How to Use the SweetWater Purifier Solution Without the Microfilter

The SweetWater purifier is a small device made for filtering stream, lake and river water when out camping in the wild. The unit uses ceramic filters to strain out the microbes or sediment from the water and is affective up to 0.02 microns. The device also has a strainer that removes larger items out of the water such as dirt and debris. Using the SweetWater without the filter is possible but isn't as sanitary as when used with it.

Instructions

    • 1

      Prep the SweetWater prior to using it without the filter by opening the side drain button near the center of the handle.

    • 2

      Attach the hose to the intake and outtake nozzles. Drop the intake hose (the end with the Styrofoam plug) into the water to be filtered and pump up and down on the handle several times. Water will shoot out the side drain button as you do. This cleans as much sediment as possible out the system prior to attaching the outflow to a water bottle.

    • 3

      Find the cleanest section of the water. If the water is moving, find a spot upstream to the current next to a rock (not a log--use a rock because as a general rule, it won't have as much debris as a log) and place the intake plug into the water. Check that the intake plug is in clean, clear water and isn't touching the bottom or the rock.

    • 4

      Place the outflow plug into the top of your water bottle or water bladder and pump up and down on the handle until the bottle is full. The water has gone through a base filtration and is better than drinking straight out of the stream. The water isn't completely purified or strained, so danger still exists for contamination of small microbes, such as giardia.