more»User Review: MSR MiniWorks EX
Rating: 
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: 80-90$
Summary
Lightweight, easy to use. If I had to do it again I would go with a different water filter — too much effort for how little water is actually produced.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Clean-able
Cons
- Takes FOREVER to fill up containers... water just trickles out, even new
- Bulky
This water filter works just like it is supposed to — clear and fresh tasting water.
It is fairly easy to use, and seems to be durable. It is fairly lightweight, although it can be bulky if you are backpacking and trying to save space.
It takes far too long to treat the water. If you are filling up a few bottles, expect to be there for a while. It took me about 5 minutes to fill up a ~1L bottle out of a small creek in Waterton National Park. This can be frustrating (especially when the fishing is good!) as I want to spend my time fishing and hiking rather than sitting around for ten minutes trying to re-hydrate myself.
All-in-all, I would say it is OK... It does what it is supposed to, but not ideal for backpacking.
Few suggestions. If it is taking 5min to fill one bottle clean your element inside the filter. The rate at which the filter loads up is also dependent upon how funky the water source is. You can always pre-filter the hevy gunk out by using a fiber coffee filter over the inlet. I also take trash compactor bags on trail. Fill them with water and let the gunk settle to the bottom of the bag then adjust the float so the inlet is filtering just below the surface of the water. I have never seen 5min/bottle times in the years I have been using mine by doing what I have stated above.
Rick-Pittsburgh
10 months ago
I don't understand why I should need to clean it when I have only used a handful of times though.. maybe 5-8 times I have used it.. How often is a clean recommended? Anyway, Thanks for your input, I will try it.
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MSRP: $89.95
