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DuxDawg
107
Jan 20, 2015
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DuxDawg
107
Jan 21, 2015
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M_at_oI use a Renovo Trio or Berkey Sport on short hikes (3 days or less). Use the full size Berkey filters in a DIY gravity setup on long trips (4-14 days). First Need is my second choice for long trips, went with Berkey because it packs more easily. Berkeys have been around for a long time - multiple generations of homesteaders have lived on Berkey filtered water.
DuxDawg
107
Feb 4, 2015
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KeWaHowdy KeWa. Thank you for your reply.
Technically you are correct that the Berkey and Trio reduce. All filters reduce contaminants, no surprise there. The fact is 100% pure water is an unreachable goal outside of a strictly controlled laboratory setting. Every drop of water we consume contains contaminants. Zero exceptions.
The point is, what we are engaged in is risk reduction in a backpacking setting. The full size Berkey and the Renovo Trio both reduce a wide range of contaminants beyond the ability of laboratory equipment to detect. The Sawyer Mini does not. If we look at some popular backpacking gravity filters we see that the Trio (.05 microns) filters out particles half the size of the smallest particles the Mini (0.1 micron) filters and the Mini filters out particles half the size that the LifeStraw (0.2 microns) filters. The Berkey filters out much more than the Trio. Do some research on the size ranges of the pathogens we are dealing with and you will find that 0.05 micron filters out many more pathogens with much greater surety than 0.1 micron. Huge difference. Think coffee filter vs window screen.
You are correct on boiling even filtered water. Never hurts and can make or break a multi day backcountry trip. I highly recommend boiling and personally boil my (filtered or unfiltered) water before consuming. Boiling is hands down the most sure and effective way to reduce organic contaminants (bacteria, protozoa and viruses). Boiling does not reduce salt, heavy metals, etc - it CONCENTRATES them. Properly performed distillation does remove salt, heavy metals, etc. However distillation CONCENTRATES volatile organic compounds - petroleum products, some pesticides, herbicides, etc. In this modern world it is mission critical to know what contaminants you are dealing with and the most effective ways to reduce them. There is no universal panacea. Unfortunately the majority of products the backpacking water filtration industry is currently offering have not caught up with the realities we face. Especially those of us east of the Mississippi.
Bottom Line: Will you get sick using the Mini? Probably not. Will you be ingesting a far greater amount of contaminants thereby taking a much greater risk with your health? You absolutely will be. In the end it is up to each of us to weigh the risks and live with our choices. I am merely pointing out what a considerable amount of backcountry experience and research has taught me in the hopes that it helps others make safer and more informed choices.
Happy Trails. :-)
Technically you are correct that the Berkey and Trio reduce. All filters reduce contaminants, no surprise there. The fact is 100% pure water is an unreachable goal outside of a strictly controlled laboratory setting. Every drop of water we consume contains contaminants. Zero exceptions.
The point is, what we are engaged in is risk reduction in a backpacking setting. The full size Berkey and the Renovo Trio both reduce a wide range of contaminants beyond the ability of laboratory equipment to detect. The Sawyer Mini does not. If we look at some popular backpacking gravity filters we see that the Trio (.05 microns) filters out particles half the size of the smallest particles the Mini (0.1 micron) filters and the Mini filters out particles half the size that the LifeStraw (0.2 microns) filters. The Berkey filters out much more than the Trio. Do some research on the size ranges of the pathogens we are dealing with and you will find that 0.05 micron filters out many more pathogens with much greater surety than 0.1 micron. Huge difference. Think coffee filter vs window screen.
You are correct on boiling even filtered water. Never hurts and can make or break a multi day backcountry trip. I highly recommend boiling and personally boil my (filtered or unfiltered) water before consuming. Boiling is hands down the most sure and effective way to reduce organic contaminants (bacteria, protozoa and viruses). Boiling does not reduce salt, heavy metals, etc - it CONCENTRATES them. Properly performed distillation does remove salt, heavy metals, etc. However distillation CONCENTRATES volatile organic compounds - petroleum products, some pesticides, herbicides, etc. In this modern world it is mission critical to know what contaminants you are dealing with and the most effective ways to reduce them. There is no universal panacea. Unfortunately the majority of products the backpacking water filtration industry is currently offering have not caught up with the realities we face. Especially those of us east of the Mississippi.
Bottom Line: Will you get sick using the Mini? Probably not. Will you be ingesting a far greater amount of contaminants thereby taking a much greater risk with your health? You absolutely will be. In the end it is up to each of us to weigh the risks and live with our choices. I am merely pointing out what a considerable amount of backcountry experience and research has taught me in the hopes that it helps others make safer and more informed choices.
Happy Trails. :-)
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Here in the MidWest we are also concerned with a multitude of other contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, petroleum products, detergents, etc. This filter does nothing for them. Just an FYI.