Pro tip: that $50 water filter almost got me sick on my last trip

I grabbed one of those cheap Sawyer Squeeze knockoffs from a discount bin for my weekend trip up near Big Bear, figured it was the same thing for half the price. After two days I noticed the seal was cracked and brown stuff was leaking into my clean bottle, so I basically drank unfiltered creek water for a whole afternoon. Has anyone else had a budget filter fail on them or am I just cursed with bad luck?

2 comments

2 Comments

vera30821d ago

Must be great being a beta tester for budget survival gear. That brown mystery sludge adds flavor though, adds a little terroir to the experience. The real question is if it was seal failure or just the water trying to join you on the drive home.

the_anthony21d ago

That water might have saved your life if you ever got stranded and needed a desperate drink, assuming the bottle didn't kill you first. Most people don't think about how those cheap seals break down after sitting in a hot car for six months and turn your water into something that belongs in a chemistry lab. The real test of survival gear isn't at the store, it's after a few seasons of real abuse.