Hi, John. I too had a problem with my Sawyer Squeeze. Upon returning home from an outing, I neglected my filter in my pack. When I tried to use it again, it’s flow rate was almost nonexistent. I did a 15 - 20 minute soak in straight vinegar, then ran a diluted vinegar solution through both ends. The results was amazing. Flowing like new. To store it, I ran distilled water forward, then back flushed with it. Finally, I squeezed air through to force out as much moisture as possible, then set my filter out to dry. I like your videos. The picture and audio quality is excellent. Your presentation and demeanor is pleasant and relaxing. Keep it up. 👍
Dan, thank you for posting this information. I am going to start doing that from now on. I normally backflush my filters after I get home with tap water. I believe what may have happened is that the chemicals in the water caused a calcium/lime deposit to set up in the filter (just guessing). That filter was idle for over a month (maybe two) before I used it again. The distilled water plus the air flush would resolve that problem. Thanks for watching and commenting! I really do appreciate it!
@@JohnMillwoodOutdoors if that squeeze is still clogged try doing what Dan recommended and soak it in vinegar overnight then run distilled water through it forwards and backwards to get the vinegar smell/ taste out of it. The vinegar will help get rid of any calcification or Lyme buildup. The squeeze is pretty resilient. I always back flush with the syringe not the smart water bottle. The syringe creates more pressure and helps to avoid creating paths of least resistance which decrease the flow rate over time. Good luck my friend!
@@twhite19782012 Thank you for commenting. The mistake I made was getting mad and throwing the filter away. I wish I had not done that, because now I believe this would be a solution. I will never flush out my filters with tap water any more. I have since bought a gallon of distilled water and a new Sawyer Squeeze. I'm also testing a different filter, which will appear in my next video.
@@JohnMillwoodOutdoors I can't wait to see your thoughts on the new filter! No worries John, maybe someone else in the same situation will read this thread and find a solution? I have many water filters and the squeeze is still one of my favorites. They all seem to have strengths and weaknesses though. I wish luck on your journey through the land of filters.
Well, I made a mistake folks. I got mad and threw this water filter way before seeking advice from you - my viewers. After reading your comments and doing a little research prior, I believe the problem I had with the filter may had been a calcium deposit. I had last used this filter about a month and a half before this backpacking trip. I believe if I had used a mixture of vinegar and water to soak and back flush the Sawyer, it would be flowing again. Unfortunately, since I trashed it, we will never know. But I did purchase another Sawyer just like this one because I do believe it to be a good filter. I've been running the Sawyer Mini for several years without any problems. Let me know what you think, and thanks for watching!
I have used various filters for several years now. Any Sawyer will clog and fail if it is not backflushed regularly. Backflush it everytime you use it - and backflush it slowly. Backflush it with filtered water and use moderate, but never heavy pressure. Don't try to set a schedul, like every 10 liters. It won't last a hundred liters. The filter may be good for 100,000 liters, but it won't last that long in practice. They're light; carry two.
Hi John Definitely gotten the hang of the nano now. Just got a sawyer filter. The instructions say calcium buildup can block it even after back flush. They say soak in dilute vinegar then back flush Thanks for video 🔥
I love the Nano stove! I think the calcium may have been my problem. I also saw a video recommending just what you said about the vinegar and water solution. The problem is that I got mad and threw the filter in the garbage before I did some research - which was a mistake. I have since purchased another one because I really do believe the Sawyer is a good filter. I've been running the Sawyer Mini for years without any problems. Thanks for the info, and thanks for watching!
Thank you for watching and commenting on my video. I'm glad you found some value. I had a great time camping even though things didn't turn out as planned.
1 is none 2 is one. I carry a squeeze and the mini. About to trade out the mini wit a grayl. Half of that mini inferno works great. Remember to backwash the sawyer. I do it after every use and during the colder months I use the syringe to push air thru it to help prevent freezing. Love your videos.
You are so right. Thank you for the advice. I just got a Grayl after this happened to give it a try. I'll be testing it out. I never thought about pushing air through to prevent freezing. The temperature was below freezing that morning, but I was carrying the filter in my cargo pocket next to my leg for that purpose. I'm glad you found some value in the video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
From my experience... Try to empty the sawyer by swinging the water out... either end pointed down, swing it sharply towards the ground a few times. Some water should come out.
You know, at the end of that trip I got mad and threw it in the garbage. But now I wished I had not done that. I did not try what you recommended. I also did a little research and found a video where a mixture of vinegar and water was used. The filter was soaked for a while and several backflushes with the plunger was done to unclog the filter. Anyway, you live and learn. I have since purchased another one, because I think the Sawyer is a very good filter. Thanks for the info. And as always, I appreciate you watching and commenting on my videos!
Seems like the tide has been going against Sawyer's products of late after years of positive reviews. I've got a few & freezing weather was about the only concern I had, but now I don't know. I guess we should always have a back-up system to be sure.
I really didn't think about the water filter stopping up like that. I did see a video about two months ago where another hiker had a similar problem with his Sawyer filter. Some things you can make it without, but water is not one them. Thanks for watching and commenting!
This and your video has gotten my wife more interested in camping or at least just getting out there for a day!!! She wants to see how you handle biscuits and muffins out in the wild :)
‘Never know what can happen when you are out but having a filter fail can be pretty serious. Even though we always carry a filter, we boil water almost every time we have a fire. Were you able to get the Sawyer cleaned and functional again?
@@JohnMillwoodOutdoors lol - been there when frustrated with failed equipment ourselves. At least the Sawyer won’t break the bank if you decide to get another. Cheers!
I had some below freezing temperatures in the morning, but I was keeping the filter in my cargo pocket next to my leg for that reason. I'm starting to think it is a calcium deposit bases off some other viewer's comments and a video I found. I'm going to pin a comment with more details. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hoping you're report back to us what you find out about your water filter failure. Aside from that, you sure made that grub you cooked look "Goooo-ood" as Cousin Eddy would say.
Grub always tastes better when camping! I'm going to pin a comment at the top of this video on more details about the filter failure. I appreciate your comment!
I’ve seen those Sawyer (BrFree too) clog up after being taken out of storage. Just do this before going out to the field... th-cam.com/video/vtmdm9Q0pek/w-d-xo.html
Hi, John. I too had a problem with my Sawyer Squeeze. Upon returning home from an outing, I neglected my filter in my pack. When I tried to use it again, it’s flow rate was almost nonexistent. I did a 15 - 20 minute soak in straight vinegar, then ran a diluted vinegar solution through both ends. The results was amazing. Flowing like new. To store it, I ran distilled water forward, then back flushed with it. Finally, I squeezed air through to force out as much moisture as possible, then set my filter out to dry.
I like your videos. The picture and audio quality is excellent. Your presentation and demeanor is pleasant and relaxing. Keep it up. 👍
Dan, thank you for posting this information. I am going to start doing that from now on. I normally backflush my filters after I get home with tap water. I believe what may have happened is that the chemicals in the water caused a calcium/lime deposit to set up in the filter (just guessing). That filter was idle for over a month (maybe two) before I used it again. The distilled water plus the air flush would resolve that problem.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I really do appreciate it!
@@JohnMillwoodOutdoors if that squeeze is still clogged try doing what Dan recommended and soak it in vinegar overnight then run distilled water through it forwards and backwards to get the vinegar smell/ taste out of it. The vinegar will help get rid of any calcification or Lyme buildup. The squeeze is pretty resilient. I always back flush with the syringe not the smart water bottle. The syringe creates more pressure and helps to avoid creating paths of least resistance which decrease the flow rate over time.
Good luck my friend!
@@twhite19782012 Thank you for commenting. The mistake I made was getting mad and throwing the filter away. I wish I had not done that, because now I believe this would be a solution. I will never flush out my filters with tap water any more. I have since bought a gallon of distilled water and a new Sawyer Squeeze. I'm also testing a different filter, which will appear in my next video.
@@JohnMillwoodOutdoors I can't wait to see your thoughts on the new filter! No worries John, maybe someone else in the same situation will read this thread and find a solution?
I have many water filters and the squeeze is still one of my favorites. They all seem to have strengths and weaknesses though. I wish luck on your journey through the land of filters.
‘Hadn’t thought of using vinegar to clean-soak the Sawyer - will have to try this. Thanks for sharing the idea.
Well, I made a mistake folks. I got mad and threw this water filter way before seeking advice from you - my viewers. After reading your comments and doing a little research prior, I believe the problem I had with the filter may had been a calcium deposit. I had last used this filter about a month and a half before this backpacking trip. I believe if I had used a mixture of vinegar and water to soak and back flush the Sawyer, it would be flowing again. Unfortunately, since I trashed it, we will never know. But I did purchase another Sawyer just like this one because I do believe it to be a good filter. I've been running the Sawyer Mini for several years without any problems. Let me know what you think, and thanks for watching!
John, you are the best. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the comment and watching my videos. I'm glad you found some value in the video.
You're quite a wholesome gentleman
Thanks for watching!
I have used various filters for several years now. Any Sawyer will clog and fail if it is not backflushed regularly. Backflush it everytime you use it - and backflush it slowly. Backflush it with filtered water and use moderate, but never heavy pressure. Don't try to set a schedul, like every 10 liters. It won't last a hundred liters. The filter may be good for 100,000 liters, but it won't last that long in practice. They're light; carry two.
Thank you for all these recommendations. I will try them out. I appreciate the comment. Thanks for watching!
Hi John
Definitely gotten the hang of the nano now. Just got a sawyer filter. The instructions say calcium buildup can block it even after back flush. They say soak in dilute vinegar then back flush
Thanks for video 🔥
I love the Nano stove! I think the calcium may have been my problem. I also saw a video recommending just what you said about the vinegar and water solution. The problem is that I got mad and threw the filter in the garbage before I did some research - which was a mistake. I have since purchased another one because I really do believe the Sawyer is a good filter. I've been running the Sawyer Mini for years without any problems. Thanks for the info, and thanks for watching!
Great video and reminder of how we have to be resourceful and roll with what comes!! Thank you sir!!
Thank you for watching and commenting on my video. I'm glad you found some value. I had a great time camping even though things didn't turn out as planned.
1 is none 2 is one. I carry a squeeze and the mini. About to trade out the mini wit a grayl. Half of that mini inferno works great. Remember to backwash the sawyer. I do it after every use and during the colder months I use the syringe to push air thru it to help prevent freezing. Love your videos.
You are so right. Thank you for the advice. I just got a Grayl after this happened to give it a try. I'll be testing it out. I never thought about pushing air through to prevent freezing. The temperature was below freezing that morning, but I was carrying the filter in my cargo pocket next to my leg for that purpose. I'm glad you found some value in the video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Appreciate your videos John!
Good stuff. Mike B.
I'm glad you like them. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Howdy from Oklahoma, another informative video John. Thank ya!
I appreciate you and glad you found some value in the video. Thanks again for watching and commenting!
From my experience... Try to empty the sawyer by swinging the water out... either end pointed down, swing it sharply towards the ground a few times. Some water should come out.
You know, at the end of that trip I got mad and threw it in the garbage. But now I wished I had not done that. I did not try what you recommended. I also did a little research and found a video where a mixture of vinegar and water was used. The filter was soaked for a while and several backflushes with the plunger was done to unclog the filter. Anyway, you live and learn. I have since purchased another one, because I think the Sawyer is a very good filter. Thanks for the info. And as always, I appreciate you watching and commenting on my videos!
Seems like the tide has been going against Sawyer's products of late after years of positive reviews. I've got a few & freezing weather was about the only concern I had, but now I don't know. I guess we should always have a back-up system to be sure.
I really didn't think about the water filter stopping up like that. I did see a video about two months ago where another hiker had a similar problem with his Sawyer filter. Some things you can make it without, but water is not one them. Thanks for watching and commenting!
OH yeah, and looking forward to a future video to see how you deal with biscuits and blueberry muffins in the ruff.
This and your video has gotten my wife more interested in camping or at least just getting out there for a day!!! She wants to see how you handle biscuits and muffins out in the wild :)
I will have biscuits and muffins on a future video. That was my plan for this one, but it just didn't work out. Thanks for watching and commenting!
‘Never know what can happen when you are out but having a filter fail can be pretty serious. Even though we always carry a filter, we boil water almost every time we have a fire. Were you able to get the Sawyer cleaned and functional again?
Unfortunately, I got mad and threw the filter away before I learned about the vinegar solution. Thanks for commenting and watching!
@@JohnMillwoodOutdoors lol - been there when frustrated with failed equipment ourselves. At least the Sawyer won’t break the bank if you decide to get another. Cheers!
Did the sawyer freeze up damaging the element?
I had some below freezing temperatures in the morning, but I was keeping the filter in my cargo pocket next to my leg for that reason. I'm starting to think it is a calcium deposit bases off some other viewer's comments and a video I found. I'm going to pin a comment with more details. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hoping you're report back to us what you find out about your water filter failure. Aside from that, you sure made that grub you cooked look "Goooo-ood" as Cousin Eddy would say.
Grub always tastes better when camping! I'm going to pin a comment at the top of this video on more details about the filter failure. I appreciate your comment!
I’ve seen those Sawyer (BrFree too) clog up after being taken out of storage.
Just do this before going out to the field...
th-cam.com/video/vtmdm9Q0pek/w-d-xo.html
Did you see any Indians ?
There you are Robert. Good to hear from you. Thanks for watching and commenting!