That's not the only problem with Sawyer as I found on a backcountry trip this fall. The filter needs to be flushed with vinegar prior to use if it has been allowed to dry out. I used mine only once about 2 years ago and didn't know about the need to flush it. It took two hours of hard squeezing to get a couple of liters of water. The last thing I want to do is spend two hours on a cold dark night squeezing a cold bag of water. I finally figured out that I could use a large rock to squeeze the bag but it took just as long.

The Sawyer is lightweight but if it's useless, weight doesn't matter. I sticking to my Sweetwater in the future.

But to jickards' original question: you don't really need a filter unless you are going into the back country. If you are road touring, the filter is unnecessary.