water filters for 2 - 4 people....

[danattherock]

Any tips or information I should know about the MSR that isn't covered in the instructions?

Awesome filters, keep them clean and let air dry after trips. Break it down and let it dry.

Use 3M pads to clean the ceramic filter.

When the clear tube cracks/breaks, just cut it clean, spit on it and re-insert to the pump.

Be sure you are priming the pump properly before each use. Really makes it work better. Instructions for that are on the MSR paperwork, you have already seen that I suspect.

I also give mine 20 good pumps or so after use to get all the water out, sometimes I open it up and shake the filter. Keeps water out of my dry bags as a result of leaks from the pump tubing.

Don't screw it on to 32 ounce Nalgenes too tightly or you get pressure and can't pump effeciently. I screw the Nalgene on snug, then back off one full turn. It won't fall off.

Walk out a few feet in moving water to ensure you are getting clean water.

Don't pump from the river. Buy the blue collapsible water bucket from LL Bean. It is the only one I have bought that will actually stand up when full of water. One of my favorite items on float trips. Just perfect for its purpose. Get 10' of 3/8" rope on it so you can toss the bucket out in the stream and stay dry. Pull it in fast to open the bucket. Take that full bucket of water and sit in the camp chair and filter the water into your Nalgene bottles. Easy as pie.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/4588...&cat4=1099&shop_method=pp&feat=1099-sub2&np=Y

When the pump rate slows, simply means you need to clean it. Wipe with wet 3M pad, rinse, wipe, repeat, takes just seconds to clean. On a 13 day float, I think I cleaned mine once. The cleaner the water, the less the need to clean of course. Using my bucket idea helps, floating gin clear rivers helps even more. Ha ha ha...


-Dan

 

[alaskadianhunter]

MSR sweetwater- junk...not meant for long trips. I am thinking about trying the sawyer complete water purifying system. I have been doing quite a bit of studying the last few months and I have narrowed it down to it. We had a katadyn hiker pro and the msr sweetwater on an extended stay on an island and by about day 6 or 7, we were having to collect and boil water. Yeah we could have brought along spare filters, but if I'm spending the kind of money to have it work right, it should work right the first time. The water we used wasnt the cleanest to begin with, but again I want it to perform, not impressed with either. I think I am going with the above mentioned item. If anyone has tried or currently owns the sawyer, let me know what you think.

 

[Mr. Pid]

All my ceramic filters have come with cleaning brushes to scrub the filter intake surface. They also came with a caliper to indicate when the ceramic is worn too thin. Filters require maintenance to maintain flow rate. Maintenance is reduced if I put a coffee filter around the intake fitting to keep gunk out of the ceramic cartridge.

 

[Frostbitten]

alaskanadianhunter - I can't think of a reason that a sweetwater wouldn't work after 6 days, unless you didn't clean it when needed.

 

[dkwarthog]

I used a Steripen this weekend on an alpine hunt for the first time. We had just bought it and I was dissapointed to find that it failed to operate. I dont know at this point if the batteries it came with were dead or if it was just a lemon, but finding out that you dont have a water treatment method on a multi day hunt is a bummer.

I'll be sticking to pump filters or something else from now on it seems..and hoping I didnt pick up giardia (again) from drinking mountain run off all weekend...

 

[Frostbitten]

dkwarthog - think of it this way, giardia is a great weight loss program!!!

 

[dkwarthog]

Frost, you must be a "glass half full" type of person...LOL.

I think I'd just about rather cut off my leg to lose weight than get giardia again...:think:

 

[Frostbitten]

Right on Warthog!!!!!

 

[Daveintheburbs]

I have also used the MSR minworks on a variety of long trips without issues. I let the water settle and do put a piece of coffee filter on the bottom as well which seems to extend time between filiter cleanings.

However, I have slowly but surely migrated to just using bleach. Much lighter, The taste doesn't bother me and no worrys in freezing weather (which can split a fiter that is not drained.)

 

[mainer_in_ak]

MSR sweetwater- junk...not meant for long trips. I am thinking about trying the sawyer complete water purifying system. I have been doing quite a bit of studying the last few months and I have narrowed it down to it. We had a katadyn hiker pro and the msr sweetwater on an extended stay on an island and by about day 6 or 7, we were having to collect and boil water. Yeah we could have brought along spare filters, but if I'm spending the kind of money to have it work right, it should work right the first time. The water we used wasnt the cleanest to begin with, but again I want it to perform, not impressed with either. I think I am going with the above mentioned item. If anyone has tried or currently owns the sawyer, let me know what you think.

The MSR sweet water is junk.....I do concur.
I payed the money for it, and it will be quite some time before I can ever afford to replace it. It takes too much pumping to get water( compared to other ones), and dirtys too easily. Even when clean....they work terrible. I lived off mine all summer and if I could afford to, i'd love to destroy it. My sweetwater filter is kind of like a stale marriage full of kids............"I'm stuck with it for financial reasons"

 

[Frostbitten]

Mainer - sounds like more of an application issue vs. performance issue. In my world, a piece of junk is something that doesn't do what it's supposed to do (ie, doesn't remove Giardia), or possibly something that breaks or wears out easily. I've used the Sweetwater on hunting trips with 4 guys and it worked just fine. Sure, it doesn't filter a gallon a minute, but I don't expect it to, and the cleaning brush is provided for a reason. I certainly understand that you would be looking for a more efficient system if you had to live off it all summer.

My point is, in my opinion anyways, the Sweetwater is an effective filter that works just fine.

 

[mainer_in_ak]

Yeah, I suppose you're right. It worked and never did break, you should see the old filters at work like the all aluminum katahdin/ceramic filter, that bad boy would have a gallon jug full in half the time, with half the pumps. When you're stuck in a marriage with one paticular filter.......I guess it's easy to check out the exotics......

 

[Michael Strahan]

R.A.F.T. Water Filter

R.A.F.T. Water Filter

Rick,

You mentioned that this filter is for 2-4 people. In my experience, the hand-pump filters simply cannot keep up with the water needs for four people. If I'm float hunting and there are three or more people involved, I use the R.A.F.T. filter, available through Cascade Outfitters. I have used them for several years and they have not failed me yet. It's a gravity-feed system that uses a large ceramic filter. I hang the bag on a tripod made of oars or from a tree (or even sitting on high ground above the filter canister). The key with this type of system is to keep the filter element clean, as it can clog and slow the filtration process down. Just inspect it now and then, and it it is discolored from tannins in the water, or clogged with glacial silt, scrub it with one of those green scratchy pads and you're back in business. You can also let your water settle overnight in one of those collapsable buckets, but if the water is glacial with a heavy silt load, most of the silt remains in suspension unless you boil it. In that case you don't need to filter anyway...

The R.A.F.T. filter is simple to operate. Just fill the bag, suspend it, connect the hose to the filter canister and place your "clean water" jug under the spigot. Turn the spigot on and you'll have about three gallons of clean water in ten minutes or so. This is one of my first tasks when we pull in for the evening; it does its thing while I'm attending to other camp chores.

For smaller groups (no more than two) I have used the MSR Waterworks filters and they have worked very well for me.

Hope it helps!

-Mike

 

[Snyd]

I've had an MSR Hyperflow now for a couple years. I can pump 5 gal of water pretty darn quick with not much effort. I've done it moose hunting a couple times. Just last week we had to haul water up out of a steep drainage for "camp" water sheep hunting. We pumped 5 gal into two trash compactor bags in our packs, humped it out and had 10 gal of water sitting at the tent to get us by for a few days. I have a 6 Liter MSR Dromlite bladder that I pump into. We dumped three of them into each bag plus filled it up and another 5 liters in drinking bladders. We pumped all the water in probably 20-30 minutes. We were pumping pretty clear water, no glacial silt. But, the Hyperflow cannot be left out below freezing.

 

[Michael Strahan]

...the Hyperflow cannot be left out below freezing.

I think most water filters are susceptible to cracking at freezing temps, or at least the ones that use ceramic filters. One thing we do to help prevent this is to put the filter in a cooler to insulate it overnight. Works great on float hunts, but of course on a sheep hunt you're not usually packing a cooler! We've also put them between our sleeping bags in the tent for the same reason and it seems to work too.

Also, for those who may not think of it, once your filter element freezes it will no longer work. So try to filter in the evening when it is warmer, and avoid pouring hot water on the element to thaw it. Use tepid or warm water instead.

-Mike

 

[stid2677]

I have used a variety of water pumps and filters. I agree with others that pumping for 3 to 4 people can quickly become work. I currently use the MSR Hyperflow as my pump type filter. I really like it, EZ to use and I like that it can be attached to a Nalgene bottle with the adapter lid or just stuck into a Platapus bag or disposable water bottles. I have started using disposable water bottles instead of my nalgene for backpack hunts.

For base camp I use the The Katadyn Base Camp filter.

I found a couple tricks to increase its performance.

1. try to find the cleanest source possible.

2. Use a rubber band to secure coffee filters around the filter to help keep the filter clean and working longer.

3. If water is silty like on the Tanana I use a bucket or plastic lined hole to hold water and act as a settling pond. A 5 gal bucket works great and can be used for all kinds of other uses. Fill the bucket up and let it sit for a few hours or overnight and pour off the clean water into the filter bag.

Steve

 

[Wolfeye]

Any tips or information I should know about the MSR that isn't covered in the instructions?

The only tip I have is to remember to empty the water out of the filter before repacking it, or it might drip. Just give it a few quick pumps & twirl the tube. Oh, and I also take a small piece of the cleaning pad instead of the whole thing.

You'll like the pump. Field cleaning is quick, it works for small groups of people, and it's easy to replace seals if you need to. I just wish it was a little lighter.

 

[stevelyn]

Thanks for the info guys.

One more question.......

Is the filter element still suceptable to freezing if all the water is purged from it and if only the residual water freezes will it damage the filter?

 

[danattherock]

Not from my experience. Had it in below freezing temps many times. No problems. If the filter was left full of water, the pressure of freezing water would likely escape via the tubing anyway. But you make a good point and add another reason to my list of why I empty mine after each use. I would not worry about the filter element, but the plastic housing could be another story if left full of water and below freezing temps.

-Dan