Msr Miox

[RagingHampster]

http://www.mountainsafetyresearch.com/filters/miox.asp

Well whats the scoop with this gadget? Anyone used one yet or heard about how well it functions? Seems like it could be the next best thing to revolutionize water treatment on the trail.

Take a look.

[Appalachian Outfitte]

I had a chance to see this thing work at a trade show in the Adirondacks. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said it would be revolutionary. I'm not sure the weight i think it is 4 oz or close to that. Pros for this unit lightweight kills viruses and bacteria will work indefinately(no filter replacement)it is a one time purchase, cons does not remove sediment and runs on batteries and the only way you know it is not working is you get sick or you don't here the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. My personal opinion, it is awesome. Vern Ao

[Groucho]

Any idea how long a set of lithium camera batteries last? Those things are pretty expensive.

Do you know of any literature on test conditions such as water temp., turbidity, etc?

Thanks

[Rain Man]

It uses SALT??? (MIxed OXidents) to purify water??? Does it run the water through a mini salt canister? 3.5 oz?

Right now it sounds "too good to be true" and MSR hardly tells you a thing about it and doesn't give a blow-up photo either. Suspicious?

Rain Man

[Sand Crab]

The following is from MSR's web site. I'm not sure what they mean by dwell time, but I'm assuming it means wait time before drinking. Is this right? If so, I really don't want to wait 4 hrs before drinking to be sure crypto is dead. I'm not too concerned about viruses hiking here in the U.S. Also, the kit weighs 8 oz. Might as well carry another 8 oz and buy their filter so you can drink right away.

Dwell times
Viruses, bacteria: 15 min.
Giardia: 30 min.
Cryptosporidium: 4 hrs.

Weight
Pen: 3.5 oz./99 g
Kit: 8 oz./227 g

Kit includes
MIOX® Purifier, salt, batteries, safety-indicator strips, instruction booklet, quick-reference card, and storage sack.

[Doctari]

http://www.mountainsafetyresearch.com/filters/miox.asp

Well whats the scoop with this gadget? Anyone used one yet or heard about how well it functions? Seems like it could be the next best thing to revolutionize water treatment on the trail.

Take a look.

I saw it (similar anyway) once on one of those science shows about future gadgets. this one was being developed for use by the army if I remember right.

Sounds like a workable gadget, I'll wait till it has had a few years field testing though.

[mntman777]

Its my understanding that you add a little water to this thing and it mixes it with salts and makes a solution that will treat 4 liters of water.

[RedneckRye]

I had a chance to check one of these out the other day at the outfitter where I work. The whole thing is about the size of a magic marker, it runs on two CR-123 lithium camera batteries. To operate it you flip open the very top and deposit a chunk of salt. It comes with a few water softner salt pellets, but the MSR rep told me it will run on any salt (rock, kosher, etc...). Close the lid on the salt and then flip open the whole top of the unit. Pour in a bit of water, close it up and shake. You have the option of treating 1-4 liters of water, depending on how many times (1-4) you click the start button. It works by passing an electric current thru the salt water. It has been a while since I've had a chemistry class, but the current seperates the Na from the Cl and the H from the O. you then pour the solution into your water and wait. Sort of like PolarPur, but with no taste and a couple of batteries. I think the MSR rep said that the batteries last for about 200 gallons.
The military has been testing and using these things for about 2 years, and the technology is used for water treatment in a couple hundred towns and cities.
All in all the thing looked pretty cool.

[RagingHampster]

I had a feeling it was seperation of the salt to use the Chlorine within it's structure.

Sounds like a great option, but I too am going to wait until it has been tested/used/refined by the general hiking public.

Cool!

[The Wicked Lobstah]

I got to use this cool little gadget on a gear testing trip with Backpacker Magazine in Yosemite (see article on water treatment in current issue). It is really easy, lightweight and reliable. We didn't have any problems with it at all. Great innovation.

[Rain Man]

For those interested in such things....

The December 2003 Popular Science Magazine issue is the "Best Of What's New" innovations issue. In the "General Innovation" category, the MSR MIOX purifier was named the GRAND AWARD WINNER. I realize you have to take PS's exhuberance with a grain of salt. (a little MIOX pun. LOL) Here's what PS says:

"A salt 'n' battery charge renders toxins harmless."

"The MIOX water purifier is an amazing 3.5 ounce Magic Marker-size tool that uses water, salt, and batteries to purify drinking water. It's powerful enough to neutralize even the nastiest bacteria, pathogens, and chemicals: E. coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, antrax, plague, VX nerve gas, and others."

"Operation is a cinch. (1) Add a few drops of water to the purifier (which contains a salt tablet), shake it, and then press a button. (2) Wait while electricity from a pair of batteries splits the salt solution into its component parts: sodium, chlorine, and ozone. (3) Pour the mixed-oxidant solution into unpurified water. Within an hour (FOUR hours if you suspect Cryptosporidium), your water is safe to drink."

"The MIOX can purify up to a gallon of water on a single dose, was field-tested by the military in Afghanistan, and is small...."

msrp is $130.00

=========================

Keep in mind, it does NOT FILTER your water... so you might still be drinking mud on occasion. LOL

[firefly]

I saw this at REI in Atlanta this weekend...Does anybody know what it really weighs??

[icemanat95]

IF you suspect cryptosporidium????? Since you cannot see crypto and it can be in pretty much any water source, you pretty much always have to suspect it, which means 4 hours to wait for your water.

Sounds to me to be more of a supplemental system right now. Filter first to remove Crypto and the rest, then add this stuff to deactivate viruses and smaller bacteria as well as some chemical weapons. I'm not sure I would want to use it as a primary method until they can get cryptosporidia protection down to an hour or less.

[gravityman]

IF you suspect cryptosporidium????? Since you cannot see crypto and it can be in pretty much any water source, you pretty much always have to suspect it, which means 4 hours to wait for your water.


Here's an interesting note from Katadyn about the 4 hours that you have to wait for crypto to be dead that they list on their website (http://www.katadyn.net/micropur.html) ) :

Note: Product instructions have a 4 hour contact time. Fulfilling the role of protecting consumers, the EPA requires that packaging claims for Micropur MP1 communicate how the product performs in the most challanging water conditions (water that is very cold and dirty). While MP1 is effective against bacteria and viruses in 15 minutes, it requires 4 hours for cryptosporidium in cold, dirty water. Therefore, labeling requirements include a 4 hour wait time for maximum consumer protection (see chart above).

The chart says for 20 C water, only 30 minutes is needed. Since most water is probably closer to 10 C that is coming from the ground (50F) but is also clear, it would seem an hour would be a conservative amount of time to wait for the crypto to be dead. Of course, that's just a wag.

I wonder if the same thing can be said for the Miox. I bet it can be...

Gravity Man

[Blue Wolf]

Man the things they are coming up with whats next I know lets just put a people mover on the AT & we can just get in ride thru insted of hiking oh and a few Burger King drive thrus would be nice to along the way.

Blue Wolf

[chief]

This technology (zapping salt water to release chlorine) has been in use for years in swimmimg pools and sewage treatment. Guess it's now made small. I'm just a little skeptical knowing how much maintenence and controlled salt content it takes to keep the big systems up to snuff. btw, keep your chlorine treated water out of the sun. Sun kills it.

[Megabite]

so im going to buy a miox for my 2004 thru - what about funky looking water? i know it'll be safe to drink, but drinking funny looking water doesnt really excite me. anyone have a simple, light filtering solution to get rid of the crap floating around in there?

--andrew

[Rain Man]

so im going to buy a miox for my 2004 thru - what about funky looking water? i know it'll be safe to drink, but drinking funny looking water doesnt really excite me. anyone have a simple, light filtering solution to get rid of the crap floating around in there?

--andrew

I'm told just plain ol paper coffee maker filters work reasonably well, but I've never tried that myself.

[DebW]

so im going to buy a miox for my 2004 thru - what about funky looking water? i know it'll be safe to drink, but drinking funny looking water doesnt really excite me. anyone have a simple, light filtering solution to get rid of the crap floating around in there?

--andrew

The Sweetwater Siltstopper does a nice job. See my post in gear reviews. Only problem is you need a pump or some kind of gravity feed system to use it.

[Carey]

The Sweetwater Siltstopper does a nice job. See my post in gear reviews. Only problem is you need a pump or some kind of gravity feed system to use it.


Bought an MSR MIOX a few days ago and have tested it. Intend to return it. Biggest problem is that the treated water tastes and smells of chlorine. Not too suprising now that I understand it better and have talked to MSR. This problem may not offend people used to drinking what I think is highly chlorinated water.

There are other factors also to consider. The advertised weight of 3.5 ounces is true, even after installing the batteries and a supply of the supplied rock salt. But, it uses salt at a pretty quick rate. A load seems to last for only a few to several liters. So that means carrying rock salt until can get a resupply. In theory, any salt may work but expect table salt would dissolve even quicker and expect the treated water would taste of salt as well as chlorine.

The device also comes with paper litmus-like test strips to ensure the treated water is safe to drink. I think these strips measure the level of chlorine in the water, so are not readily available except from MSR. They come in a plastic container about the size of two 35mm file cans end-on-end. This container contains 50 strips and a very small bag of rock salt, enough salt for perhaps only one or two fillings of the purifier. I believe this so-called maintenace kit sells for about $18 seperately. A kit comes with the purifier. Since it basically only contains test strips, that means the strips cost about 35 cents apiece. You are supposed to use two strips for every container of water you treat. Seems each treatment could be any quantity of water, but it must all fit into a single container. With some experience maybe you could only occasionally use the strips, or according to the instructions, you could over treat the water (adding even more chlorine, enough to kill anything that might be in the water).

The device runs on two 3-volt lithium batteries, the type sometimes used in some cameras. Each battery is about half as long as a AA but a bit larger in diameter. These are supposed to last for about 200 liters. Seems like a lot, but in my tests I had to slightly overtreat to test safe by the strips. (Even at the minimum treatment though the water still smelled of chlorine). The more you over treat the fewer liters you will get from a set of batteries because the unit runs longer to create a more highly concentrated cocktail (as they call it) to dump in your water. These batteries are a farily common type, but not available just anywhere batteries are sold. And, compared to AAs, they a farily expensive.

In operation, the device must be open so the electrolsis chamber is exposed to the elements and it must be held at least a foot from your face. As it works, it bubbles and spurts for the few to many seconds while it creates the desired concentration of chlorine. It could be difficult to use in the rain since you would have to protect it and not by leaning over it.

With the supplied device, batteries, a small pouch of rock salt (enough for a week or so I am guessing), maintenace kit and carry bag, the weight is about double as advertised. Still pretty light, but you'll need lots more rock salt for a long hike, more batteries and test strps.

It is a pretty cool gadget and has advantages. It seems well made and is pretty easy to use. It will presumably make virtually any water safe to drink. But it is not for me.

[Lumberjack]

You all are sure making me feel a lot better about my first need purifier.... :welcome

:bse :clap :banana

[Kerosene]

Thanks for the report, DebW!

[LBJ]

Speaking of the First Need water filter, it is a level one, that is it removes viruses also, the only filter I know of that does that. It's what I carry also. It also backwashes to clean, a nice feature.

[chief]

back to the miox, you can get the test strips at pool supply stores, probably a lot cheaper than msr. though with experience, you probably won't need them. also, you should stick with rock salt, since it's free of other stuff found in table salt, like iodine and dextrose (sugar). the iodine wouldn't hurt, but the dextrose might eventually gum up the works. nothing's gonna get rid of the chlorine smell though. i don't think it's something i wanna use, brings back too many memories of sewage treatment.

[MedicineMan]

this gismo it cool but after realizing that you are essentially making 'aqua mira' on the spot I started wondering about the costs and the effort....if my math is correct Aqua-Mira is cheaper though maybe not as comprehensive in all that it will kill, my other vex with the new gismo is the operation, for me less steps is a must and Aqua-Mira has less, having to carry a bottle of salt was another minus. I agree that the tech behind this gismo is way cool, but my 130 is going for some down pants (ok they are more than 130) but down pants are a technology I can reproduce, repair, rely on, and of many less steps.

[Groucho]

nothing's gonna get rid of the chlorine smell though. i don't think it's something i wanna use, brings back too many memories of sewage treatment.

I wonder if a little vitamin C would get rid of the chlorine taste? Perhaps Carey could try it and see???

[RagingHampster]

Thanks for the review Carey! That was very informative and enjoyed.

The chlorine product produced by mixing the two aquamira agents is actually different than the one produced using the Miox (I believe). One is a Chlorine Ion (The Miox), and the other is Chlorine DiOxide (AquaMira).

Currently I use AquaMira, and now leave behind the pre-filter I made using the pump from a First Need purifier, and a siltstopper II prefilter. If the water is colored with leaf tannins, I simply add gatorade or tang to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

[Alligator]

If you boil the water afterwords, it should drive off the chlorine. :jump

But seriously, maybe the strips could be cut up smaller if they are expensive. Or perhaps, once they are identified, a chemistry supply company would have them cheaper.