Adding a Sawyer Squeeze Filter to a Osprey Bladder

While preparing for our upcoming backpacking trip on the Colorado Trail,  I decided to add an inline filter to the Osprey bladder that we purchased to go inside our Osprey Atmos 65 AG pack.  We originally used the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter system with the included Sawyer bags to backfill the Osprey bladder, but we found that it was too time consuming and a pain to do.  Adding the filter inline allowed us to just dunk the bladder into the stream/river/body of water without having to filter it on the spot.

Required Parts:

• Osprey bladder or another compatible bladder 
• Sawyer Squeeze Filter or other backpack bladder 
• Sawyer Connectors 
• Utility Knife 
• Ruler / Tape Measure 
• Block of wood

Optional Parts:

Osprey Backpack

Steps:

1. Layout all of your parts on a flat, stable surface
   

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2. Disconnect the drinking tube from the bladder by pushing the red quick disconnect button
   

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3. Measure the distance that you want to splice the filter into the tube.  Originally I tried 6 inches, but found that it was not close enough to the bladder and when I put the bladder into my backpack the tube would kink inside the backpack.  I then changed the distance to be 2 inches which kept the filter inline with the bladder while in the backpack and prevented the tube from kinking.
   

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4. Cut the tube using a utility knife and a block of wood as a backer.  Go slow and be careful to make the cut on the block of wood and not to accidentally slip and cut your fingers or the bladder.
   

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5. Orient the filter so that the flow arrow is pointing towards the mouthpiece of thetube (the end you suck from).  This is important because if you place it backwards the filter will not work property and you will likely get contaminated water.
   

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6. Place the gray part of the connector kit onto the tube.  Make sure you push it all the way onto the tube to seat it fully.
   

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7. Place the blue part of the connector kit on the the portion of the tube that was cut off.
   

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8. Screw the filter on to the gray and blue cap.
   

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9. Add water to your bladder and test it to see if it works properly.