Originally Posted by
veganbikes
I understand testing is different from inspecting but in my case certain things don't quite need a test (like sleeping bag or something along those lines)
Water filters should fall into the same category as sleeping bags. There is a very reasonable expectation that a functioning water filter placed in storage should still be a functioning water filter when taken out of storage. If the manufacturer was aware of a potential problem...which they seem to be given that they address this problem in their FAQs...they should warn the customer in the instructions so that proper precautions can be taken.
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
I also disagree with not testing equipment when you put it into storage. Things can happen from something just sitting around. One should never put anything away broken and one should fix or mend broken stuff but you should double check it before you go.
I think I said you should fix and mend equipment before placing it in storage. But, honestly, there is little that can happen to
most equipment that is
properly stored. "Properly" is the key. Sleeping bag manufacturers warn you not to store bags in compression sacks. Tent manufacturers warn you not to store tent damp. Stove manufacturers caution you about storing stoves with fuel in the lines. Other water filter manufacturers tell you to dry the filter before storage. These are all reasonable precautions to take and, more importantly, have been suggested by the manufacturers.
Now if something external happens in storage, like your house gets flooded or your children decide to play with the camping equipment or your dog chews the end of a stuff sack off, then, yes, I would say that the equipment would warrant inspection and even testing but just sitting in storage provided that it goes into storage in good condition isn't enough to warrant a complete test of
all your equipment
The Sawyer filter has problems with being dried out. You can find all kinds of reports on-line from people who have had the very same problem I experienced. They all were as unpleasantly surprised as I was and none of them seemed to anticipate the problem. And, again, why would they? There is no reason to suspect that the filter wouldn't work. And, as I said above, since this is a common problem, what is to keep it from occurring while you are out in the field?
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
For a bike analogy, it is like putting up a bike for a while and the tires crack and fall apart. They were fine when you put the bike in storage but due to various conditions your tires are in poor shape and the bike probably could use a tune up and maybe some brake pads.
You aren't understanding the problem nor the analogy. Tires reacting with ozone is an expected phenomenon. It's akin to storing a tent wet or leaving a sleeping bag in a compression sack. It's also something you can visually check. This filter not working after a single use following storage is highly unexpected and somewhat bizarre...hence my comparison to your cables melting for no apparent reason.
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
A filter is subject to the same temp., humidity. light... changes that everything else is subjected to. It is unfortunate that those things happened to you but they can happen. That is really what I am trying to say. Unexpected things can happen and you want to make sure your gear is ready to go when you are. I understand it is a pain and maybe impractical to test something like that but it won't hurt you and could make the trip better.
But it isn't light, temperature nor even changes in humidity that have caused the product to fail. What you (and many others) have been saying is that
every single piece of equipment should be tested thoroughly before you put it on the bike. I'm saying that that ismostly unnecessary, largely counter-productive and unrealistic. I have never had a piece of equipment that I have used previously fail as spectacularly as this filter did. I've had new items fail but I don't take something right out of the box and hit the road. Testing something new...tent, sleeping bag, pad, stove, etc...is realistic. But testing every piece of equipment that you have used previously isn't.
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
I do understand your point about the cables but in that time those cables could rust or something might have gotten on them that corroded them away.(I work in a shop and I have seen that before) It isn't likely to happen but as I said above unexpected things can occur.
I would hazard a guess that you haven't seen a cable decompose for no particular reason after a single use when stored properly and not exposed to anything that would cause it to corrode. Don't get hung up on the cables but focus on the "unexpected" aspect of the analogy. Yes, the unexpected can happen and there are ways to deal with that when it happens. But, to use a bit of Donald Rumsfeld language butchery, there expected unexpected events and unexpected unexpected events. The problem with the Sawyer falls into the later category.
Originally Posted by
staehpj1
Just a couple other things to consider before choosing what filter to carry...
The squeeze and mini each cost less than a replacement cartridge for most of the pump type filters, so if you need a new cartridge it is actually cheaper to switch filter types. My experience is the they last longer than the pump cartridges as well.
The squeeze and mini are light enough that if really paranoid about filter failure you could carry two and still be substantially lighter than most of the pump filters.
There are lots of factors to consider, but after using an MSR Sweetwater for years I have been really happy using the Sawyer Squeeze and Mini for the last few years. I find that for most tours a filter isn't really worth carrying, but when they are 2 or 3 ounces carrying one makes sense more of the time.
I agree that you don't really need a filter on most tours. But I have to disagree about the Sawyer. Personally, I'm not going to be paranoid about filter failure because I'm going carry a filter that I know works when it comes out of storage. It doesn't matter how light or how inexpensive the Sawyers are if they fail so easily. Carrying two doesn't really solve the problem and falls into the "belts and suspenders" realm of touring. I've been badly burned once, I don't need to be burned again to learn my lesson. Yes, something like the Sweetwater is a bit more expensive and a bit heavier but if it works, it's worth the cost and the weight.
And, if anyone asks for my suggestions, I'll tell them to stay away from the Sawyer. I may tell them to steer clear of any hollow fiber filter system.