MSR Sweet water vs MSR Miniworks

[lissersmith]

Getting ready to buy a water filter... Any opinions? I was thinking of the MSR Miniworks.

[Feral Bill]

I have been happy with the Miniworks. It is easy to use and reliable, if a bit chunky. I'm trying Aquamira soon, to see how it fits my needs.

[LoneRidgeRunner]

IMO The Mini Works is a great filter. I have used the Water Works 2 ( Which is exactly like the Mini works except it has an additional "membrane" for filtering slightly finer particles.)for years with no problems. The water works can actually be used without the additional membrane at which time it's a mini works filter. As for the Sweetwater...that was my very first filter and it was a piece of junk from day one. I think the water works 2 has been discontinued. I've also used a Pur Explorer, which was a very expensive piece of junk from day one.

[birdygal]

I have the miniworks with no problems so far

[CrumbSnatcher]

thruhiked with a sweetwater and a pur hikerpro (different years) and been around alot of miniworks.
my hikerpro could pump water so much faster than either of the MSR pumps (when i used the sweetwater, it wasn't owned by MSR yet) the sweetwater was always clogging, and the miniworks was slow. many times around friends at water sources, i could filter 3-5 qts. (carried water for me and my pooch) as fast as they pumped one. been a few years though and they might of got better. but i'll stick with my pur/katahdyn hiker pro, thousands of miles with no issues

[Hiking Man]

I have been using a Sweetwater for years with no problem and I have feltered some nasty looking water only to come out clear and great tasting. I went with it over the miniworks becoue it did not have a ceramic filter which can crack if it gets below freezing. Also i did not like not having a hose for the output.

[Huber]

I had used a sweetwater on my first two section hikes and somehow enough dirt got past the prefilter and into the pump to completeley jam it and render it useless. So I sent it back to rei and picked up some aquamira and haven't looked back. It could have just been a dud it was quite incovient to be stuck without any filter on the trail, I had to pick my water sources very carefully. But it is a fast pump that is not too bulky and is fairly light. If you plan to be out for more than a few days than bring the brush to clean the filter because it will clog. I didn't the first time and my toothbrush had to take one for the team.

[lemon b]

I've been using a sweetwater for many years with few problems. Does take up more pack space then what I would perfer.

[jakedatc]

I have been using a Sweetwater for years with no problem and I have feltered some nasty looking water only to come out clear and great tasting. I went with it over the miniworks becoue it did not have a ceramic filter which can crack if it gets below freezing. Also i did not like not having a hose for the output.

Miniworks screws directly to a nalgene bottle.

have always used this pump and like it. disassembles completely for cleaning and drying at home. i'm sure it's not the fastest pump but it's ergonomic and not that bad.

[HeartFire]

I have an MSR Sweetwater and love it, I got one of the Hyperflow filters and am about to throw it against the wall - When it works it's fine, but it's just too much trouble trying to figure out how to clean it. I have taken the pre filter off the Hyperflow and put it on the Sweetwater.

[ekeverette]

got a brand new msr mini works that i don't think i will use... paid about 70 bucks for it.... will let it go for 50 bucks.

[CrumbSnatcher]

i believe the pour size on the hikerpro is slightly bigger,which means more flow, the plunger handle works very well, didn't care for the type of handle on of the other two.
never been a fan of or used drops, have always filtered over the years
used only 3 types of filters (always on thruhikes)
sweetwater-lasted 3 months clogging constantly
mini-works- i would trade off with other thruhikers once in awhile so they could try my filter(they all said they loved it :-)
and my pur hiker that has many miles with no issues at all. no i am not a hikerpro salemans, but i sure love thier filter.
most of the miniwork owners/thruhikers i met over the years,hated the bottle being directly attached, the output hose made it much easier

[bamboo bob]

pur/katahdyn hiker pro. I have used it for over 10000 miles. All filters require thinking before pumping. I use a water bag and avoid pumping directly from streams. I use a coffee filter on the intake. AT-PCT-FT-LT