What is a hiker doing when they use these filters to convert stream and lake water to drinking water? This was the practicality question behind our test. But now we have to consider the filtering method itself. This is a slam dunk for the Sawyer by the specs so far. First Need XL pump purifier The Filtering Method The First Need XLE weighs in at 16 oz listed weight and mine weighs 18 oz when wet.
Also, freezing is a danger for both, but I’d speculate it’s probably less so for the Sawyer (fibers vs glass).Īnd back to the weight – the Sawyer is listed as 2 oz but I weighed my Sawyer Mini, 64oz bag, 16oz bag, and the included straw at 5.4 oz. Indeed, you need to power through it to do it properly. Backwashing the Sawyer Mini, however, has no such risks. They have updated them to be more backwash friendly in the current XLE version. I know I’ve killed one First Need cartridge by backwashing just a hair too strongly, and judging by comments I’ve seen elsewhere on the web, I’m not the only one. That brings me to another point – Sawyer’s hollow fiber filtration method must be way more durable than the First Need’s structured glass matrix cartridge. I assume this doesn’t include backwashing, but First Need’s documentation doesn’t even describe backwashing instructions anymore. Not only that, but Sawyer says it can filter up to 100,000 gallons while the First Need XLE has a capacity of 180 gallons. It turns out the Sawyer Mini boasts a particle retention size of just 0.1 microns! Wow, I’m sold there. They currently list the actual particle retention rating at 0.4 microns. I feel pretty darn safe with those specs. It’s billed as a purifier and can filter out bacteria, cysts/protozoa like the infamous Giardia and Cryptosporidia and even some viruses which are the smallest living things. How does it compare filtration-wise? Well, Tom and I have both been using our First Need Deluxe pump filter/purifiers from General Ecology (and now the First Need XL and XLE) for quite a long time and have been pretty happy with them. Preparing to squeeze the life-giving water out of High Lake How does it compare to the First Need? It’s so light! Tom bought one as well so we both took Sawyer Mini filters out on the trail for our 4 day trip, leaving our other filters behind. However, how would it work as your primary filter? Well when Tom and I planned our trip to Cottonwood Lakes Basin in the Eastern Sierra, we decided to give that a try to find out.
It doesn’t add much weight at all at 2 ounces, and doesn’t take up much volume, so it makes for an excellent backup or emergency water filter. I got one as a gift and I figured it would make an excellent backup filter. The Sawyer Mini filter really made an impact on backpacking the past couple years with its small packed size, and especially its low weight and low price.
0 kommentar(er)
