Ever wonder what it would be like to drink from a dog’s water bowl that was sitting out in the sun filled with moldy water on a hot summer day?
Yeah, me too, so I did it!
I should probably preface this story by saying I used a Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System to drink this delicious concoction.
If you aren’t using a water filter straw, do NOT try this at home.
Anyways, bad to the drinking of dirty dog water.
So I took my water filter straw and approached the grossest body of water I could find in my backyard, which I’m sure you know what it was by now.
Instead of thinking too much about it (other than the fact that it had no fecal matter or chemicals) I went ahead and took the first drink.
It tasted earthy, but I survived and didn’t get sick at all.
Luckily, I was able to drink a little bit more and never got sick from it, ever.
My point is, the Sawyer Mini Water Filter straw is a beast, and it’s an essential part to any disaster kit or backpacking setup.
Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System
Finding drinkable water while backpacking is becoming more and more difficult, since algae is blooming everywhere and humans are constantly polluting all of the natural sources.
The beautiful idea of drinking from a stream in the mountains now becomes filled with worry and doubt that you might get some kind of water borne illness and throw up for days on end.
It’s unfortunate that we have to feel this way, since immersing yourself in nature is one of the most fulfilling parts of backpacking.
Luckily, Sawyer Products made a perfect solution to allow you to get back and drink from those streams, rivers, and lakes that you never thought you’d be able to drink from again.
Water filter systems are usually hundreds to thousands of dollars, and you can’t really load them up in your backpack.
However, this water filter straw allows you to carry it virtually anywhere and still have clean, drinkable water in most cases.
Don’t try drinking from the ocean, any other saline source, or any water that has come in contact with chemicals.
These filter straws are meant to filter out bacteria, some viruses, algae, and other natural pollutants.
Although these limitations are still an issues in the industry, the Sawyer Mini water filter is still a state-of-the-art product that, in my opinion, is unrivaled by any other water filter straw.
It’s far more compact, cheaper, and lasts longer than any of its competitors.
So how exactly do you use it?
Well, you open up the drinking side (please read the instructions, you don’t want to find yourself attempting to drink through the wrong side) and place the other side into the water source.
Drink the same way you would with any other straw, and BOOM! You’re hydrated.
Keep in mind that the water has to go through the filtration system, which means it might be a little difficult at first to get the water through.
That being said, it beats packing tons of extra water weight or risking illnesses.
Top Specs of the Sawyer Mini Water Filter Straw
Although it’s mini, the Sawyer Mini Water Filter is far from small in its features.
There’s a few other products included in the kit, so what exactly will you be getting with your purchase?
- 2 Ounce water filter straw
- 16 ounce reusable water bag
- 7 inch drinking straw
- Water filter cleaning device
The 16 ounce reusable water bag shouldn’t be overlooked, because you can easily fold it down to fit in your pocket, and then fill it up when you find a water source on the trail.
Simply fill up the water pouch, and the water filter straw screws right onto it.
Speaking of which, the water filter straw screw into any normal water bottle, which means you can bring your own to keep down the weight and bulkiness of normal reusable water bottles.
The drinking 7 inch drinking straw is kinda pointless in my opinion, but it weighs pretty much nothing so you could load it up in your backpack if you want to get fancy while drinking water.
According to their website, the Sawyer Mini Water Filter straw filters out “99.99999% of bacteria”, which pretty much means that it’s safe to say you’ll be alright.
Obviously all water filters have lifespans, since the constant usage can slowly make the filter less effective.
This mini filter straw has a max usage of 100,000 gallons of water though, which equates to 100,000 days (or so) of drinking water.
That’s 273.97 years before you have to get a new one if you drink a gallon a day.
Some reviewers say that it only safely lasts about 50,000 gallons, but that’s still far longer than you or I will ever need it.
Is the Sawyer Mini Straw Worth It?
I’m usually not so quick to jump on an answer but YES.
Clean water is something that everyone needs to survive, so this little guy is worth every single penny.
Seems like you’d have to break the bank to have clean water though, right? Wrong!
It’s less than $25.00 on Amazon, and it’s actually currently on sale for less than $18.00!
Hurry fast though, because I’m sure they’re going to raise it back to the normal price soon.
When I bought one of these, it was $20.00 at max price, and it’s already raised almost $5.00 since then.
Anyways, for backpacking and day hiking purposes, there’s not a better solution to drinking clean, healthy water.
Bring back those dreams of drinking from nature, and drop the worries that used to come with it.
It’s time to back up your gear and stay hydrated with a 2 ounce water filter (perfect for ultra lightweight backpacking, might I add).
But hey, don’t let me tell you what you should get.
Check out the 4,000+ positive reviews and make the decision yourself!
Clean water for 2 ounces and less than $20.00 for life, or bulky water bottles with a finite source of water? The choice is, as always, yours to make!
The price of course is ever changing so you might want to check on that as you can never be sure how much this thing will cost a couple minutes from now.
