Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System

  1 of 9

  I’m very pleased with this water filter from Ray Mears Bushcraft. After looking at a few water filtration systems I decided I’d go for a Sawyer system, a quick google showed they were available on Amazon and eBay, amongst other providers. Delving in to the Amazon listing it looked like people had doubts about the authenticity of the devices that they had received via the Amazon supplier, this was mainly due to the packaging (supplied in a un-marked plastic bag). Some reviewers claimed to have contacted Sawyer to check this but the answers weren’t consistent – some people said Sawyer re-assured them this was ok, others stated that Sawyer cast doubt on the authenticity of the devices supplied in this type of packaging. If there is one thing you don’t want to rely on a fake device – it has to be water filtration! With this doubt in mind about the devices I set about looking for other suppliers and this led me to the Ray Mears shop. I called the shop and they reassured the authentic nature of this product supplied by them so I placed an order. The product arrived within a couple of days and it works well practically, I can’t vouch for the quality of the filtration but there are plenty of articles on the web about that, but my confidence in this being a genuine product is higher than if it had arrived in other packaging and had I not been able to discuss it with the supplier. A friend also sent me a link to the Sawyer website that had a page on identifying genuine Sawyer filters and this checked out perfectly so for anyone considering this water filter - I’d highly recommend buying it from here to be assured you have the genuine item. Hope this is useful.  

  David L

  2 of 9

  Fast becoming a dependable friend in the bush. This modest filter managed to handle extremely murky water which resembled coffee, and still managed to fill a Zebra 12cm Billy can with filtered water. The then boiled water made for an excellent bush corn on the cob. However I do recommend carrying the back flush syringe as the filter became naturally clogged quickly when stretched that far. If this happens in the field it is paramount that the filter be flushed with fresh water. Recommend using a rough filter whilst filling the squeeze bag or the MSR Dromedary water bladders. All in all a very dependable filter even when stretched to filtering heavy silted water. Never underestimate the amount of clean water needed to back flush the filter. It needed around 30 to 40 syringes to clear the clogging from that heavily silted water source. I now know I can depend on the Sawyer. It’s a very handy, lightweight and low volume device. Works especially well with the MSR Dromedary bags. The only slight reservation is the opening which is a flip top. As soon as you flip it open the water pours if it is pointing lower than the horizon. To rectify and not waste the odd splash of water it needs to be angled to point upwards. However, its merits far outweigh this minor detail. This will provide you with safe water for many a day. Although as always we must remember to boil all filtered water to be extra safe.  

  Craig

  3 of 9

  Best bit of gear on the market.  

  Robert Allan

  4 of 9

  We purchased the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter as part of our equipment for walking in New Zealand. To reduce weight we only took the filter and the water bags. The syringe is not needed for back flushing, as you can simply squeeze clean water back from one of the water bags. We coloured one bag and top with a red marker and used that exclusively for dirty water. The filter was used for all water uplifts and we had no sickness problems with D+V or Giardiasis, that really says it all. One uplift was from a dubious looking, large muddy puddle, the filter produced clean water that was subsequently used for cooking. Easy to use, robust and reliable. A must for any serious backpacker. The only concern we had was keeping the filter warm on a few quite frosty nights, as freezing will break the filter. I simply kept the filter in my sleeping bag. We also carried the filter in our hand luggage when flying. This product does what it says it does, highly recommended.  

  Rob Hall

  5 of 9

  We bought this for an expedition in Patagonia. Tried it out in the Lake District and its fabulous. Easy to use, quick and simple. The small pouch doesn't really give you much water but the two large ones are great for a drinks bottle, cooking or a water bladder. Really enjoyed collecting and filtering our own water.  

  Ah

  6 of 9

  Seems very effective and what's more, it is light.  

  Steve

  7 of 9

  Excellent product, as long as you know you will be able to access water supplies such as streams, tarns, lakes and wish to carry minimum water with you. This product will be ideal.  

  Gareth

  8 of 9

  This is easy to use and does what it says on the box. No more boiling water or puritabs in Snowdonia for me. My only issue is getting used to the taste of un-boiled water, occasionally interesting flavours ??  

  Richard Roberts

  9 of 9

  Though I haven't used this product, yet I've given this item 5 stars simply because it is well made. This water filter system is a compact simple solution to water purification. It now resides in my backpack along with my orange survival bag, compass, first aid kit and tinder pouch. This constitutes the bulk of my survival/emergency kit. The price was by far the best on the net at the time of purchase especially when you consider that you get 3 bags with the kit. The service from woodlore was as usual exemplarily.  

  Mark Pywell