I currently have a hydro blu similar to a Sawyer and am thinking of getting a Blue Desert SmarTube Hydration System which can turn a smart water bottle into a CamelBak. I feel like I would struggle to keep a bladder from getting to gross so using a smart water bottle as a cheap bladder seems the way to go for me.
Love my sawyer mini. I don't even take water for car camping anymore, if there is a water source.
Definitely recommend upgrading the bag, the 16oz was not enough for me. Grabbed some of the 64oz off Amazon. Big improvement for me personally.
The MSR Guardian may be pricey, but it filters viruses also. I don't know about you, but if I'm drinking from water in the outdoors I definitely don't want to be contracting something that could ruin my backpacking trip or hike (or the rest of my week if I'm going home).
On that note, would the First Need XLE survive a steep fall vs. the MSR Guardian? From what I've seen regarding the MSR Guardian it can withstand quite a bit. I have one right now and it is incredibly sturdy. Not to mention it looks like the XLE is far more potentially breakable even when packed due to its two-section body vs. the Guardian's essentially one-piece (not entirely but the hose with the filter wraps around the body) design.
The squeeze is much better than the mini at only one ounce more. You don't have to worry about back flushing on trail, and the flow rate is many times faster.
I also highly recommend the sawyer fast fill adapter if you use a water bladder.
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