At Walmart, Sawyer Squeeze Filter

[Tuckahoe]

So dad and I made a trip to Walmart on that all to common futile trip to the ammo counter... damn empty shelves! But camping gear is located on the same aisle so I wandered along checking out what was in stock.

On the shelf was the Sawyer Squeeze Filter, priced at $30. It looks like this version only includes a single 32 fl oz filter bag, rather than the standard three varying sized bags. But the filter and one bag at 30 bucks is certainly at a price point that makes me consider picking it up to try it out.

[4Bears]

Thanks for sharing that, certainly worth looking into at our local wally world.

[Trebor66]

Give it a try, for 30 bucks you'll love it.

[MDSection12]

It only has one bag because that's the new model from Sawyer. The ones with only one bag are the new, supposedly improved (though I've heard mixed info on that) bags. I got one for about that off Amazon, and love it so far...

[Chair-man]

The one they sell online has 3 bag for $45.00. Still a lot cheaper then most other places.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sawyer-Pro...Specifications

[HeartFire]

I saw a post somewhere on faceborg (it may have been via the CDT group) that several of the sawyer squeeze bags all failed.

[drifter]

There has been some mixed experiences from folks, I bought mine last fall, a buddy bought his in March-they both have worked flawlessly. One needs to use reasonable care squeezing however.

[BostonBlue]

FYI Amazon has them about $5 cheaper and shipping included.

http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-SP131-P.../dp/B005EHPVQW

[MDSection12]

The one they sell online has 3 bag for $45.00. Still a lot cheaper then most other places.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sawyer-Pro...Specifications

Those are the old bags, which you can tell because they are relatively colorless whereas the new ones are a more colorful graphic.

I saw a post somewhere on faceborg (it may have been via the CDT group) that several of the sawyer squeeze bags all failed.

Yes that is true... Which is why they released the new, heavier bags. The old ones come with three bags, with almost no color on them, and the new ones come with only one bag, which has a more colorful graphic.

[markdek]

Those are the old bags, which you can tell because they are relatively colorless whereas the new ones are a more colorful graphic.



Yes that is true... Which is why they released the new, heavier bags. The old ones come with three bags, with almost no color on them, and the new ones come with only one bag, which has a more colorful graphic.

Not "quite" true. You can get the new Sawyer squeeze w/ 3 new bags too....I just got the 3-bag Squeeze from REI, on sale, and it's the new bags.

[Chair-man]

Those are the old bags, which you can tell because they are relatively colorless whereas the new ones are a more colorful graphic.



Yes that is true... Which is why they released the new, heavier bags. The old ones come with three bags, with almost no color on them, and the new ones come with only one bag, which has a more colorful graphic.

Sawyer's web site shows 3 bags the same as Walmart's web site.
http://www.sawyer.com/water.html#water1

they do have other options with one bag.

[BostonBlue]

Not "quite" true. You can get the new Sawyer squeeze w/ 3 new bags too....I just got the 3-bag Squeeze from REI, on sale, and it's the new bags.

The new design bags - are they definitely heavier? What is their total wt?

[MDSection12]

Not "quite" true. You can get the new Sawyer squeeze w/ 3 new bags too....I just got the 3-bag Squeeze from REI, on sale, and it's the new bags.

Ok I stand corrected. Those must have become available in the last couple weeks... I bought mine about two months ago and they were only available in one bag kits.

Sawyer's web site shows 3 bags the same as Walmart's web site.
http://www.sawyer.com/water.html#water1

they do have other options with one bag.

Those are the old bags. I'm assuming they just haven't updated their stock photos yet.

The new design bags - are they definitely heavier? What is their total wt?

Well here's where it gets interesting. A couple people (myself included) have emailed Sawyer and they said the bags were not heavier, but just had a new, more colorful graphic... But then a guy over at HammockForums got a set of new bags and compared to his old ones... He said there is no doubt about it the new ones are a heavier construction. I have seen weight differences stated, but I don't know off the top of my head. I have no idea why Sawyer denies reinforcing the bags but it seems fairly obvious that they did... In the video the HF user made you could see the difference plainly in the video; the old ones crinkle like a mylar balloon where the new ones tend to crease but not crinkle.

[Violent Green]

The new bags are ~5g heavier than the previous ones. I read that earlier today on a couple different blogs.

Ryan

[BostonBlue]

The new bags are ~5g heavier than the previous ones. I read that earlier today on a couple different blogs.

Ryan

Hmmmm. Makes sense. Thanks for that info, Violent! Personally, I will take the wt increase for heavier bags! 5-6 months of constant use will test even the best.

[Shonryu]

I ditched the bags and just bought better ones. I wonder why they never made them clear? Personally I would have perfered the single bag option when I purchased mine. Love my filter and never had a problem with it. I consider it to be an essential part of my gear.

[rocketsocks]

think I'll put one of these on my wish list...I could save quite a few ounces, and then I could bring that other book (field guides) I've been wanting to read while on the trail...it would be a wash...I love cutting weight for luxury items!

[Tuckahoe]

Well I went ahead and bought a Sawyer filter to try new out. So now I've joined the ranks of the Sawyer clique. The choice was mail order a new pump filter, because my local outfittler closed, or save money and try out a Sawyer.

[joshuasdad]

Just wondering, if you use a Sawyer filter on a water source with high tannins (Hell Brook in VT near Bennington in my case), will the water have a brownish tint? My filter might have froze on me on a hike last winter. If it is broken, it could let some nasties through.

[DaFireMedic]

I went ahead and picked up a Squeeze today as well. I already have a Sawyer inline filter that I bought before the Squeeze came out, and it works great. I used it on the JMT last year. I'll probably be using both at different times, the inline with my hydration pack, and the Squeeze on most other hikes. I also have several 2 liter Platypus's to use with the the Squeeze, along with the 32 oz bag it came with. I'm almost always carrying a plastic water bottle and I like the fact that you can thread the Squeeze on a standard bottle.


The inline filter got to the point that it was flowing really slow to the point of being useless, even after flushing. I'm told that this can happen with the Squeeze as well. Per Sawyer, this is usually due to the drying of the fibers and solids built up on them. I flushed the filter with hot water, then vinegar (letting the vinegar sit inside for about 15 minutes), then hot water again and it works like new. This problem generally doesn't happen on hikes, usually only in storage when there are longer periods between use when the fibers can dry out, so I will try to run water through them occasionally when in storage. I only mention this just to let you all know what worked for me when it happened.


I actually like the syringe flush system with the Squeeze better than the faucet flush on the inline. I don't plan on carrying the syringe with me on hikes as the documentation suggests, and if I did I would bring a smaller one than the big 60cc one provided. I haven't yet seen anyone carrying a syringe with the Squueze, although it might be something to place in resupply on a longer thru-hike.