+1 on this. The thing that the Sawyer filter has going for it is a tremendously large user base. The Sawyer filter, then later the mini version, is the go-to water treatment method for the ultralight hiking crowd. This has yielded a huge amount of user experience feedback, which the Lifestraw simply doesn't have.

I used the original Sawyer filter for a couple years with no problems then moved to the Mini just for space considerations. Excellent gear. As with any filter, the dirtier the raw water is the more up-front processing you need to do before filtering.

The Sawyer filters work so well that it is easy to integrate them into an on-demand system for drinking on the go, then in camp you can easily convert them to mass-production gravity systems. Extremely versatile.