which water filter to purchase.......???....

[jelloitsalive]

Ive got it narrowed down to 2 water purifiers but open to other suggestions..... Any past experineces or info on these 2 water purifiers would greatly be appriciated ----------MSR MiniWorks EX Water Filter or MSR SweetWater Water Filter

Thank you

[Hiking Man]

You are going to get so many answers for this on here. Some people will say you don't need to use anything to treat the water and they have hiked xxx amount of miles and have never gotten sick. Other people will say go with drops of some kind because filters can break or clog.

As for me i went with the sweetwater and love it. I have never had any problem out of the pump breaking or the filter clogging and the water always tastes great with no floaties. Which was a big reason i went with a filter. After a long day on the trail and you get into camp i want some cold clean tasting water and sometimes with drops you don't get that. Really which ever filter you choose out of those two you are going to get a really great filter.

[Papa D]

This type of post has been repeated so many times ...... they all clog, break, freeze, and weigh enough to qualify as (in my opinion) the number one item sent home by thru hikers. I happen to own (two, I think) Pur Hiker Pros - formerly Katadyn - good filter for weekend backpacking - skip for a thru and do Aqua - Mira - that's my 2 cents ....

[coheterojo]

ditto on the Aquamira drops. I started w a Hiker Pro but left it behind at a shelter (inadvertently) and never looked back. I rarely use the drops to be honest with you. No need at all if you're cooking.

[Senor Jalapeno]

If u need to filter, i'd go with the platypus gravity works. Filters faster than a pump, and waaaayyyy less likely to break. (No moving parts)

[Drybones]

I hope you dont make my mistake(s)...have 3 filters and every brand tablet and drops made and I'm using bleech which cost almost nothing. 1 oz should get me to ME.

[brian039]

Aqua-mira. If you're turned off about drinking from ponds have your filter sent to you in NH or Maine. I had a Sweetwater and hated it, too much work, frustration, freezing, clogging, breaking, and losing the foam thingy that keeps the pre-filter off the stream-bottom.

[ScottP]

on the AT I'm a just drink-er. backup dropper bottle of bleach/aqua mira for suspect water isn't a horrible inconvenience to carry.

That being said, I have caught giardia. But it was out west drinking green water the consistency of tomato soup. 40 miles to the next water. I treated with bleach that I filled up at a trail angel's house. It was probably past its lifespan (bleach has a short shelf life)

:/

[Bucho]

I've spent 6 months filtering all my water through a sweetwater and I have to say that I'm not a fan. The flow rate was terrible and looking at the numbers on the MiniWorks EX it's even worse and it weighs a pound. Do you really wan't to have to pump 85 times to get a liter because I have to say that I hated that.

Here's the filter that I used in '05 and liked a lot better than the sweetwater because it's 48 strokes per liter: http://www.rei.com/product/830746/ka...r-water-filter It's still popular though not so much among thru hikers because it's still in the conventional filter weight range.

Here's another pump filter that I haven't used but I've been really impressed by the hollow fiber technology in gravity and inline filters and according to the stats it's lighter and only takes 20 strokes per liter: http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/water-...filter/product

The most common solution I saw last year was aquamira but if your not a fan of chemicals the new hollow fiber filters that I've used are pretty cool the technology works great in both gravity and inline setups.

[jelloitsalive]

yeah ive heard alot of good things about water filters and alot of bad..... But Im just lookin to start out with 2-4 day hikes locally MD/PA sections so I figure if I dont like it for the A.T it will stiill be a usefull tool. But yeah the Sweetwater looks pretty good. thanks

[jelloitsalive]

This looks badass ill have to check more into it...... thanks for the link

[Feral Bill]

I have used the Mini Works happily for several years. I'd be concerned about winter freezing, though.

[Bucho]

If u need to filter, i'd go with the platypus gravity works. Filters faster than a pump, and waaaayyyy less likely to break. (No moving parts)

I like the platypus filter itself but I'm not a huge fan of the kit that comes with it. Mostly because the kit ends up being heavier and more expensive than it needs to be. I don't think the kit should come with a clean bag. I like the concept of filtering directly into my hydration bladder via quick connect a lot better like in this setup: http://www.rei.com/product/786392/sa...system-2-liter Cutting out the clean bag saves time because you don't have to transfer the water into your hydration bag and saves about $30. Unfortunatly I'm not the biggest fan of Sawyers dirty bag. It's heavier and not as nice.

My solution was to buy the filter separate http://www.rei.com/product/801824/sa...e-water-filter and put together my own kit to use it as a gravity filter.

[Bucho]

I have used the Mini Works happily for several years. I'd be concerned about winter freezing, though.

Water expands when it freezes, that's an issue with every filter, there are no exceptions. When using any of the filters out there you need to make sure not to let water in them freeze either by getting the water out or by keeping them warm.

[Duramax22]

Sawyer squeeze only weighs 3oz and has a million gallon guarantee

[Bucho]

Sawyer squeeze only weighs 3oz and has a million gallon guarantee

There are also a couple of Sawyer filters (with the 1 million gallon guarentee) that can be used inline that they claim are 1.8 ounces that actually weigh more like 2.5oz and you could could hook up the Platypus filter that's actually 1.8oz inline http://www.amazon.com/Platypus-07016.../dp/B00453ULCA

So there are a number of ultralight filter solutions out there that are comparable weight wise to aquamira and are easier to use.

[Papa D]

yeah ive heard alot of good things about water filters and alot of bad..... But Im just lookin to start out with 2-4 day hikes locally MD/PA sections so I figure if I dont like it for the A.T it will stiill be a usefull tool. But yeah the Sweetwater looks pretty good. thanks

If you are just doing 2-4 day hikes and don't mind the weight (which you totally would as a long distance hiker), I'd suggest the Katadyn Hiker Pro - it operates fairly smoothly - - I have never liked the lever arm on the Sweetwater and have seen them break - they also pump a good deal slower. Also, get a coffee filter and rubber band it around the pre-filter - this will help with clogging (for a while) -- see my earlier post about NOT taking a filter too -- if you are going to "build-up" to where you are a long distance hiker, you might as well start hiking like one.

[banjo_dog]

I've been using a mini works for over three years now and love it. It is completely field strip-able and has never given me any problems. I carried it for 1500 miles of the trail last year, and many miles out west. sure its a little 'slow' but what are you in a hurry for?

[Emily Harper]

if you're going to use drops just use bleach it's cheaper and does the same exact thing. Yeah I'm one who carried aqua mira but mostly just drank straight from the streams - with no regrets.

[Feral Bill]

if you're going to use drops just use bleach it's cheaper and does the same exact thing. Yeah I'm one who carried aqua mira but mostly just drank straight from the streams - with no regrets.

Simply and dangerously not true. Chlorine dioxide (what you get from Aquamira) is a much more potent oxidizer than elemental chlorine (what you get from bleach). Bleach has been shown to not kill Giarida or Cryptosporidium in any reasonable amount of time, as has been referenced repeatedly in threads on Whiteblaze. Many people drink untreated water with no problems, others are not so lucky. If you choose to treat, use something that works on all likely pathogens.