User Review: MSR MiniWorks EX

I bought this product before going on an 8-day AT hiking trip. After using the filter for only 1 day (filtering about 9-10 liters of water), the pump got significantly slower, almost to the point of being not usable. Once we cleaned it (in the field, as per instructions), it picked up the pace again, but even at its top speed, this filter is not very quick.

The filter is also difficult to pump (not extremely, of course), but significantly more so than some of the others I saw on the trail.

I thought I just bought a crappy filter, but I think it just needs a lot of maintenance. It really needs to be cleaned after every use. Although the cleaning is not difficult, it does take some time and gets a little annoying.

The water itself tasted really good. Not even a hint of bad taste in all the water we pumped.

Since this is my first filter, I can't compare it to others, but I would probably consider getting a pump that was lighter and faster next time.