REI.com
  • Online: www.REI.com
  • URL for this product:
  • From the U.S. and CanadaCall 1-800-426-4840
  • Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT.
  • InternationalCall 1-253-891-2500
  • Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT. English language only.
Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter

    Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter

    • $135.95
    (9)

    Item # 778044

    REI Members get back an estimated $ 13.59 on this item as part of their annual member refund.

    The REI Member Dividend

    The REI dividend is a unique benefit of membership in the REI co-op. It's comprised of your member refund—typically 10% back on eligible purchases—and/or your REI Visa® card rebates.

    Each March, active REI members and REI Visa cardholders who earned a rebate receive a refund in the form of an annual dividend notice.

    Only active members receive annual dividend notices. To maintain your active status as an REI member, you need to make net merchandise or shipping purchases of at least $10 per year, unless you joined that year. Member numbers are issued in one name and only that person receives the member refund. Your number can be used by others in your family, but it cannot be transferred to someone else.

    Questions? Call us at 1-800-426-4840 for more about your dividend or its redemption.

    Learn more

    Product size and color

    FREE U.S. STANDARD SHIPPING Through February 20. No minimum purchase! Learn more

    To view videos or use the zoom feature on REI's websites, please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.
    _

    • NOW PLAYING

    Set up the Sawyer Complete water treatment system and in the time it takes you to unpack your tent you'll have 4 liters of fresh, clean drinking water.

    • Utilizing a hollow fiber membrane filter, the Sawyer system yields 1 liter of potable water per minute.
    • Simply fill the included gray reservoir with unfiltered water, attach the filter and filter hose and let gravity do the rest to fill the included blue reservoir
    • Once the blue reservoir is full, hang the reservoir from its handle using the included Nite Ize S-Biner loop and fill your water bottle, pots and pans
    • Or, attach the included drink tube and a bite valve of your choice (sold separately) and use the reservoir as you would any hydration system
    • Filter physically removes particles, protozoa, and bacteria down to 0.1 micron in size, including giardia, salmonella and cryptosporidia
    • All Sawyer water filters exceed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendations for removal rates
    • Filter is fully field maintainable to ensure a fast flow of water; system includes a faucet adapter for thorough back washing from a household faucet
    • Setup is simple and the system packs easily, weighing in at only 18 oz.
    • This Sawyer water filter comes with a Million Gallon Guarantee, essentially eliminating the need to ever have to replace the filter cartridge
    • System includes a 4 liter gray reservoir, 4 liter blue reservoir, hollow fiber filter, faucet adapter, drink tube, quick-release hose adapter, S-Biner and instructions for use
    • Please note: Take care not to let your filter freeze as this could damage the filter housing or the fibers themselves

    Made in USA.

    Item 778044

    ONLINE ONLY!

    This item's hot—and it's only available online.


    REI Membership

    Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter Specs
    Specification
    Description
    Best use
    Backpacking
    Gravity
    Protozoa and bacteria
    24 ounces
    20 x 10 inches
    1 liters per minute
    Not applicable
    Not applicable
    Yes
    Hollow fiber membranes
    Food grade ABS plastic
    Filter type
    Removes/Destroys
    Weight
    Dimensions
    Output
    Pump strokes per liter
    Pump force
    Field cleanable
    Filter medium
    Housing material

    Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter Customer Reviews

    REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

    by PowerReviews
    Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter
     
    4.6

    (based on 9 reviews)

    89%

    of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

    Pros

    • Easy to use (5)
    • Good quality (5)
    • Lightweight (4)

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Hiking (6)
      • Backpacking (3)
        • Reviewer Profile:
        • Avid adventurer (5), Casual/ recreational (3)
        • Was this a gift?:
        • No (4)

      REVIEWS

      Reviewed by 9 customers

      Sort by

      Displaying reviews 1-9

      Back to top

      (21 of 21 customers found this review helpful)

       
      5.0

      Best backpacking filter on the market

      By hiddencam

      from Tempe, AZ

      About Me Avid Adventurer

      See all my reviews

      Site Member

      Pros

      • Easy to Use
      • Fast flow
      • Good Quality
      • Reliable
      • Well made

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Backpacking
        • Hiking/Camping

        Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

        I have used several different filters (pump and gravity) for backpacking, and the 4L Sawyer complete system is by far my favorite. I wanted to abandon the pump as soon as gravity-feds came out, but it took me a while to find the right gravity fed.The first gravity fed I tried was the Katadyn, but it was too slow and very hard to fill up in a shallow water source. Just poor design overall.So I spent a little more money and got the Platypus. The dirty bag/clean bag is great, and it's light, but again very hard to fill in a shallow water source and the zip-lock tops aren't very secure.Finally I tried the Sawyer 2L because the dirty bag had a rigid opening and handle that made it easy to fill in shallow water or fast moving water. The Sawyer also filtered extremely fast. As advertised, I always got 2L in 1.5 min. It's light and you can go even lighter by ditching the clean bag and filtering straight into containers, but I usually carry the clean bag too because it's convenience is well worth the few ounces of weight.I'm just now starting to use the new 4L Complete System. The 4L has a new design that's better than the 2L. The new design allows the clean bag to hang with the filter on top and opening on bottom, and adds a pour spout cap, two improvements that greatly add to the convenience of the system. Also, the 4L size is ideal even for one person, but especially if you're filtering for more than one. I noticed they also came out with an 8L, which looks great for large groups.Finally, in case anyone else has noticed, REI.com seems to have two different Sawyer 4L complete systems [...] Not sure if this was a BETA product, but the specs seemed the same if not better on the Grey/Blue filter and it's the one I've always used. [...]

        • Gift:
        • No

        (13 of 13 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Good for small and large groups

        By ggstart

        from Houston, TX

        About Me Outdoor Professional

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Easy to clean
        • Good filtration
        • Lightweight
        • Low maintenance
        • No Pumping needed

        Cons

        • Bulky

        Best Uses

        • Backpacking
        • Groups
        • Hiking

        Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

        Troop 1020 just came back from a week hiking in Colorado with 17 Boy Scouts. Had 2 of the Sawyer and plenty of water.
        The gravity bags were great, fill, leave to filter, fill water bottles, and repeat. 20 - 25 gallons of water per day through the filter without any problems. (We also used tablets.)
        A learning to pass along, back flush the filter often (even from "clear" streams). This will keep the flow rate fairly high (about 10 minutes/gallon).
        I would use a mesh bag to keep all of the pieces together on our next trip.

        • Gift:
        • No

        (4 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Worked flawlessly

        By kcarchitect

        from Lake Forest, CA

        About Me Avid Adventurer

        See all my reviews

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Easy to clean
        • Good filtration
        • Lightweight
        • Low maintenance

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Backpacking
          • Car Camping

          Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

          Worked great right out of the box. Got to camp and filled the grey bladder from the creek. Attached the filter and got 4L in just a few minutes. Filled the bladder three more times and had no trouble with it.

          • Gift:
          • No

          (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

           
          5.0

          Hands free water treatment

          By Zionsville Mike

          from Zionsville, IN

          About Me Avid Adventurer

          See all my reviews

          Site Member

          Pros

          • Compact
          • Easy to Use
          • Good Quality
          • Lightweight

          Cons

            Best Uses

            • Hiking/Camping
            • Hydration Packs

            Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

            Used this system on a four day trip with 8 other guys to Isle Royale NP recently; quickly & easily filtered 4 liters plus per person per day without any issues. The group voted my Sawyer filter system the best new piece of gear they had seen in a long time. After filtering for the group I clipped on the drinking tube and used the clean bladder as my hydration bladder in my pack! Flexible, efficient, easy to use system, get one!

            • Was this a gift?:
            • No

            (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

             
            5.0

            Great Filter

            By hmullian

            from Oregon

            About Me Avid Adventurer

            See all my reviews

            Pros

            • Easy to Use
            • Good Quality

            Cons

            • Bulky

            Best Uses

            • Hiking/Camping

            Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

            This filter works very well and did not clog at all. I took water from a mountain lake and it filter it without a problem. This is really designed for using with large groups and not really for a solo hiker or thru hiker. It is a little on the bulky side. Besides that, I would highly recommend this to anyone needing a good reliable filter for a group of hikers.

            • Gift:
            • No

            (2 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

             
            1.0

            Poor Customer Service

            By MJM

            from Lancaster, PA

            About Me Casual/ Recreational

            See all my reviews

            Site Member

            Pros

              Cons

              • Not Functional
              • Poor Quality

              Best Uses

                Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

                I would not recommend this product. I was never able to get more than a slow trickle to pass through the filter. I contacted Sawyer and sent it back. They returned it and it is no better. I've contacted them again and they've stopped replying to my emails. I've never even used it outdoors, I couldn't get it to function when I was testing it. For the price, they should provide better service or honor their lifetime warranty.

                • Was this a gift?:
                • No

                (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                 
                5.0

                Excellent

                By Wandering yogi

                from Seattle, WA

                About Me Avid Adventurer

                See all my reviews

                Pros

                • Easy to Use
                • Good Quality

                Cons

                  Best Uses

                  • Travel

                  Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

                  My partner & I have traveled a lot in India/Nepal & we do not want to add to the extensive pollution with a trail of plastic bottles. We used a pump filter & although excellent, took time. We gave this one to a friend living in Kathmandu who writes, "The water filter is working like a charm!!! I am never out of water, and its so easy because it just works with gravity! I just use tap water---nothing else required. And i know its good--and no illness! I would highly recommend it. Just maybe bring coat hangers or something because one of the bags does need to be higher than the other."
                  If we stay in Asia for extensive time again, this filter is the one.

                  • Was this a gift?:
                  • Yes
                   
                  5.0

                  You'll never go pack to pumping water!

                  By mntnrider11

                  from San Jose, CA

                  About Me Casual/ Recreational

                  See all my reviews

                  Pros

                  • Compact
                  • Easy to Use
                  • Good Quality
                  • Lightweight

                  Cons

                    Best Uses

                    • Canteens & Coolers
                    • Hiking/Camping
                    • Water Bottles

                    Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

                    This system is amazing! Forget spending a half hour pumping water from a stream or lake. It takes maybe 1 - 2 minutes to fill the grey bag, connect it, hang it, and you have 4 liters of potable water in about 5 minutes. I used a designated "dirty water" bottle to fill the grey bag. One thing to watch out for, the grey tube could be snapped directly into the blue bag without the filter in line.

                    • Was this a gift?:
                    • No
                     
                    5.0

                    Flawless

                    By JLSC2000

                    from San Diego, CA

                    About Me Casual/ Recreational

                    See all my reviews

                    Site Member

                    Pros

                      Cons

                        Best Uses

                        • Hiking/Camping

                        Comments about Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System - 4 Liter:

                        After researching various filtration systems, and based in part on the reviews purchased this for a 5 day hike in Yosemite. Great for groups of 3 or more as it filters large volume of water quickly. Had our 3 liter hydration packs refilled and enough water for camp cooking/cleaning within 30 minutes. Filled from streams, lakes and ponds with no bacteria problems. The handles do seem a bit flimsy-will see how well they hold up with repeated use.

                        • Was this a gift?:
                        • No

                        Displaying reviews 1-9

                        Back to top

                        How are we doing? Give us feedback on this page.

                        FREE U.S. STANDARD SHIPPING No minimum purchase!

                        THE REI WINTER CLEARANCE: SAVE UP TO 50% On selected ski, snowboard and end-of-season clothing & gear. Shop early for the best deals

                        • Join REI today!
                        • REI Membership
                        • REI member benefits include an annual refund (typically 10% on eligible purchases).
                        • Join REI today!
                        • Sign up for REI Gearmail®
                        • and get 15% off selected items!
                        • Store Locator
                        • Locate an REI store near you.
                        • Find a Store

                        Find REI on: FacebookTwitterYouTubeFlickr