Sawyer Mini Water Filter

Cost: $25

Product description: The Sawyer MINI Water Filter is rated to 0.1 micron absolute, weighs only 2 ounces, and filters up to 100,000 gallons!

The MINI can be attached to the included collapsible drinking pouch, inline on a hydration pack, on a standard soda bottle, or simply use the included drinking straw to drink directly from the water source. How is that for versatility? Like all Sawyer filters, a proper backwashing can restore up to 98.5% of the filter’s flow rate. That means no expensive cartridges to replace, ever.

Product specifications: 

Filter Material: Hollow Fiber
Removes: Bacteria, Protozoa, E. Coli, Giardia, Vibrio cholerea, Salmonella Typhi
Cartridge Life: up to 100,000 gallons
Weight: 2 oz

Bob's impressions: So far this has been a cheap, easy, and pretty bulletproof little filter. We've used it with a big Platypus reservoir that has a large opening at one end, in a gravity system. It's not lightning fast (but neither is our Katadyn Hiker Pro), and as of yet we haven't used it to top off during a hike. Since we use in-pack reservoirs and don't carry Nalgenes, I expect to continue using the Hiker Pro for situations where we need to filter out of a shallow stream or water source. The Mini is perfect for lakes and other in-camp water needs.

All in all, it does the job very nicely - and at a great weight savings - on those trips where you know you'll have a decent water source at day's end.


Italics indicate manufacturer's remarks and details.