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Mongo
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Mongo
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PostThu Jul 25, 2002 12:15 pm 
Anyone have comments on the relative merits of the many water filters available? looking for one that is effective, light and durable. Looked at reviews of the MSR and PUr Hiker filters, but any other insights would be helpful.

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Tom
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PostThu Jul 25, 2002 1:07 pm 
All are effective at removing crypto, giardia, and bacteria. Depending on who you talk to, some are more prone to clogging and breakage than others. None are light. The MSR is on the heavier side and the one person I know who uses it likes his friend's Sweetwater Guardian better. The Guardian is on the lighter side and is a good value so I would add it to your list. You can clean it in the field if it becomes clogged (actually you need to clean it regardless). The one knock I've heard on the Guardian is breakage if you pump it too hard, but the one person I know who uses it hasn't seemed to encounter this particular problem. The Pur Hiker is also good filter from what I hear. I suggest you go down to REI and pump the various filters, compare weights, flow rates, etc. and see which one suits you best. In the end I gave up went with 4oz of AquaMira. I also have a First Need Deluxe which I carry for those overnight trips with my nephews when I'm not in the ultralightweight mode. It is a little harder to pump but makes up for it in the flow rate. It weighs 18 oz but also filters viruses (apparently overkill in these parts).

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Jul 25, 2002 2:13 pm 
the PUR rocks. used mine for years, had a sweetwater and it was fine but the PUR kicks it's butt for ease of use and pump rate. Simple, effective, easy to pump, I'll never go back. The sweetwater needed cleaning often, and I did in fact break the pump handle when the pump slipped in my hand as I was pumping and I applied pressure at an odd angle for a second. it was an OK and effective pump, I just prefer the PUR.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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salish
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PostThu Jul 25, 2002 3:10 pm 
Pur Hiker
Been using a PUR Hiker for a couple of years now; my firstand only filter. I like it-easy to use and not too horribly heavy at 11oz (or thereabouts).

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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rubberlegs
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PostThu Jul 25, 2002 4:02 pm 
The MSR (from a few years ago) is heavy, hard to pump, but easy to clean. It's chief advantage is it was on sale the day I bought it. Has to be cleaned once or twice a day, depending on silt in your water source.

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Slide Alder Slayer
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PostFri Jul 26, 2002 10:06 am 
Water Filters
We have been using our MSR Water Works II for over 6 years. I have just kept upgrading as the ceramic and paper filters were improved. On our recent 5-day trip to the Golden Lakes Loop, I only needed one filter cleaning to keep the flow rate acceptable. The MSR is easy to maintain in the field and has never let us down, however, I must admit that I am looking at the PUR line of filters because of the increased flow rate and lighter weight.

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kleet
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PostFri Jul 26, 2002 2:15 pm 
Glad you brought this one up. Just returned from a trip where a friend brought his PUR Hiker and I brought my Sweetwater Guardian. He pumped about 1/2 a Nalgene bottle before it quit completely -- seems he's used it for a long time and never replaced the filter cartridge. Bad time to discover that. I'd had mine for about 3 years but never used it because someone else always volunteered to bring theirs. Some even had the same filter as me, and they worked well... so I was somewhat suprised to discover that I could only pump about 4 bottles before I needed to clean the dang thing! mad.gif Don't get me wrong, it's not hard to clean, you just unscrew the top and use the brush a couple twists, swish it around in the water to rinse. But that just seems to be way too often to have to do. The owner's manual also says something about not cleaning it more than 30 times??? I've heard (since) that you should wrap a paper coffee filter around the intake to act as a pre-filter. When I go to replace, I'll look long and hard at an MSR or the PUR.

A fuxk, why do I not give one?
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