Tips for Using the Sawyer Mini Water Filter

I’ve been using a Sawyer Mini water filter for 5+ years.  I love it because it is lightweight, small and cheap and I never have to buy a replacement filter. But the Sawyer Mini is far from perfect.  You will encounter some issues when using it.  The good news is that most of these issues are pretty easy to fix.  Here are some tips for using the Sawyer Mini that I’ve picked up over the years.

Also Read:

• Sawyer Mini Full Review
• How Long Does a Sawyer Mini Really Last?

Don’t Rely on the Dirty Water Pouch

The Sawyer Mini comes with a small pouch that screws onto the filter.  You fill the pouch with dirty water and squeeze it to push water through the filter.  But the pouch seams WILL break.   If this were to happen in the middle of a backpacking trip, you could be screwed.  You need a backup.

Bring a Backup Pouch

The backup pouches that Sawyer sells are quite pricy.  I found these pouches which fit the Sawyer Mini and are very cheap.  They will also eventually break but at least they don’t cost as much as the official Sawyer pouches.

You can see the pouch in this pic. This cheap pouch has lasted me 4 trips and still hasn’t burst.

Or Use a Plastic Bottle to Squeeze Out Water

All water bottles with normal size threads will fit the Sawyer Mini and Squeeze.  This works better than the pouch, but there is an issue: As you squeeze, you’ll create a vacuum in the bottle. To release the vacuum, you will need to:

• Unscrew-rescrew the bottle as you filter.  Yes, this is annoying.  OR
• Make a tiny hole in the bottom of your dirty water bottle.  Put your finger on it as you squeeze.  Remove your finger to release the vacuum and continue.

Instead of a pouch, you can just use a plastic bottle. It will get deformed like this one though.

Use Flavor Packets to Mask Bad-Tasting Water

The Sawyer Mini will remove bacteria and parasites from water.  However, it won’t remove bad tastes from water.

If you are filtering from backcountry streams, bad tastes aren’t an issue.  But if you are filtering pond or lake water, the filtered water can taste digusting.  One solution is to bring flavor packs like Emergen-C to add to the water. Bonus points if you bring electrolyte packs.

Filtering Takes a LOONNNNNGGGG Time!

One annoying thing about the Sawyer Mini is that is has a very slow flow rate of 1 liter per 5.5 minutes. I personally don’t mind this so much.  I kind of enjoy filtering the water each morning as I cook our camp breakfast.

Because filtering does take so long though, I’d recommend getting one Sawyer Mini for each person in your group.  They are cheap and lightweight, and each person can be responsible for filtering their own water.

OR…

Consider getting the Sawyer Squeeze instead.  It is slightly bulkier (2.5oz versus 1.9oz), but has a better flow rate of 1 liter per 2 minutes.

Filtering water with the Sawyer Mini. It takes a long time to filter. 🙁

Get a Bigger Pouch

It is really annoying to have to constantly refill the pouch with water for filtering.  A better solution is to buy a bigger-sized pouch for the Sawyer Mini.

*The old Platypus bags are compatible with the Sawyer Mini.  The new ones aren’t though.  However, I’ve heard reports of the Platy bags leaking dirty water into the clean water.  So, I’m sticking with my cheap pouches, even if they are small in size.

You’ll Need a Scoop for Shallow Water

Filling up the Sawyer pouch or your dirty-water bottle is tough in shallow water sources.   As talked about in this forum, there are all sorts of things that people use to scoop shallow water into their Sawyer pouch. Here are some ideas:

• SmartWater bottle (USA): These are thinner, so they are easier to fill in shallow water sources. Not all SmartWater bottles fit the Sawyer though (the UK and EU SmartWater bottles apparently don’t), so check compatibility first!
• ZipLock Bag: Cut the corner off of one and you can use it to fill your pouch easily
• Homemade Scooper: Cut the top off of a soda bottle and you can use it as a scooper for water. It doesn’t fold up, but it is lightweight and you can put gear inside of it.
• Use Your Cook Pot: It will get sanitized when you cook with it.

Use a SmartWater Flip Top Bottle for Backwashing

When the water source is dirty (think pond scum), you’ll have to backwash the Sawyer Mini fairly often to keep it flowing. The Sawyer Mini comes with a syringe specifically for this purpose but it is really big. That defeats the whole “lightweight” feature of the filter.

Instead of using the syringe, you can use a SmartWater bottle. The mouth fits the Sawyer Mini perfectly.

Know Your Water Threats

Don’t forget that the Sawyer Mini does not remove viruses or chemicals.  In backcountry, these usually aren’t a concern.  But there may be viruses in popular hiking areas from all the hikers pooping too close to water.  Chemicals are common in water sources located in agricultural areas.   You may want to check out these other backpacking water purifiers instead.

Do you use the Sawyer Mini? What tips can you share?