View Full Version : Dump the miniworks?
otterman
09-27-2006, 14:22
My MSR Miniworks isn't pumping out the water like it should. The filter is clean. I've heard others saying that they have had a similar problem and MSR has offered some sort of repair parts. My question; Is it worth trying to repair this problem or should I be looking at another filter like the Hiker Pro?
Footslogger
09-27-2006, 14:24
My MSR Miniworks isn't pumping out the water like it should. The filter is clean. I've heard others saying that they have had a similar problem and MSR has offered some sort of repair parts. My question; Is it worth trying to repair this problem or should I be looking at another filter like the Hiker Pro?
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Shelved mine years ago. Best thing about them is that they work so well. Worst thing about them is that they work so well. They are the hardest to pump among the mechanical filters (I own and have tried them all).
If you are dead set on using a filter I would suggest you take a look at the HIker (formerly from PUR - now sold by Katadyn).
'Slogger
"If you are dead set on using a filter"
This part of your message indicates that you have another preference. 'Slogger, did you treat your water, and if so, with what?
I'm kinda on the fence about taking my water filter so I would appreciate your opinion.
Blissful
09-27-2006, 14:48
Aqua Mira. We used it with no problems on our sections.
And I have one of those Katadyn "sport" water bottles that filter too if I need water asap.
otterman
09-27-2006, 14:58
I plan on using Aqua Mira on the AT, but I really don't trust the streams here in Ohio and feel better about having an extra degree of prevention when hiking locally. I don't know if that really make sense, but that is my present logic.
I looked at the sport water bottle -- but the one I saw weighs in at 8.5 ounces and my water filter is 11 ounces so that won't save much weight.
I do have Aqua Mira, but does that get rid of all the same bad stuff that the filter does?
hammock engineer
09-27-2006, 15:01
I saw someone use something as a pre filter that I think is a really good idea. They took a new unused fuel line filter, they said it was off a car, but it looked the same as a riding mower fuel filter. It was used as a prefilter. It took out a lot of the sediment before it reached the actual filter.
These only cost a couple dollars and are easy to replace. I saw their system after a weeks worth of hiking. The fuel filter looked rather dirty while the actual filter looked really clean.
...another preference.
Toasty,
Here's what I've been using for a few years now...
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=9044356&parent_category_rn=4500460&vcat=REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC
Basically, it's the same stuff that cities use to treat public water supplies, give or take a few chemicals. So far, I've not been sick since using it, though that could mean nothing or everything. A very large number of the hikers I know use this as well because it's relatively inexpensive (compared to Aqua Mira), not complicated (no mixing of chemicals), no bad flavor (compared to iodine, and assumming you don't mind city water), and it seems to be very effective. I used it for over 1000 miles on the PCT, and have been using it since for hundreds of hiking miles in the Northeast. I currently have a friend who will be finishing up the AT in two days who used it on that trip and it worked perfectly for him as well.
Will it get out everything that a filter will? No chemical alone will, but you also don't have to worry about hose contamination. Just pick your sources wisely, and drink away. For $10, it's worth a shot. The bottle lasts for quite a while... I'd say maybe 3 bottles on a thru. And, it only weighs in at 2 ounces, far less than a filter.
Hope this helps.
Big Dawg
09-27-2006, 21:04
Try Aqua Mira.
Footslogger
09-27-2006, 21:46
"If you are dead set on using a filter"
This part of your message indicates that you have another preference. 'Slogger, did you treat your water, and if so, with what?
I'm kinda on the fence about taking my water filter so I would appreciate your opinion.
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My opinion ...and it is JUST THAT, is that filters provide a false sense of security. I filtered for years (15+) with all the major brands/models. What I noticed was that under normal use conditions by the average/typical hiker they quickly become the breeding ground for bacteria. How often during a hike would you imagine that a filter gets a thorough cleaning or even is handled in a truly clean manner in the field ??
You aksed, so I will tell you that my preference is to "treat" any questionable water rather than filter it. My treatment of choice is chlorine dioxide, the chemical used in products like AquaMira and Klearwater.
I carried AquaMira on my thru in 2003 and never once had a problem related to water. Whenever I was at higher elevations and there were no heavy indication of animals in the area I drank directly from the source.
'Slogger
Kerosene
09-28-2006, 10:39
I'm another convert to Aqua Mira (and hope to check out Klearwater for my next hike) from a Sweetwater water filter after it clogged repeatedly. I've been looking for a good, lightweight pre-filter that doesn't require pumping to replace a bandanna or coffee filter, but I rarely even need those.
The MSR Miniworks is (relatively) heavy and bulky, but it is far more predictable than the other filters I used in the mid to late '90s made by Pur and Katadyn. You can field-maintain and field-repair it. It doesn't have dual hoses to get tangled and possibly cross-contaminate. It screws onto Nalgene wide-mouths.
It does require cleaning the replaceable filter cartridge once in awhile or it does bog down. It's really easy to clean, however. And when the cartridge gets old--just swap out with a new one. You can tell when it's time to swap out by using a small lightweight gauge included with the Miniworks.
One other thing to check if the filter seems to bog down: Is there a kink or twist in the hose right where it connects to the body of the filter? If so, pull it off and re-insert. If it's really bad, snip off a quarter inch or so and re-insert.
Twofiddy
09-28-2006, 11:54
The MSR Mini Works and the Water Works Filters are still great filters. If you are having problems pumping after a filter element change then you probably have a bad oring inside of the pump. It is relativly easy to change for anyone who has mechanical skills but you have to remember that you are working with plastic.
Katadyn is coming out with a new filter that is very similar to the Water Works filter but it has both paper and ceramic filter elemets. It is a bit heavy for what I consider traditional backpacking these days, but you cant beat a washable ceramic element filter in the grand canyon and in other places where filtering of particle rich water has to be done in order to survive.
If you bring that filter to trail days next year MSR reps would repair it for you if it can be repaired.
I've been looking for a good, lightweight pre-filter that doesn't require pumping to replace a bandanna or coffee filter, but I rarely even need those.
When you say "pre-filter," I interpret that to mean some sort of a screen to remove grit and leaf debris and other "floaties" before it enters your drinking bottle. Someone in another thread mentioned that they use this EMS fuel filter to pre-filter their water. http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=8455 24441773821&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302490723
icemanat95
09-28-2006, 12:36
Pre-filters are a serious improvement on performance. THe simplest option is to use a rubber band to attach a disposable coffee filter over the intake of your filter hose. This will clear out the coarsest stuff that sucks the life out a filter element so quickly. Silt, sediment, algae, etc. This will triple the life of your main filter and dramaticallly increase the time between cleanings. I've also used fuel filter elements and doubled up the open cell foam in the inlet housing. With this AND the coffee filter, you save yourself a ton of wear on the element. The coffee filters are good for a few days. Use the smaller Number 2 filters or even the number 1's, whatever is smallest.
The MSR filters (not including the Sweetwater which I think is terrible) are easy to service and maintain, and durable as all get out. The only thing tougher on the market is the Katadyn Pocket filter, which weighs a ton.
The PUR Hiker is a good option as well.
The Band-aid Kid
10-31-2006, 23:40
Iceman - you said the sweetwater was "terrible".Just curious what your experience was with the sweetwater filter?
Appalachian Tater
11-01-2006, 01:42
Toasty,
Here's what I've been using for a few years now...
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=9044356&parent_category_rn=4500460&vcat=REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC
Basically, it's the same stuff that cities use to treat public water supplies, give or take a few chemicals. ........ For $10, it's worth a shot. The bottle lasts for quite a while... I'd say maybe 3 bottles on a thru. And, it only weighs in at 2 ounces, far less than a filter.
Hope this helps.
That stuff is nothing more than common household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) sold for $5 per ounce instead of $2 per gallon. Check the labels on the bottles. If you're going to go that route, buy Clorox instead.
Toolshed
11-01-2006, 07:04
I noticed over time with my MSR MW that the hosing starts to collapse near the intake valve (where it bends). This might be the cause of your problems. cut that first inch if hose off, reconnect and you might be ok, Surgical hose replacement is pretty cheap at Lowes or HD.