This is a great filter. Very easy to disasemble for cleaning and repairs. pulls water through nicely. the pre-filtration set-up on the end of the hose does a good job of keeping big solids out of the line. maybe the best feature is that is screws right onto your nalgene so you don''t need 3 hands to work the thing.

Well I can Give an honest review between the MSR Mini Waterworks and the Pur hiker because I have had both. I started out using the pure hiker and used it alone for a year. With in that year I got sick seven times with bouts of diarrhea. I cleaned the filter like the instructions said with bleach to purify it every time I came back from a trip but to no avail. I even bought a new element thinking that the element may be the problem but the same thing. I then decided to buy the MSR Mini Waterworks. I have used it for about a year now alone, going to the same places and filtering the same water from the same creeks that I took my pur hiker and so far I haven''t been sick. The MSR does''nt pump nearly as fast as the pure and it gets cloged up a lot faster than the Pur but is easy to clean to get it up and running time after time It also comes with a gage to mesure the cramic element to let you know if it needs replacing. All in all I think even with its short comings the MSR Mini Waterworks is a much better filter and does a much better job of removing the nastys from the water. Do your self a favor, if you need a water filter buy the MSR, your body will thank you for it. I threw my pur away. If you have a pur now use a secondary treatment like iodene or polar pure to kill every thing before you filter the water to be safe.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

pur hiker Iodine tabs

I have been on many backpacking trips through the mountains, through national forests, and canoe trips down murky rivers but irregardless of where I have been the MSR water filter has performed better than any other filter I have owned. The only problem I have ever had is when I have been at high altitudes.

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Sweetwater Guardian -- this is a waste of money!!!

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I Bought this filter after my PUR scout broke, mostly because I liked what I read about it and it came with a free 4L dromedary bag. Overall I am very pleased with this product. I especially like the fact that I can Clean the filter element and check it to see If it needs replacing. This is nice when your going on a long trip and dont want to carry a back up element. The PUR scout was faster and required less maitanance. In field testing I found that after about two or three quarts of water the element has to be scrubbed and rinced. This is with a coffe filter tied at the end of the intake hose. Which does help. I dont mind it so much when it just my self and a friend. put for parties more than two an extra filter would be Ideal. I really love the simplicity of the desighn and most of all the assurance that I can probably repair any problems(with the exception of cracking the ceramic) in the field. I did not have this assurance with the Scout. Also though the scout pumped water faster I felt I exerted myself more pumping water than with the miniworks. Bottomline this filter lets me sleep at night.

Customer Service

Have not had to call them. I only wish they sold the silicone lube seperatley instead of just in the maintainance kit.

Similar Products Used:

PUR Scout.

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My best friend and I each bought a Miniworks in prep for a trip to AZ where we knew we''d be hiking long distances with only murky water tanks (holes) from which to replenish our water. We read a trail description where somebody claimed they ruined a new filer core to get just over a gallon of H2O!! We researched and decided on the Miniworks based on it''s field cleanable ceramic filter cartrige. I can tell you that the water we were forced to filter would have ruined any other type of core in minutes. We had to clean the core of each pump every 16 ozs. and spent the better part of an hour filling 10 Nalgenes for 5 guys. Without the field maintanability we would have been forced to drink Iodine treated MUD! Once we reached clear flowing water we could easily filter 5 or more 32 oz. Nalgenes before noticing a degredation in output. My PUR Hiker is faster but would have never survived the murky / silty conditions we encountered. Both the MSR Miniworks and the PUR filter do the job but the MSR is the choice for darker waters. BTW if you take an extra filter core ask a pharmacy for a large pill bottle. There is a particular size bottle that will hold the filter core and extra o-ring as if it was made to fit. This will keep you from damaging the slightly brittle ceramic and keeps it free from moisture which prevents "Funk" from growing.

Customer Service

Not needed for the filters but I contacted MSR regarding my Whisperlite 600 Stove and was very pleased with the fast and effective service I recieved.

Similar Products Used:

PUR Hiker & one other model?? Iodine Pill

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This was my first filter purchased and I must say that I am very pleased. I bought it because of MSRs reputation and it has lived up to that. Sure it is a litte slow, but that is just an excuse to take longer breaks. It has never clogged on me since I clean it often. I would definatley reccommend it to everyone.

Similar Products Used:

None

Bought this filter last spring and it's been great. Much easier to use the pump with this handle than my previous filter, a First Need. Much greater leverage with the handle and being able to screw a Nalgene bottle or dromedary bag into the bottom of the filter helps when getting water by yourself. All this and the great field maintainability mentioned by others for $60!

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First Need, worked fine, but not as convenient...

Most either love or hate this filter. I love it. Small, compact, reasonalby quick filter time. It's main competition is the Hiker, which many like due to quicker filtration time. I don't know about you, but I don't mind an extra 15-30 seconds per liter because I know that sucker is working. If it only takes 30 seconds to filter a liter of water what is getting through that filter! Maintenance is easy, cleaing is easy, backflush feature keeps filtered / unfilterd water seperate. Would be nice if it could be lighter, but what equipment wouldn't.

Similar Products Used:

Pur Hiker

I like the idea that this filter doesn't need chemical cartridges to kill off the nasties. Scrubbing the ceramic filter element clean is a breeze, and it completely restores the filter--no need to carry an extra element as with other brands. Very easy to maintain.

Great filter. Arizona is an arid place. Most of the water I pump is so thick with organic matter that I use a Mr. Coffee filter over my inlet and shake off the sludge. A friend of mine with a PUR didn't listen, his inlet was clogged before pumping a quart. I've never had a problem and have always gotten fresh clean water from the Miniworks. I'm a Boy Scout leader of a troop that does a lot of backpacking. I've used Sweetwater's and PUR's. The most reliable, easiest to use and maintain is the MSR Miniworks. 11 year old boys have no problem. Every new filter bought by members of the troop are MSR Miniworks. If you don't take care of your equiptment it won't take care of you.

Similar Products Used:

PUR, Sweetwater