Although the filter worked most of the time, the clogging problem's too much of a pain in the ass. Even with a prefilter, after about 2 gallons it would clog. I would clean it thoroughly with a brush and it would pump out a few more gallons then clog again. I gave up when the plunger broke. I haven't tried other filter so this may be normal. I'll try the coffee filter trick with the next one I buy.

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I really liked the ergonomic design of this filter and bought it many years ago, but only used it once on a trip up Mt. Washington, then the thing sat for years in my gear closet. Until last week...

I took it up to the BWCAW and the thing crapped out on me pretty quickly. I didn't know you had to clean it after nearly every liter. I kinda figured it out on my own though and it would pump well for awhile, then clog. In the end we were drinking boiled or diving deep into the lakes with water bottles to get clearer water. I was pretty pissed, but I came out, looked for reviews for my next filter and realized that the sweetwater is a delicate instrument that requires some maintenance.

I just bought the filter brush and silt stopper from REI... and I plan to use a coffee filter. We'll see how that works... but I can say that after a cleaning with the brush the filter element I thought was dead is now pumping nice and freely. The taste of the water that comes out is perfect, better than any bottle of Evian, so I'll continue to use it and see what happens.

I looked at the new design and I have to wonder why they replaced the nice metal prefilter with a crappy, floaty plastic one. I'm just glad I have the older model. By the way, I don't know what kind of gorillas break these things, they seem pretty bomber to me. Be gentle with it, and don't force a clogged filter and the pump should last a lifetime!

Would have been 2 stars, But I'll give it 4 because I was clueless (for now).

Customer Service

None

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Many people here report having trouble with the Sweetwater Guardian. I have had none. I use the prefilter. The pressure relief is brilliant and works well. In case you are tempted to get a PUR Hiker, consider this: I owned a Hiker from PUR and returned it when I went walking along the Olympic Coast and regularly found fine silt in my bottle after filtering! I tested it at home and found that yes, my PUR allowed fine silt through. Certainly it was a defect, but after that I could not trust it. It didn't clog because it didn't work. The best test I have found is trying to filter food coloring: The Sweetwater removes all color - The Hiker cannot.

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PUR Hiker

This filter is not reliable enough for backcountry use. The first summer I used it I met several people who had broken filters of the same model. After a few days mine started clogging after just one or two litres of filtering. Cleaning didn't help. I returned the filter to Cascade Designs who promptly sent me a new one. That one broke while in my pack before I ever used it! Luckily MEC gave me a refund. I think the Pur filters are best, but I haven't bought one yet.
It's too bad that this filter is flawed, because it's light and has the easiest pumping.

Customer Service

Good customer service. They promptly replaced the filter.

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I bought this filter when I was getting into backpacking. This filter is the worst piece of equipment I have ever owned. The reason this filter is maintainable in the field is it has to be. You will spend more time cleaning this filter and shooting water out of the side than in a bottle. I have had it for about 3 years. I just purchased another cartridge for it to see if mine was just worn out. It needed cleaning before I even got through 2 liters of water out of a very clean lake. Luckily my friend had his PUR with him and I finished all my filtering with that. If you are thinking of buying this DONT. By spend the extra money and get a PUR. I am. It gets one star just because I cannot give it any less.

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This filter is absolutely great in my experience, but I did have trouble with it clogging until I re-read the pre-use directions. Make sure the filter is soaked PRIOR to filtering water. I get it wet in the sink, pack it up and later that day do some filtering ... the difference is like night and day between this and a dry filter. The pre-filter does a great job without any coffee papers wrapped around it, unless of course you're filtering a mudhole (which I have done). It'll give you gallons of water with a minimal forearm workout.

Keep in mind that moving water (ie: nice, pure streams) has a ton of unseen sediment; catch a pool off of the source where the stuff can settle and it makes a big difference. I know this: the Guardian is tough (lexan), safe (safety release), easily cleanable in the field and extremely easy to use. I've yet to have a problem with the o-rings or the lever mechanism - which is hands down the most ergonomic design of all the portable filters out there in the woods.

This filter is a great value. I trust it and would highly recommend it to others.

Customer Service

NA

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PUR Hiker (pretty good also)

This filter was, IMHO, an absolute piece of junk. I used it for the first month and a half of a three-month PCT thru-hike (www.hikefordiabetes.org), and it took, on the average, 10 minutes per liter. It clogged often - even in perfectly clear water - and eventually I swapped it out for iodine. I wouldn't use this filter if I were paid to in the future.

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I would not buy this filter if I were you becuase there are better ones on the market (i.e. PUR). I used the sweetwater last summer for 4 8-day backpacking trips and it was a pain. The filter often clogs, so you have to constantly scrub it. Then once you have scrubbed it, it still doesn't pump very smoothly. In addition, the red line around the filter got a series of cracks in it from, who knows where? Then to top it all off, the pumping mechanism inside the pump cracked off. I would like to say at no time did I throw it around. It is just poor craftsmanship. I decided to buy the PUR hiker which is a far better setup.

Customer Service

I took the filter back to REI and they were happy to exchange it for me.

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I was disappointed with this filter. Started clogging up after pumping about 2.5 gallons of relatively clear water. Took it back to REI and picked up a PUR filtration system which worked much better. If you're going to be in the backcountry spend the extra $$ to get a product that is dependable.

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Have had this filter for many years now. It is light, does not take a lot of space and best of all easy to use. I'm not racing so I do not need to pump this water really fast. It is nice to take a break on my long MTB trips and get off the bike for a little while. Many of my friends were sold after useing mine. Yes, it gets clogged but is not a pain to clean. At least you can do this in the field. Can't beat the price for the features.

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