Changed my mind about water filters after that creek in the Sierra

Changed my mind about water filters after that creek in the Sierra. For years I always carried iodine tablets because they're light and cheap. Then last summer on the Rae Lakes Loop I ran out of tablets on day four and had to borrow a friend's squeeze filter from Sawyer. I was SO sure it was pointless weight but after using it I realized I drink WAY more water when it tastes good and comes out fast. It's not just about safety it's about actually wanting to hydrate. Now I see people on forums arguing about filters vs chemicals but I think the real thing nobody says is how much your water intake goes up with a filter. Has anyone else had that moment where they switched and never looked back?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee_grant972mo ago

That thing you said about "actually wanting to hydrate" hits on a bigger pattern I see all the time. People stick with the cheap or lightweight option because they're focused on the wrong problem, but once they try something that makes the experience easier they realize the real cost is not using it enough. It's like buying a cheap tent that you hate setting up compared to one you actually want to take out, the gear that gets used is the gear that's worth carrying.

reese_singh872mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, you nailed it with the tent example (that's exactly the kind of thing I see people get wrong). I'd push back just a little though - sometimes the lightweight option actually is the right call if you're backpacking miles and miles, where every ounce matters. It's more about knowing what tradeoffs actually matter for your specific trips, not just assuming cheap equals bad.

grace_fox31mo ago

My buddy Mike dropped $400 on a super lightweight sleeping pad once, said it was worth it for a 50-mile trip through the Smokies. He got four nights of great sleep, but then the thing developed a slow leak on day three. Ngl, he spent the rest of the trip patching it with duct tape and waking up cold every few hours. Makes me think sometimes we trade durability for ounces and end up paying for it in sweat and frustration.