing and filling of extra bottle is a little time consuming and tedious in my opinion, especially in a combat situation where stopping and going through all the shenanigans puts you at risk. The lure lock syringe is not the best choice for ease of use since it is intended to screw onto a female lure lock. A catheter tip syring would be a better choice. Apparently Sawyer in their wisdom or lack there of has replaced the sports type cap (push/pull) with a flip up cap that is really not an improvement in my opinion either. I do use the Sawyer mini as a inline filter with my hydration bladder. My issue is being able to easily and quickly fill my 3L hydreation bladder without removing my armor plate carrier.
Does the filter have to be pre-wet before using it
Eagle rock loop here I come
Dudelik!