Steripen classic Or Sawyer Squeeze filter?

[BSeals71]

I’m generally nervous using anything that requires a battery & understand this type of filter doesn’t clean out larger partials.

I have used the Sawyer squeeze mini before but had issues with the O-ring seal. heard the regular size has a better flow rate and maybe a better o-ring fit.

What do you guys think is the best?

 

[Superdoo]

I have not used the steripen. I do have the Sawyer Squeeze (regular not mini) and am very satisfied with it. Used it with some very turbid water (couldn't see three inches down) in a gravity setup and it flowed great. I had to back flush after every 2 liters but that doesn't take very long or use much water. The smart water bottles work great with it.

 

[BroodBuster]

I think that depends on the water source. I’ve never owned a filter but where I hunt and hike clear running water is readily available. Steripen is perfect for me especially while on the move. Now if my water source was a pond or cattle trough I’d definitely use a filter.

I boil, use tablets and the Steripen so am not fully dependent on the Steripen but have yet to have one fail on me.

 

[TheCougar]

Used a steripen on one hunt with no issues. Also used my Sawyer squeeze over a course of a week in Montana and loved it. Everything has its Achilles heel... filters can clog/leak or burst in cold temps. Steripens can have electronic issues or battery failure. Pick your poison!

 

[JimCraig]

I have used all of the above, and several others. I do not recommend the Sawyer Mini. It slows down and clogs up too fast. The Sawyer squeeze is a great value, but I still would always take the backflush plunger cause water is too important to have a flow rate problem. So its an OK option. The steripen is easy, but I don't care for floaties or batteries, so I stopped using it too. My go to filter these days is the Katadyn BeFree with 1 liter bladder. The flow rate is hands down better than any Sawyer I've used or seen. It's incredibly simple, as the "squeeze bag" screws onto the filter element and is a much more flexible and durable bag than the Sawyers. But it's simple because the bag stays attached to the filter and when its empty it rolls up very small and takes up very little space in the pack. The whole setup weights about 2.5 ounces. The other benefit I've found is that it is very easy to clean and/or restore flow if it slows down. And that is very relative. The slowest I've seen it flow is about on par with the fastest flow I've seen out of any Sawyer filter. To restore flow rate in the field, I just pour about 8 ounces of clean water into the bag, screw it onto the filter and shake it around for a few seconds, then take the filter out and shake the water out. Takes about 1 minute. At home I just take the filter out and rinse it out under running water, then shake it out. Done. It is the best hollow fiber filter system I've found at that small of a weight package. Highly recommended, check it out.

 

[Runwilderness]

I prefer the Sawyer. I had bought a steripen shortly after they hit the market and promptly left for a week+ backpacking trip in Yellowstone. No matter what we did the unit would always shutoff prematurely leaving us with a ‘huh, is that clean enough’ worry. Everything can break in the field, but I am somehow more tolerant of mechanical failures I can understand versus electronic gremlins I don’t.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Adding some purification tablets to your pack as a backup is a great idea as well. Remember that if you go with a membrane filter not to let it freeze.

 

[tdot]

I just switched from my Steripen to a Hydroblu Versa Flo. The Hydroblu seems superior to the Sawyer products for weight and flow rate. I'll know more once I've used it. But may be worth looking at.

 

[Clarence]

In my opinion, when looking at steripen, the ultra is the one to buy.

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[Sccritterkiller]

YES! I keep a steri pen adventurer and a mini squeeze in my pack.. I like having redundancy in my water filtering and together they dont weigh much.

 

[afdiamond1]

Steripen classic and Aquamira drops as a back up have worked well for me for quite a few years. I have a prefilter that screws on a nalgene that steripen sells that keeps out the big chunks. I've never been a fan of filters due to the chance of cross contamination and I've had filters clog at the worst times.

 

[AFenny11]

Agree with this ^^ filters tend to clog at the worst times. I'll have to get that nalgene prefilter to combine with the steripen. The sawyer works well for my applications, but I'd like to give the steripen a shot as well.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I’ve had good success with my sawyer squeeze, the only thing I’ve heard problems with are the bags. I don’t even use them, I have it set up with a 4L platypus gravity feed bag.

Hunting partner just bought a steripen, so we will have the ability to treat water separately if needed, as well as a backup without much extra weight.

 

[FlyGuy]

Absolutely the steripen for me. I can’t ever remember to take the damn squeeze filter out of my pack and put it inside my bag at night. After two nights it was leaking like crazy and not filtering anything. Was very skeptically the steripen but so glad I switched.


You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[Bearclawbeav]

100% steripen. aquimere droplets for back up. use neck gator or shirt to filter out debris

 

[Lelder]

I’m a steripen fan. I use a katadyn hiker to fill up a large jug or camping style collapsible 5 gal container and when I transfer from to my nalgene bottle I use my steripen. Might be overkill but I’ve had a parasite before and it sucks!

 

[Marble]

I use the steripen and a 10l MSR bag with a filter. If one fails I have another. And if both of those fail, I have aqua tabs.

The only time my steripen has given me issues is with an old battery. And i have drank water primarily in creeks. Although i have used it in a few seeps and they tasted like shit, but I didnt get sick.

 

[BSeals71]

I have used all of the above, and several others. I do not recommend the Sawyer Mini. It slows down and clogs up too fast. The Sawyer squeeze is a great value, but I still would always take the backflush plunger cause water is too important to have a flow rate problem. So its an OK option. The steripen is easy, but I don't care for floaties or batteries, so I stopped using it too. My go to filter these days is the Katadyn BeFree with 1 liter bladder. The flow rate is hands down better than any Sawyer I've used or seen. It's incredibly simple, as the "squeeze bag" screws onto the filter element and is a much more flexible and durable bag than the Sawyers. But it's simple because the bag stays attached to the filter and when its empty it rolls up very small and takes up very little space in the pack. The whole setup weights about 2.5 ounces. The other benefit I've found is that it is very easy to clean and/or restore flow if it slows down. And that is very relative. The slowest I've seen it flow is about on par with the fastest flow I've seen out of any Sawyer filter. To restore flow rate in the field, I just pour about 8 ounces of clean water into the bag, screw it onto the filter and shake it around for a few seconds, then take the filter out and shake the water out. Takes about 1 minute. At home I just take the filter out and rinse it out under running water, then shake it out. Done. It is the best hollow fiber filter system I've found at that small of a weight package. Highly recommended, check it out.

Jim - I went ahead and bought the Katadyn BeFree with 1 liter. Thank you for the advice.

 

[BigDog00]

The sawyer mini was a pain for me so I just use the original. I've never had a problem with it and have been happy with it. They will clog but back flushing isn't really a hassle. Ive been using them for 7 or 8 years now.

 

[Kevin_t]

Sawyer mini is not very good , the regular sawyer is fine . I used to have a steripen , it was a pain for filtering for a group at all . The Befree works well . I usually have tabs as a backup .

During hunting season I am more likely to take a pump filter as some areas are too dry to reliably get running water


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