One thing I learned in the Scouts is that when collecting water from a lake, wade out a little bit, let the sediment settle, place your hand over the opening of your container, dunk it down a few inches into the water and then let go of the opening. This prevents anything that's floating on the surface to get into your water. We did this in a lake, but I suppose it could work on rivers as well.

Keep that Sawyer Syringe in First Aid Kit to irrigate cuts & wounds to remove dirt & bacteria to avoid infection

The O-ring of a Grolsch flip-cap beer bottle works well with the Sawyer Squeeze. And if you buy one of these, it comes with free beer!

Most youtube hikers seem to leave the sawyer pouch at home, and now that i tried to use it on trail, I know why! After 1 trip, replaced it with a CNOC bladder, which opens on the end to fill. Seems to be a popular choice.

Well, color me honored to have my On-Trail DIY Sawyer repair get mentioned in one of your videos, Dixie. 😊

I always use a "dirty" bottle or bag. every time I am filling the dirty vessel I cover the mouth with either a bandana, or shemagh to pre-filter the sediment and debris out. not only does it keep that crap out of my filter, it also helps when I am boiling the water first, to keep it out of my cook pot. I am old, and got used to metal water bottles, way before the stainless steel market exploded. I had ARMY surplus aluminum canteens back as far as when I was 6 years old. I was very happy with the canteen cups that came with these, so I now use a Kleen Kanteen bottle with a 24 oz nesting cup, and that serves as my cook pot. on longer trips I put a second nesting cup on the top of the bottle to use as a drinking cup so the larger one on the bottom is the cook pot and food cup. Sawyer filters are my go to because of the sheer volume of water they can filter.

I hiked the Panorama Trail in Yosemite back in 2005 and learned three things: 1) Work boots are not hiking boots 2) Going down isn't a cakewalk. At some point your calves will refuse to negotiate any more switchbacks, and (back on topic) 3) For a man of size and stature such as myself, any water carry estimates should be tripled. When I finally reached the Mist trailhead, the fountain water tasted strongly of bleach, but I didn't care. I chugged water like it was going out of style.

Obviously Ms. Dixie knows what she's doing on a trail. Having worked 25 years treating water for a municipal system & also serving as a scoutmaster I've had good reason to professionally test many of the treatment systems on the market. My choice is Sawyer as well, mainly because it can be backwashed. Other filter systems work just as well & in some cases a little better but only until the filters clog. If I'm by myself two Sawyers are my choice. I leave one dry as a backup & use the other. Here's what I've found for backup systems: For a group nothing beats a Steripen with pre filter. Quick, easy & kills viruses & cryptosporidium & giardia as well. But it's extra weight & batteries so I only use it when I'm with my boys. Chlorine dioxide tablets work better than bleach & are lighter. Follow the instructions & always keep in a waterproof container; two ziploc bags together works well. Iodine works & I still have a bottle of Polar Pure. Leave water in it & carry in a sealed container or live with Iodine stains when it leaks; and it will. Obviously boiling is a last resort & I have titanium bottles for that. Bite valves & hoses not cleaned will make you sick. Not if but when. Bleach will clean them but hydrogen peroxide is better. They must be maintained & replaced when needed. I allowed my scouts to use them until one got sick. Now I require two one quart bottles per hoodlum(they're good hoodlums) before we leave. I always take a Sawyer syringe with me. They can be useful for more than cleaning a filter. The only time I use gravity filters is when I camp for several days by a water source; not worth the weight or time to use otherwise as Ms. Dixie pointed out. Finally, I agree on keeping things simple. I won't speak to flavoring water because I'm allergic to most sweeteners especially stevia. Thanks for your thoughts Ms. Dixie.

Dan Becker just made another video on Sawyer, with some discussion on how viruses are unlikely to get through their filters. Seems feasible. And the field results they talk to are pretty compelling

I like the Cnoc bladders as the dirty water source and squeeze through a sawyer into my clean bottle. The Cnoc are much easier to fill than the Sawyer bags

It's good to see you out and about 😊

Screened garden hose gaskets work in your Sawyer, not only seals but 'prefilters' the big crap out. Also look up a WAPI

With a lot of hikes, I've tended to be fine with a bit of extra weight early on for more water with me. I also know that if I know that I have extra water that I'll end up drinking it rather than trying to force myself to conserve it for as long as possible which tends to leave me better off than I would without dealing with the extra weight of an extra bottle or two stashed in my pack. As a side note, with drink mixes, test them before you use them and try using them in something made out of the same material as you use drink from. Some mixes can screw with each other and add tastes to other things until you clean the bottle entirely after a trip, and some don't mix well with others that way.

Not only do most filters not remove viruses, they also don't remove algal toxins, herbicides, pesticides or heavy metals from the water. I like a Grayl, despite the weight, wherever these might be present.

I have also read that if your sawyer filter flow rate decreases and back flushing doesn't work, soak it in white vinegar for half and hour. Afterwards flush with hot water (not boiling hot but hot enough you can put your hand in it) This breaks up and calcium deposits on the inner fibers of the filter. Also pre soaking your filter before you head out helps.

Hot water and vinegar backwash & soak for a Sawyer Squeeze. Had to do that with one yesterday and it worked like a charm. Went from very little flow, to just like brand new.

I love the messages on the trail, rocks, sky etc. Very fun and creative.

Good tips, Dixie. thanks My dad was a farmer in the '40's and 50's and he would always "camel up" before he went to work in the fields. Maybe a quart at most. Yes, Hyponatremia is a thing. If you're going to drink more than a quart (or liter), add electrolytes. It's probably a good idea to add electrolytes anyway.

I like to cut the top off of a Capri Sun for a "scoop". I also have a sawyer coupling for back flushing.

It was good to see you out on a trail! There is a plumbers’ tape made especially for threads which keeps a connection from leaking. This might be worth a try. I’m not ashamed to say I had a good chuckle at the end of the hike when you had more miles left than daylight. Classic Dixie😁

So excited to see a One Bottle on Dixie's channel! Loved my hose but not the water bladder, so I hunted and hunted for something like that, and found it last fall! My husband never drank enough water on trail so I got one for him too! Super convenient, easy to use, worked great. The guy who makes them has great customer service, too! Small manufacturer, deserves to go big!

I didn't think I would, but I learned some things from this video. Thanks

If you dont have a bunch of stuff on your shoulders, we like bottle sleeves rather than the bungies to hold water bottles in. Bonus: The balance it offers against the weight on your back is nice too, especially if you double up on the bottle sleeves up front. Love the tips ya always give as well. Thanks for all the great content.

12:05 you could use your cook pot as a scoop. Rinse out whatever dirt or debris might have gotten in there, air dry it and then you’ll be boiling water in it later anyways.

It's an odd one, growing up in the Scottish Highlands we went on the basic premise... Running water is fairly ok. Never got sick. Now in Canada and decades older and hopefully wiser, sawyer mini for personal use and a 10l MSR gravity bag for groups. Failing that... Boil

Good information. I'm old school. I carry Negen wide mouth 0ne liter bottle(s) Rule Number one is always pre filter your water to eliminate cloudy water or debris whether using chlorine or a filter system. It is much easier to put a coffee filter or a layered bandanna over a 3inch opening that a one inch drink bottle. When using chlorine first check the chlorine bottle to find out the percent/strength of the chlorine. It comes in concentrations from 1% to 10% use only the recommended number of drops. Carry a small dropper. A drop is an actual amount. One drop = 0.05 ml. 12 drops =1/8 of a tea spoon. Too much is not better. You only want to kill the bad germs. Mix thoroughly and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water is clear and cold, it may several hours to overnight to have safe water. If you boil or as they say in the South, Ball. Your water it will taste flat. Pouring back and forth between pots will aerate the water.

So good to see you out there!! Thank you for all the great tips!

Well done! Good solid information and THANK YOU!😊

I appreciate your input. Please keep up the very valuable knowledge.

2:17 - Azure Bluet (Houstonia Caerulea). And yes, they are very pretty and lil.

Helpful as always. Congratulations on your marriage!❤

Good to see you hiking and thanks for the tips!

Thank you for sharing.

Great video again - staying hydrated is so important. One thing you didn't mention is, that hydration effects your brain too and dehydration leads to poor choices, that might get you killed. #7 camel up with caution - while hiking, you will sweat a lot, not only loosing water, but electrolytes too. Diarrhoea-treatments help, but they are fairly expensive (1.80-3.50$/liter), so I buy the (dry) ingredients in larger batches and mix them myself, lowering the cost to 9ct/liter. The Locke-Ringer-acetate-solution or Balanced-Salts-Solution (BSS) give the Ingredients and ratios. 25ml-plastic containers keep the salts for 2 liters of water, so it's easy to treat 1 and 2 liter bottles. #8 use drink mixes - Flavour Drops in small bottles to flavour cocktails, coffee or wine are another great option, I personally am fond of maracuja. Drink mixes are always on the sweet side, so on a hike I look forward to a boullion-cube in hot water at night (or lunch-break) to fill up my reservoir with something spicy. #10+11 backup water treatment - seems to me, the other way round would be more logic, from source to 'black' bottle- through filter- into pot- into drinking bottle. Either way, stay hydrated and be well Dixie

Good stuff. Loved seeing you with your ring.

Great and very helpful video, Dixie! I love the editorial addition of the headings on the landscape. So creative!

Enjoyed the time you took, thank you.

It's really cool that you were able to find all of those amazingly appropriate signs just laying around randomly in the woods! Lol. Loved the video. Very interesting and informative.😎

This video was worth it just for the one tip about using the SmartWater flip cap with the Sawyer Squeeze!!! You rock!

Thanks for the video! I would also let people know that eating the snow is not a good idea because it can drop core body temperature which can led to other issues, just to explain why melting the snow is important. Thanks again and have a great day!

Thanks! Your beautiful vids got me thru the pandemic. Keep on hiking and 🙏

This was great info Dixie! Thanks for sharing! 🥾🥾🥰

Love this informational video format! Interesting and very informative 😊

I love my Onebottle hose set up. It’s the best combination of hose in water bottle. Simple and effective way to easily stay hydrated.

One of your best for information for new hikers.

Great vid mate. Full of info. Cheers from Australia.

Thanks for this video. Great content.

Tapping the Sawyer Squeeze when back flushing to loosen things up is a great tip. Thanks!

Great tips Dixie, you being an accomplished thru hiker makes me feel confident in your advice. Keep up the great videos.

@2:19 Beautiful bluets. The tip about the extra gasket is one I will put on my notes. Thanks Dixie

👍Sawyer absolutely my favorite👍 Thanks for the video I’ve been looking for a water video that covers the ancillary things a hiker may experience 👍😁👍

Thank you; very helpful. I have not needed to filter yet but it's nice to start out with benefit of your experience as communicated in this video.

It's cool to see you hike and talk when you're in your element. This is a good style of video

I learned so much from this video! I've been looking for an alternative to the bladder and a good electrolyte mix. Excited to try One Bottle and LMNT!

Great subject matter to cover A lot of things that I do as a hiker that I forget to share❤❤

Thank you! I'm still new to hiking and not in the best shape so I stick to well known trails and carry quite a bit of water. However, I did buy a Sawyer squeeze to keep with me just in case I need to refill on trail for some reason, and I appreciate all the videos that are out there to learn from. I hope to continue building strength and endurance so I can attempt some longer hikes so it's great to learn some tips and tricks and build up my hiking knowledge along with my physical strength. Have a great spring and summer everyone!

thanks, great video

Night hiking on the day hike…sounds about right 😉😁 ❤

The magic Knowledgeable one again doing what she knows best, and a big thank you for, that, In all my days of tramping here in New Zealand, I never had to do any filtration, however nowadays with the long TeAraRoa trail, it has become a factor. Proximity to farms, villages, etc., and a decided reduction in reliable sources, except in the backcountry, then you have to make appropriate moves to change things. Never a dull moment on the trail...........

Drink mixers - I've found Drip Drop to be a good, balanced electrolyte mix.

I'd like to try the Sawyer. I've been using the Lifestraw bottle. It has served me well. Great video!

I love your videos thank you for sharing

There are 3D printable shoulder strap clips that nicely hold a smart water bottle or similar. Worked well for me! Big fan of Sawyer Squeeze and the BeFree.

Great info, TY!

My best friend in collecting water is a tent pole. I know not many tents have these now a days . But I still camp with one. Another tip is bring coffee filters. Maybe one for every day of camping. Lightweight and keep those organic particles from rolling around in your boiled water. Nice water tips,thank you. Happy trails to you!

Thanks for loads of useful information. Have found that "plumber's pipe thread" works well for tightening a sawyer water filter to a water bottle.

VERY helpful video.

Great vlog - Have used many filters over the years, been using the MSR Guardian for a long time now purely for that reason regarding virus filtration. The way it self flushes, the flow rate and the 10,000 litre cartridge life is a no brainer. Whilst its not small or light, it far exceed other systems. I still take a small handgel size bottle of bleach for long trips - again never failed but yea you need to know what your doing. Stay safe and enjoy your trek's - greetings from the UK and Alps!

I always prefer to have second filter with me as back up. It is Befree(similar to Sawyer) and LifeStraw. LieStraw is great to have a quick drink along the way with my mug, which I also, like you, use for collecting water from shallow water sources. This allows me to extend time before I need to stop and fill up my bottles. And I always soak my filters in water before my hike. Thanks for the video. Be well.

Thanks for the video

Leaving for my very first solo trip on Friday. Literally stopped the video to take notes... a few times 😂

Always enjoyable Jessica. ❤

I love your information! I am currently in a country (a post Soviet one), and I have no way of getting a water filtration system like you have in the US. I just had to take an activated charcoal bc the water here is so polluted. Looked like a beautiful hike.

I use both the Katadyne and Sawyer. The Katadyne BeFree for the 'scoop and go', the Sawyer Squeeze for camp (using a CNOC bag for water collection).

GREAT ADVICE!!!!!

Thank you! I am about to snatch up a One Bottle Straw after seeing this.

Cheers dixie great video as always 👍

Fantastic video Dixie - Keep up the great work. Much love and all the best on your next adventure.

Great video. When selecting a water bottle type, I always use a wide mouth bottle option. It’s a little heavier than a smart water bottle but it’s much more user friendly when filling it in just about all types of stream flows.

Great tips.

I use the bungee system for bottle retention. I used to stow my bottles "tip up" like in the picture description you provided until i had to run to the bathroom which resulted in my bottles launching all over the place. I quickly learned if you invert the top of the bottle down, it is easier to manage getting in and out of the bungees AND when running away from rabid squirrels doesn't result in prematurely launching my bottles across the forest. 😎

great info, Dixie….as always!

I use an old sweeter pump style filter to pump water into my bottles. I added an in line sawyer and it works great. It does add a little weight but it works great.

Great info

Great video. Dixie, if you have time watch Dan Beckers interview with the founder of Sawyer.

I almost always modify my kit. Currently, my best setup is a “scoop and go” dirty water bottle that hangs by a leather thong from the top of my pack. That runs by tube through a sawyer filter to a two hole cap on my clean bottle. The second hole is for a tube/bite valve that is attached to my shoulder strap. My first try didn’t work due to vacuum buildup preventing proper drainage from my dirty water bottle. I fixed this by making a two hole cap and installing a vent tube running from the inside bottom of the dirty bottle to the outside bottom of the bottle, allowing air inside as the bottle drained into the sawyer. This also prevented vacuum buildup in my clean water bottle. I made the two hole caps by using a soldering iron to open holes in the plastic caps, and hot gluing short hard plastic barb fittings into them. The flexible tubing is rubber (tygon?) tubing that friction fits over the barbs glued into the caps. The vent tube on the dirty water bottle is hot glued to the outside and has a little slack so I can get the cap off. The dirty water bottle has a tiny carabiner glued to the bottom of the bottle to attach it to a leather thong loop tied to the top of my backpack. To use, I detach the carabiner, disconnect the vent tube, and unscrew the dirty bottle from the cap. Scoop, reassemble, reattach, and let the dirty bottle hang upside down. It slowly drains through the filter into the clean bottle. I backwash the filter each night while making dinner. The drawbacks are that it is a real pain to have to detach the vent tube to get the dirty bottle detached for a scoop. I am thinking of running the vent through the side of the bottle instead of the cap because of this. In addition, the dirty bottle hanging down the back of my pack swings around a lot, and prevents monitoring water flow through the filter, so I have decided to reroute my tubing and hang the dirty bottle down my packstrap in the front, and use a bungee to keep it from flopping around. The carabiner has broken the glue a couple of times, so this is probably a better solution anyway. For my clean water bottle I use a US Army plastic canteen/tin cup in a pouch setup attached to my pack belt. I can access the cup easily for scooping water as required, and I cook my meals in it, meaning I don’t need a pot. I do carry a small plastic tube of dishsoap to wash it out before and after to kill germs and keep the food smell off it. I can’t seem to find unscented soap, but have been told they are out there for people with chemical sensitivity. I have had problems with this setup in very cold weather freezing my sawyer and destroying it. In those conditions, I detach it and attach it to a neck thong so I can wear it like a necklace next to my skin. I do this regardless of weather conditions when in my tent to prevent losing it. I also always carry a spare. It is small and lightweight and critical failure equipment, so I tell the weight nazis where to go when they complain. Like I said, I almost always modify my equipment, and very little of it resembles what I originally purchased. Then I try it out and see what works and what needs further modification. I carry a notebook and pen to make notes of problems and possible solutions while on the trail. I really wish vendors would spend time on the trail working on stuff like this, but as far as I can tell, all they do is try to one-up the competition. My real problem is hiking in places like the Angeles National Forest, where there are no water sources anywhere. There I am limited to short overnighters, and in the summer, when the temperatures are frequently north of 100, I have to carry a 2 gallon canteen and hike at night. I leave my purification system at home for those hikes. I also carry a 1 foot long 1-1/2” OD flexible tube in my snivel gear. In an emergency, tie a bandanna over the end, and fill it with ground up charcoal from your fire. Pour water through it. The charcoal from a campfire will remove most organic and chemical contaminants. Boil the water before using this setup. I know Dixie said five minutes is enough, but at high altitudes, the boiling point drops, so I recommend 7-10 minutes. I used to use chemical tabs, but stopped after overuse made me sick while hiking in the Rubicon Wilderness. It was early in my hiking days, before filters were commonly available, so I may have used them improperly, but I decided to avoid them in the future. Your milage may vary. My brother prefers to carry a small plastic eye dropper bottle of bleach. To each their own. In worst case conditions, where no solutions are available, go ahead and drink, then immediately head to civilization. They say you can go three days without water, but that is in ideal conditions. In high temperatures or at high altitudes, the available time before dehydration becomes disabling can be reduced to a few hours. Mostly, use your head, and think ahead. Plan where you will get your next water before leaving your current source, and remember, the map is not the territory. That blue line on the map may be dry when you get there. Always ask people coming the other way on the trail about wildlife, weather, trail conditions, and water sources. And always have a bailout plan modified for current conditions. No matter where you are, in the lower 48 you are rarely far from civilization. Always have a plan for how to get to the closest town or road in an emergency. As Dixie can attest, rescue services are expensive! (But don’t let that stop you using them if self rescue is not an option). BTW, if you read this Dixie, did Garmin ever come through on the rescue insurance?

Great video!

Great info, Dixie. You are a gem!

Been a Long time. Glad you are well and still posting. Congrats big time on marriage. It looks good on you! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and experience with us on YT. What a great format to document life's adventures. THANK YOU!!! And - Love the mixed color braided hair as well. You keep us guessing on that one! On my end, there is a future invite for you both to come and climb a 14er with me. Trying to get our home built in BV, so will wait till we have a place for y'all to stay free, and not have to sleep on the ground! Ha Knocking out most of the Collegiate Peaks, but saving Columbia and Harvard for a big adventure hike -that would be a fun one to knock in long day hike. Got the Ten Mile and Mosquito range and others in Sawatch range knocked out but tons to go (like doing the AT, but have the CDT and PCT to do- lots more!! Training for another climb early summer. Right now just working out and dropping pounds - a must. Got to pontificate what J Muir shared which is motivation for me on the trail when my Athens, GA 700 ft above sea level body is sucking beautiful Colorado air like it was running out stock tomorrow. BTW - Go Dawgs! Glenn has to throw that in. My absolute favorite of Muir, "We are now in the mountain's, and they are in us. Kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us. Our flesh and bone Tabernacle's seem transparent as glass to the beauty about us. Neither old, nor young, sick nor well, but immortal." Of Yosemite: "It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of nature I was ever was permitted to enter....the sanctum sanctorum of the Sierra." Inspirational quotes while going up. Never needed them coming down! 😊 Much respect for you! Keep on plugging! You go Girl - best thing ever from Auburn 🐯

Very helpful video

Great tips

I love my geigerrig water filter system here in the Great lakes I use it hiking and well kayaking

Great vid thanks! couple of tips that i have learned first - Sawyer makes a decent filter, but where I hike, the water sources flow through limestone. Spruce and pine trees add a lot of tannins, the water is tea colored. I found sawyer filters clog easily from the limestone, and I needed to soak it with in white vinegar on a regular basis. Works, but it took a lot of flushing to get the taste out. I have since switched to HydroBlu filter. Lighter, faster filtering, very easy to clean. they have a window to easily check on the filter condition. Second - I prefer bladders over bottles. Yes they are heavier, but I need a LOT of water hiking in the MidAtlantic area. I have a system that allows me to fill my bladder while it is still in my pack. Works quite well, and I've used this system for more than 20 years. Easily converted to a gravity fed filtration system in camp. I carry a 3 liter clean water bladder in my pack ( never carry more than 1.5 liters at a time though) and have a 3 liter Cnoc bag to collect dirty water. I hike solo, and like to stealth camp away from other people. this system allows me to have up to 6 liters of water for camp use if I need that much. I tried using plastic water bottles but found them (for me now!!) to be a pain to use. For one thing, Photography is one of the main reasons why I hike, and the combination of having photo gear and water bottles was too much hassle. so Bladder it is! For those interested - Bladder Hydrapak, filter - Hydroblu, I have quick disconnect hoses for my filter that allow me to attache it between the dirty water bag and the clean water bag to allow filling bladder in the pack, or using it as a gravity filter in camp, including an on-off valve. Instant camp faucet!

You and chinal grateful for me iam BK From Port Blair

Dixie, I'm glad to see you hiking on the CRATA trails here around Lake Martin. The CRATA folks deserve a big hooray for their work to develop and maintain them. We live just across the lake from the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail trailhead. Though, I've yet to find the "alpine" part yet. Have you hiked the trails below Martin Dam, the John B. Scott Forever Wild Trail and the Cherokee Bluffs Dam Railroad Trail? They have become my favorites, especially in the spring when the native azaleas and dogwoods are blooming. Keep up the great videos!!!

I love your videos, vicarious hiking

Interesting water tips 👍👍👍

Your channel showed up on my recommended list and glad it did definitely see it as a channel I'll be watching a lot great information in this video so will be subscribing and see what else you have for me to learn.

Good content. I love my One Bottle tube system. I cut my tube shorter so the extra length doesn’t flop around the front of my pack. Just cutting a couple inches off the bottom might help you. 😊

Thanks!