Walter filter recommendations

B

bladefoolish

Joined
Mar 26, 2004
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Thinking about getting a water filter; as I have recently bought a couple of MSR "Stowaway" pots and a Whisperlight stove, I was considering the MSR Miniworks filter.


Also, I've seen theAquamira Frontier water filter "straws" advertised, and thinking of getting a couple for the GHB. While I'm sure their effectiveness is limited, my thought is that they are probably better than nothing --- currently I carry coffee filters and water purification tablets.

Any comments or suggestions?
 
I have a miniworks, and it's worked for me so far. :D I like it because it screws right onto a nalgene or a MSR Dromedary bag (I have a 2 liter bag with the attachment to turn it into a hydration bag -- very nice). Years ago I used a water filter and I was always screwing around with pots and bottles and canteens and trying to get clean water without dumping things into the creek. This system is way better. The little float on the line is also nice because it keeps the end of the intake hose off the bottom of the lake. The stainless steel guard at the end of the intake hose is nice because if you get water from a moving stream, the intake hose always seems to end up washing up against a rock. There's also a little pre-filter inside that stainless steel guard.

I don't like it because it seems like it's heavier (1 lb) than it needs to be, but then all the water filters in that class seem to run a pound and up, so I guess I should stop complaining. It's field maintainable, which is both really cool and a real pain. I mean, you need clean water to clean it. So cleaning it gets to be a lot of work. The manual says to clean it "after every use." I can't see doing that. So far I've only used it on weekend trips, and I usually clean it when I get home. I'll be taking it on a week long trip this summer. I figure if I have time and the energy, I'll clean it once mid-week.

Also, the filter in the miniworks is ceramic. I imagine if you dropped the thing it might break. Then again, I don't know how rugged any of the filters are in that class. For this reason, I keep thinking that I need to get some water purification tablets to use as backup. For whatever reason, I keep forgetting to pick them up.
 
I'm not sure there is anything you can do to stop Walter. Walter is every where and very dirty. For example, Walter Davis and his knives provide a temptation for purchasing steel. Walter Cronkite can bamboozle you with his logic and slick presentation. Then there is Barbara Walters who is just plain annoying. A good Walter filter, is there such a technology? :D :D :D

I use an MSR miniworks like bulgron. I like the fact that it has a cage that allows you to check the filter integrity after cleaning it.
 
I've got that new MSR/Camelbak inline filter in the post right now, havent seen any reviews for it yet. Once i use it, i'll post mine.

My main concern is how much of an increase in drawing/sucking force it will take.
 
The MSR Waterworks is one of the best filters on the market, you can't go wrong with it.

The only drawback (besides being a little heavier) is that it is slower pumping than the Katadyn Hiker that I used for a long time. The Hiker is a great design that is easy to use.
 
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bulgron said:
I have a miniworks, and it's worked for me so far. :D I like it because it screws right onto a nalgene or a MSR Dromedary bag (I have a 2 liter bag with the attachment to turn it into a hydration bag -- very nice). Years ago I used a water filter and I was always screwing around with pots and bottles and canteens and trying to get clean water without dumping things into the creek. This system is way better. The little float on the line is also nice because it keeps the end of the intake hose off the bottom of the lake. The stainless steel guard at the end of the intake hose is nice because if you get water from a moving stream, the intake hose always seems to end up washing up against a rock. There's also a little pre-filter inside that stainless steel guard.

I don't like it because it seems like it's heavier (1 lb) than it needs to be, but then all the water filters in that class seem to run a pound and up, so I guess I should stop complaining. It's field maintainable, which is both really cool and a real pain. I mean, you need clean water to clean it. So cleaning it gets to be a lot of work. The manual says to clean it "after every use." I can't see doing that. So far I've only used it on weekend trips, and I usually clean it when I get home. I'll be taking it on a week long trip this summer. I figure if I have time and the energy, I'll clean it once mid-week.

Also, the filter in the miniworks is ceramic. I imagine if you dropped the thing it might break. Then again, I don't know how rugged any of the filters are in that class. For this reason, I keep thinking that I need to get some water purification tablets to use as backup. For whatever reason, I keep forgetting to pick them up.
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Ive got the MSR Miniworks EX too. I love it for the exact same reasons as stated above. Only minus about it, is its weight and bulkiness.
 
Might take a look at the katadyn vario. I have one and have been very happy with it.
 
My Katadyn Hiker Pro has worked great in the clear/semi clear waters of Central Utah. Any of the filters from Katadyn or MSR should serve you well!
 
kgd - And dont forget Walter Brennan, whom the gay barowner in "Good Morning Vietnam" wanted nude photos of, or Walter Matthau.
 
lambertiana said:
The MSR Waterworks is one of the best filters on the market, you can't go wrong with it.

The only drawback (besides being a little heavier) is that it is slower pumping than the Katadyn Hiker that I used for a long time. The Hiker is a great design that is easy to use.
Click to expand...

I agree. On my last hike a friend and I used the MSR and Katadyne side by side. I concluded that the slow filtration speed is made up for by the fact that it screws on to the nalgene. My friend was almost comical trying to mess with two tubes, pump, and balance a canteen all at the same time. Ended up dropping his canteen in the water source. All the while I just methodically pumped away and finished before him.
 
spareparts said:
I agree. On my last hike a friend and I used the MSR and Katadyne side by side. I concluded that the slow filtration speed is made up for by the fact that it screws on to the nalgene. My friend was almost comical trying to mess with two tubes, pump, and balance a canteen all at the same time. Ended up dropping his canteen in the water source. All the while I just methodically pumped away and finished before him.
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lol. I used to carry a bottle or a pot that was dedicated to pulling water out of the lake. I'd then let the sentiment settle to the bottom of the bottle, and then filter my water from there.

PITA.

This is why I was so attracted to the MSR system.
 
Katadyn Hiker works fine for me. But you may want to check out some of the gravity fed filters, beats pumping and works just as good.

You may want to combine this with a Steripen. But if you got clean water and you're not too worried about chemicals in your water, A Steripen alone will work fine.

There was a thread not too long about all this. Actually I think it was about purification tablets, but then it turned into a discussion about all kinds of water purification.
 
for the last 7-8 years I've been using only ClO2 for my water treatment, easy and light AND very effective

the down side is the wait time, I've down a pretty good job of mitigating that by keeping one bottle ready to go, while another was being treated

the last couple of years I've been eyeing the Steripen (and other UV equivalents)- they've been getting more reliable and lighter, I just pulled the pin on a Steripen Opti that was on sale, I'll keep some Micropur tabs in reserve, but am going to give it a go this year
 
You get the beaver fever once and you take your backcountry water treatment seriously. I have several pumps (Katadyn, MSR the older Sweetwater, etc.). Pumps are good for the individual or a couple, but pumping for four or five people sucks. Gravity filters are what I’m “gravitating” to for my recreational water filtration. I have a few Sawyer filters and the Katadyn base camp; the Sawyer is simple and very effective. What I like the most is that as soon as I get to my camp site, I’ll rig up the water filter and have all the containers lined up for filling. You do have to keep an eye on it as the water flow is extremely fast. The other great feature is that you can fill it up at night and hook the tube up above the filter (or just turn it off depending on the cap style) and be ready to refill in the AM without having to make a run to the water source.

Gravity filters are no-more bulky than most pump filters. Although the bags are very robust, you do have to make sure you’re not playing with sharp objects around them.

So, for family trips I pack the four liter Sawyer filter, my wife packs her Katadyn Vario and I make sure we have Micropur and/or Polar Pure as backup methods.

Another great backup is the Aqua Mira Frontier Pro water filter. I really like this little guy. You can roll a 1 liter Platypus bottle around it giving you other options and compact way to have a water container in a small package along with the filter which it can also be attached to.

I typically pre-filter all my water; just a habit. Easiest method is that I use a Sea-to-Summit folding bucket to collect water and carry back to camp and let it settle. Too many times I’ve seen backpackers fumble with their water container at the water source while trying to filter. It does take a little practice to get your system set up right, but I’ve had to climb into small ravines to collect water and it would have been pretty difficult using your pump in such confined conditions.

My advice is to know how to properly pre-filter. Learn the basics of purification methods such as iodine or chlorine dioxide type tablets or solutions.

Invest in a quality pump and learn to use it, clean it and maintain it.

Consider a gravity filtration system if you’re backpacking with 3 or more people.

Always have a backup method(s); pump, Polar Pure and boiling (requiring a metal pot/cup).

ROCK6
 
Here's another vote for the MSR miniworks. Yes, it is slow and kind of heavy, but it can be serviced in the field and it does what its supposed to do. I've owned a couple of filters over the years and am always on the lookout for "something better", but the MSR keeps making it back into my pack. On a recent trip a buddies Katydin (and my MSR) sucked up some slime that was floating in the water. It put his pump out of commission, I scrubbed mine out and it ran great - after I tied a bandana around the prefilter to help it out a little more. I don't know how many gallons I've pumped through the same filter and it's still no where near needing to be replaced. Mine is one of the older models with the opaque body - gotta be at least a decade or possibly older - I can't remember.

HH
 
mtwarden said:
if your sold on a filter check out MSR's new Hyperflow, Jeff and Mike (Esee) just got back from Peru where the fine silt can clog a filter in a hurry, they have great things to say about the Hyperflow- it's pretty darn compact and light (7.4 oz)

can be backflushed as well

http://cascadedesigns.com/en/msr/wa...t-and-hydration/hyperflow-microfilter/product
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You know, I was just at REI looking at that. 7.4 oz vs 16 oz for the MSR miniworks, and it has the attachment for a wide mouth bottle....

Anyone want to buy a MSR miniworks for cheap? :D

ETA: I take that back. The customer reviews on the hyperflow at REI are pretty brutal. I guess I'll just stick with my miniworks.
 
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