Question 1

could i use this to safely drink water from any stream / river etc?

Accepted Answer

This is a dubious question to answer, and requires careful clarifications.There are water sources that simply cannot be drank, regardless of the filter. Moreover, there are some water sources that cannot even be drank after boiling.Now, you can usually tell just by smell whether or not a water source can even be considered as a drinking source. The worst will even have corpses of animals either floating within, or close to the edge.Such water sources should be avoided at all costs, as there is no reliable way to know in the field whether or not the water can be made safe to drink by either filtration or boiling.What i'm saying here is that you need to exercise caution and good judgement before drinking from a source.Now, I know of only a few water sources in the UK from which nobody could ever drink... and I get around a lot!Rivers by and large are fairly safe... especially fish-bearing waters. Likewise, a lake containing fish is likely to be cleanable.I use my Sawyer Mini on moving water sources with no additional cleaning (no boiling). Likewise, I only bother filtering rainwater collected from puddles.Ponds and lakes, depending on the smell, clarity of the water, presence of life and absence of corpses, I often drink just filtered.If I have even the slightest doubt, I filter first, then boil (60 seconds at a rolling boil will kill any harmful viruses that the Sawyer couldn't remove)I use my Sawyer literally every day, and I have never been sick as a consequence of that.Confidence comes with experience... so just remember: if in doubt, boil. If it smells like death, don't even consider it.

Question 2

does it filter out chemicals?

Accepted Answer

No, it does not, and neither will other manufacturers filters in the field. Most portable filtration units, while making claims to, can only perform in laboratory conditions and not in real world use. Look on the Sawyer website at the FAQs, all the info is there.

Question 3

Will i need to clean or replace any parts i;e filters that are used to collect contaminants?

Accepted Answer

The filters are good for 100,000 litres/gallons (can't remember which). So all you need to do is backflush your filter with clean water to clean the filter. I do mine once a day when using it unless it is particularly dirty water then I do it every time I use it.

Question 4

Is sucking essential, or is it possible to squeeze through the water from the input side?    Thank you for any response.  God bless you.

Accepted Answer

If you connect the filter to either a) the squeeze pouch that is included with the kit or b) virtually any standard mineral water or fizzy drink bottle you can squeeze the water directly into your mouth or another container. I use method (b) to fill my sigg and wide mouth cycling bottles. It is my filter of choice for long distance cycle touring. I hope this helps. Best MarkPs 1 tip - don't let it freeze - esp with water in it.

ASIN	B00TOX6UM6
Best Sellers Rank	3,398 in Sports & Outdoors ( See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors ) 17 in Camping Water Filters
Brand	Sawyer
Capacity	0.5 litres
Container Type	Bag
Customer Reviews	4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (42,800)
Global Trade Identification Number	00050716001051
Included Components	Sawyer Mini filter, cleaning syringe, drinking hose, water bag
Installation Type	Personal Container
Item Dimensions L x W x H	10.2L x 7.6W x 20.3H centimetres
Item Type Name	Sawyer Products SP105 Mini Single Water Filtration System - Black
Item Weight	45 Grams
Manufacturer	Sawyer Products
Manufacturer Part Number	SP105
Material Type	Plastic
Maximum Flow Rate	26517 Litres Per Minute
Model Name	Sp105 Mini Single
Model Number	SP105-Mini
Number of Items	1
Number of Packs	1
Other Special Features of the Product	Portable, lightweight, durable
Power Source	Manual Operation
Purification Method	Filtration
Supported Water TDS Level Maximum (PPM)	1000
UPC	747638164468 050716001051 776192878269

Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System

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