TIL carrying a 400g water filter instead of 2L of extra bottles saves about 3 pounds on the JMT.

I used to pack 4 liters for dry stretches near Evolution Valley, but after switching to a Sawyer Squeeze and a single Smartwater bottle, my pack weight dropped noticeably and I only stop an extra 10 minutes per fill up - has anyone else noticed a big difference ditching the bulk?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthonyhunt14d ago

My buddy Dave tried that exact switch last year on his JMT hike. He brought a 3-liter bladder and a backup Nalgene like he always did, then swapped for a Sawyer Mini and a 1-liter bottle. He forgot to account for how slow the filter gets in cold water near Silver Pass. Ended up standing there for 20 minutes while his hands went numb, squeezing that thing like it was a stress ball. He still swears by it for the weight savings, but now he carries a spare filter and a bigger container for the alpine sections.

lane.angela14d ago

Oh man, poor Dave. Twenty minutes of squeezing a cold filter with numb hands sounds like a full on torture session, not hydration. I bet he was so hyped about saving that 4 ounces of weight, and then Mother Nature was like "hold my beer, let me show you what cold water does to your little squeeze game." Honestly though, the spare filter and bigger container for alpine sections feels like the real lesson here. Like yeah, lightweight is great until you're standing there praying your fingers work so you can get a sip of water before dark. Classic ultralight tax, right?