I have a Sawyer water filter that works REALLY good for me. Previous to that I had a Pure Hiker pump type filter for the previous 20 years.

I have always filtered all of my water but this year I am going to be on a November elk hunt where the temps could potentially be down in the 18-25 degree range at night. It is my understanding that if a water filter freezes it is ruined. What do you guys do with your drinking water in late season hunts? I don't care fore the purification tablets due to the fact that Iodine repeats on me and gives me bad heartburn and boiling drinking water would consume too much fuel.

Please give me your thoughts...

Are you tent camping with no heat? I imagine you'll filter the water during the day when temperatures were are much warmer. The low hit 2 degrees during first season (early oct.) last fall. We used Katadyn filters every day in the woods. Just pumped it dry when done then took out the filter and shook it off.

This will be a backpack hunt. I will be using the Seek Outside Cimmaron and a titanium stove for warmth in the evenings.

The Sawyer filter is not removable like my much heavier Pur Hiker. I am able to eject most all of the waterin the filter by blowing on one end of the filter which forces the water trapped in the filter to shoot out the other end. Would that get enough water out to keep it from freezing up and damaging the filter?

No idea how that filter works. Message the company and see what they have to say. You can also use chlorine tablets, works same way as Iodine. I carry Cl tablets in my pack as a backup.

I just got off the phone with them. They said that blowing on the end will get most of the water but they still don't recommend that. Their recommendation was that since the Sawyer filters are quite small (especially the mini) that winter hikers usually keep them in an inside pocket of their coat during the daytime and then put them in the sleeping bag with them at bedtime. I will probably do that.

Good info. Thanks for sharing. I’d throw in some tablets of some sort just in case it does freeze.

Aquatabs or Micropur tablets, easy to use, can’t get any lighter and cold won’t hurt them

I have a mini and just stick in my inner vest pocket and sleeping bag at night.

Yep. That is the plan.

Yup, that's what I do. I bring a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag and put the filter in that before putting it in my sleeping bag with me.