Posted: 4/20/2007 12:01:49 AM EDT
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I know I need a seperate method for dealing with viruses but is there a better filter for backpacking/SHTF use than the MSR Miniworks? What are your opinions on the SteriPen for dealing with viruses quickly? (Dont have to wait for chemicals) |
waste of $$ IMHO. its nor a filter. so even if the h20 is muddy ,murky etc, it will still be that way after you kill the germs/bactiria etc. i use a katadyne, then treat with viral stop drops. if the water is extra nasty |
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I did a lot of research before settling on my options for water filtration. In the end I chose the General Ecology First Need Deluxe purifier and the MSR Miniworks as a secondary. The First Need Deluxe is rated as a purifier as it uses what they call a structured matrix element that extracts viruses. That claim in itself wasn't the deciding factor for me. What made me choose this filter was that the filter cartridge is the same makeup as the General Ecology Seagull IV purifier. This purifier is much touted by most of the sailboaters I know. I have friends that travel the world in their sailboats and must refill their fresh water tanks from hoses at questionable docks in third world countries. They swear by the thing. The drawback is that the filter cartridge is sealed, so you cannot open it up and clean it if it gets clogged. The versions within the past few years have a nice pre-filter at the end of the hose. I have used mine on camping expeditions and haven't had it clog yet. I ended up buying the Seagull IV for my home and my parents home. You know the feeling when you have city water and you turn on the news to a boil water order in effect after you've been drinking the tap water all day. I replace the Seagull cartridge every year. On light hikes, I carry the First Need with Chlorine Dioxide Tabs ( Aquamira ) as a backup. When on longer expeditions I carry the Miniworks as a secondary and the tabs as a third tier backup. Full-Auto |
I was thinking more along the lines of filtering with the Miniworks and killing viruses with the Steripen when the water is clear. Steriepen also has a filter that goes on your Nalgene to half ass prefilter it you can buy. I cant remember the pore size but its small enough to make water not murky but all the bad organisms get through. |
How often does the First Need filter last for you? Have you had any clogging problems? Does the First Need have carbon to remove chemicals or is that an over rated feature if it does not? |
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No clogs yet, but I haven't put that many gallons through it. The cartridge is rated at 125 gallons. It's more convenient than treating then filtering, but at least with the Miniworks, you can scrub the ceramic element if it clogs. Not that familiar with what the filter membrane is made of. On one occasion, I deliberately filtered some stagnant water from a creek that didn't smell too good. It came out tasting pretty good with no odor. I think the filter/treatment method you mentioned would be the best. Before I got the First Need Deluxe, I used the Miniworks to filter water I had already treated with tabs. The UV pen should do the trick as your secondary treatment method. You cold also keep some tabs handy just in case the UV pen takes a crap. FUll-Auto |
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Rather than sit and use a pump filter, I prefer to use a gravity fed system. Its easy enough to build and lighter than most filters. Parts: 1x Sawyer Inline Water Filter (REI) 2x Platypus 2QT water bottles (REI) 1x Platypus Drinking Tube (REI) Put the parts together. Fill the "dirty" bag with water from your source. Hang up and let gravity do the work. While its filtering, I can make lunch, a snack or do anything else I need to. |