Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#204559 - 06/28/20 11:27 AM A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe
the-gr8t-waldo Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/11
Posts: 180
Loc: Tacoma, Washington
I'm sold on their water filter hiking product line and like the "mini" sized, but never have felt it reasonable to take their, "one size fits all" syringe/flushing tool on a hike. at the end of my hikes I do test and flush 'em before storage. and never process cloudy water! the end result has been the filter always clogs and needs to be replaced.... last time , while gearing up for a hike, the filter tested fine. and then less that one hour into a two week hike it clogged, and I drank unfiltered water for the entire hike. for some reason, I can't/won't allow valuable pack space to be wasted on them. has anyone found a way to back flush one that dosen't involve something that's as big, or bigger than the filter itself? it's possible than all I should do is to to start taking zero days and use a motel's water pressure to back flush 'em... but would like to avoid that


Edited by the-gr8t-waldo (06/28/20 11:31 AM)

Top
#204560 - 06/28/20 01:01 PM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: the-gr8t-waldo]
Glenn Roberts Offline
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2207
Loc: Southwest Ohio
No work-around for the Mini (in fact, I've read reviews that say they're fine for a day hike, but that they clog so fast that they are practically worthless for backpacking. So, I use the Squeeze (full-size, "original") model, with a 900ml Evernew bottle as the clean bottle and the 2000ml Evernew as the dirty bottle (2000ml happens to be just the right amount for me for an overnight dry camp.)

My "work-around" for the Squeeze is the so-called cleaning coupling. I prefer to attach both bottles to the filter when filtering water, since I've had the bags (and even Smartwater bottles) tip and spill as they got full. To backflush, I simply squeeze the clean bottle to backflush the filter into the dirty bottle. Then I top off the clean bottle by filtering some more water.

I do carry some Aquatabs, just in case the filter does clog beyond what backflushing will fix. I also backflush with the syringe at home after a trip.

I don't take long trips anymore, but this seems to work fine for the one or two night trips I mostly take. Probably, if I needed a filter that I could absolutely rely on for a week or more, I'd dig out my MSR Miniworks - heavy but bombproof (like most of the MSR and Thermarest gear that I used back in the 1990s and early 2000s.)


Edited by Glenn Roberts (06/28/20 06:09 PM)
Edit Reason: Add backup note

Top
#204561 - 06/29/20 02:40 PM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: the-gr8t-waldo]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
My experience with field back-flushing has been that some fraction of flow can be restored, but it takes a more thorough session back home to approach like-new flow. This includes Sawyer and MSR filters using the hollow fiber media.

I've never taken the syringe, instead using a water bag and hose to force water backwards through the cartridge. The bag and spout need to be strong and watertight in order to generate enough pressure.

My worst luck has been source water from brushy shorelines that does not circulate. Clear or cloudy isn't a reliable indicator. (I don't currently hike where glacial silt is present.)

Lately I've been toting a ginormous 10L dirty water bag and especially for 2+ person camps it's terrifically convenient.
_________________________
--Rick

Top
#204570 - 06/30/20 10:07 AM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: the-gr8t-waldo]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
This is my solution:


The flip top caps on Smartwater bottles fit perfectly over the output on the Sawyer Mini. So I just leave one on or with one of my clean water bottles. Every time I filter water, I finish up with a quick backflush.
_________________________
The journey is more important than the destination.

Top
#204572 - 06/30/20 03:08 PM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: 4evrplan]
aimless Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
Now THAT is a sweet solution. I'll have to give it a try. awesome

Top
#204581 - 07/02/20 12:26 PM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: 4evrplan]
the-gr8t-waldo Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/11
Posts: 180
Loc: Tacoma, Washington
just got finished going thru the "collection". found a brand new "mini". so 4ever's fliptop cap looks to be the easyest. (and litest). to live with. since this years hiking is on hold- I have a lot of time to think about the next outing. I'll make it a point of flushing after EVERY use.( once it's dead- I'll be moving on to a new filtering system.) one good thing, I was forced to get over my reluctance to drinking unfiltered water. if push come to shove, it's always there it to fall back on.... Thank you all for the help!


Edited by the-gr8t-waldo (07/02/20 12:33 PM)

Top
#204582 - 07/02/20 02:21 PM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: the-gr8t-waldo]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
Glad to help! I think I should say, this was not my original idea. Re-reading my post, it kinda sounds like that, but I did not mean to imply I came up with it on my own; I just meant it's the solution I adopted. Enjoy.
_________________________
The journey is more important than the destination.

Top
#204590 - 07/03/20 06:59 PM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: 4evrplan]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
are you using your mouth to backflush? or am I misunderstanding your post?

Top
#204599 - 07/06/20 04:15 PM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: BZH]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
No, I use my water bottle to backflush. Just turn it upside down and squeeze.
_________________________
The journey is more important than the destination.

Top
#204609 - 07/09/20 11:32 AM Re: A "work around" for sawyer flushing syringe [Re: 4evrplan]
the-gr8t-waldo Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/11
Posts: 180
Loc: Tacoma, Washington
I'm a big fan of "multitasking" using one's mouth has the added advantage of clearing the ears of wax, as well!

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
MSR Recall
by balzaccom
02/24/24 11:13 AM
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Yosemite Winter Rangers
by balzaccom
12/21/23 09:35 AM
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 55 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum