Has anyone any experience of using a Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System in with a platypus bag and hose system in their rucsac? I was wondering about fitting the filter 'in-line'to the hose, but don't know how well it would work, or if it would be leaky.

I have been using a travel tap filter bottle for years, but find it is quite disruptive as I end up sitting squeezing several fills of water into my platypus, not to mention about how the squeezing hurts my hands, especially when the weather is cold!

Don't say 'just drink from the streams' - I do when I trust them, but have, over the years, had quite a few occasions when I have had to drink from some quite grotty sources when my water has run out. I have also had monster trots (been quite seriously ill) when I guessed wrongly and did not filter the water.

Any thoughts welcome.

Hi Lindy!
I had the same filter bottle and had the exact same problem!
I now have a Water-to-Go filter bottle, which I love. The bottles snd filters are now much easier to get hold of, Go Outdoors, Rohan, Boots to name a few, not just online and the water flows much more easily if you choose to fill a Platy. I now just use the bottle and carry two 1ltr soft bottles to use to treat water in camp with Aquamira drops.
Yes, I know, I know, belt and braces approach, but I have NO intention of getting caught out!

I have a Sawyers mini filter and I do get a little bit of leakage when I use it with my 2 litre Playpus. It's not a really bad leak (not like that awful Travel Tap I used to use!) but I have to be careful to properly seal the filter onto the platypus. I would not like to take the risk of having 2 litres of water gushing into my rucksack while I was walking. Also, you'd have the Platypus hose just pressed on to the filter's clean end - and I'm not sure I'd trust that to stay in place either.

The Sawyer mini comes with a small (less than 500 ml, I think) water bag. When I think I may want to drink filtered water as I walk along, I roll up that bag around the filter and shove it in my pocket so I can easily get it out if I find a water source.

Alternatively [and, ahem, I may have actually done this], the Sawyer mini comes with a straw which you can attach to the "dirty" end and use to suck up water whilst lying on your belly if you find a tasty looking puddle.

Like Judith, I suffered the dreadful Leaky TravelTap, it only got used on two trips - I gave up on it as a bad job after that.

I now use a Sawyer in exactly the same way as Judith. The thread on a Platy is ever-so slightly different to the Sawyer so it can leak - but nowhere nearly as badly as the TravelTap. The Platy-type bag supplied with the Sawyer is fine and doesn't leak at all - it's just too small.

I'm otherwise very happy with my Sawyer although they're quite expensive on our side of the pond, Walmart supermarkets in USA sell them for around £15.

Drop me an email if you want me to pick one up for you on my next trip - probably in March.

Hi JJ, Do you do any other shopping to order when you're in the States?

I've just ordered some Easton 8" pegs from USA at great expense unfortunately, (out of stock everywhere I tried in UK) but might suggest that you could turn a pretty penny bringing a few of those back in with you!

Hi all, well this old problem comes around every year!,, Water Fillration !!! The only time I ever used one was in the USA
Were you have too because of Giardia a very nasty parasite, but I must say it's fantastic for losing weight though!!!
Anyway it's never crossed my mind to filter water in the highlands of Scotland, Why!!!!
It's fresh beautiful clear stuff, in fact it's been said that it has natural viagra properties, You don't need one,

I guess it's a matter of luck..... I have been lucky most times, but one time I got quite a nasty parasite from drinking unfiltered water in Scotland. This year I might be trying the Life Straw system. Anyone tried that?


Andre Hilhorst

Thank you for your thoughts everyone - and for not mentioning my tendency towards dyslexic fingers (the thread title!). My heart sank when I realised I had failed to check it before posting.

I always treat water. After my hubby picked up Giardia in the North Pennines - from clear, fast running water - I would never risk it other than in an emergency. Giardia does exist in the UK, and believe me, you wouldn't want to have it! He was ill for about a month....

Hi Andre

I have a Life Straw Go bottle. When on a group hike I usually go for a MSR Hyperflow, but I obtained the LifeStraw a few years ago for Fjällräven Classic, to be able to get a refill quickly without pumping water, to keep up with my (younger and faster) hiking companions. I used to go years without any filters, since I live in Finland and mostly hike in Lapland, a land with what is generally thought as the purest water in the world, but since a nasty case of Campylobacter infection six years ago, that left me with a chronic reactive arthritis, I haven't taken any risks. You never know when a dead reindeer has collapsed into the water upstream...

The LifeStraw is a relatively handy apparatus, although I would prefer hydrating via a tube system, to make sure I drink enough (like it really is that much of a trouble to reach for the bottle in your pack's side pocket.. apparently it sometimes is!). Actually, I don't use the bottle that comes with it but a one litre wide mouth Nalgene, to have a leak-proof hot water bottle to keep my butt and/or feet warm during cold nights in a sleeping bag. The filter lid doesn't fit 100 % perfectly to the bottle, so if, and when, I bend down to take close-up photos of flowers or other objects at my feet, it tends to leak a bit, but I have made my peace with it.

Carrying the extra grams in the form of a filter really is worth your while, when you see this:



Norway lemming poop in the bottle

Having written all that I think I ought to introduce myself as well, since I'm new to the forum, and new to the Challenge. My name is Minna and I'm from Finland (apparently the only Finn in this year's TGOC). My first Challenge will also be my first time in Scotland! I'm so looking forward to the crossing, and meeting all the fabulous people there. I've spent months and months on end reading everyone's blogs and route planning tips and looking at the pictures doing "oohs" and "aahs" . My route is still in the making, but I'll be starting from Mallaig (I might have lost my mind temporarily - I often get seasick on boats, so that'll be a fine start for the Challenge, taking the ferry to Inverie ). In case anyone's interested, I started a blog in which I try to document my planning process, and, hopefully, the actual Challenge later on. Sorry for invading the filter thread with my introduction, though.

Hi Minna,
Thank you for the heads-up on the Life Straw, and hope to meet you on the Hills!

Greetings from Holland,
Andre Hilhorst

Tot ziens, Andre!

Welcome to the Challenge Minna, I look forward to meeting you in Mallaig!

JJ

Thanks John! See you in May!