Why does nobody talk about how slow water filters are on the Pacific Crest Trail?

Everyone raves about the Sawyer Squeeze but nobody mentions it takes me 45 minutes every morning just to filter water for a full day. I timed it on a stretch near Kennedy Meadows last summer and it added almost 2 hours of waiting across a 6 day section. Has anyone else found a way to speed this up without switching to tablets?

2 comments

2 Comments

christophermorgan5d ago

Yeah that burping trick barely does anything for me. I've got a Sawyer squeeze and I backflush it religiously, still takes me close to 30 minutes to fill a couple liters for a long stretch. The flow rate just drops hard after a few days on trail no matter what you do. Some of us just have to deal with it being slow or switch to Aquamira.

nancy_green5d ago

The 45 minute thing sounds like you're over-tightening the cap. A lot of people do that at first, especially with the Sawyer. Once you get the seal right, it should flow better, more like 10-15 minutes tops for a full day's water. Also check if you backflushed it recently, a clogged filter will add crazy time. I used to sit there forever on the PCT near Mt. Whitney until I figured out the burping trick, now it's way quicker.