Hidden costs of the AT

I bought a new Sawyer mini filter. I thought I should try it out before taking a 3 day backpacking trip last weekend.

Problem 1: the little cap flew off and into my sink – and down the drain. Luckily our plumber is fixing something else this week, so he will have to fish it out – I haven’t been successful in  getting that corroded trap loose.

Problem 2: On the actual backpacking trip, the backwash gizmo – just a 50 cc syringe – broke on the very second squirt. I finally got a chance to use the duct tape that I’ve carried in my pack for years! The bad news is that part is NOT covered by their warranty – nope, it does not have even a 5 minute warranty against defects in workmanship. Sawyer is shipping me a new one and only charging me for the part – which seems a bit pricy at $3.99.

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Comments 2

  • Bob Rogers : Sep 23rd

    Why are you back flushing a brand new filter? I’ve used mine on 3 or 4 trips at least and haven’t back flushed yet. Pop it on the end of the platypus or the top of a soda bottle and it still draws just fine.

    Reply
  • Mary Beth Skylis : Oct 13th

    If you get a smart water bottle (like $2 at your local stores/gas stations) with the squirt top, you can use it to backflush your sawyer. You don’t actually need to carry the syringe that sawyer provides.

    Reply

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