Backpacker in the Sierras told me my water filter was overkill for short trips

I used to haul my 3-pound ceramic filter setup on every weekend hike, even when I knew there were streams every few miles. A guy named Dave at a campsite near Yosemite said I was just carrying extra weight for no reason and showed me his tiny UV pen that weighs maybe 2 ounces. Has anyone else switched to lighter water treatment and regretted it when something failed in the backcountry?

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noah_barnes1d ago

Dave from Yosemite sounds like he knows his stuff. I actually made the switch to a UV pen a few years back, and it worked great until that one time I dropped it in a creek and it blinked a sad little red light at me forever. I ended up boiling water for three days using a tin cup and trying not to set the forest on fire. Now I carry a lightweight squeeze filter and a backup pack of purification tablets, just in case my gadget decides to take another swim.