After 4 - 6 liters, the filter would work noticeably slower, and would require cleaning.Ĭleaning was a simple process. I was getting this rate (or very close to it) for 4 - 6 liters. This ensures that your clean water is pumped directly into the bottle, and the filter cover is kept clean while you're pumping water. The cover for the water outlet screws directly into the Nalgene water bottle lid. I purchased a 1L Nalgene water bottle, and the water outlet on the filter screws directly onto the Nalgene bottle.
Ceramic is pretty fragile, but the filter housing is very rugged, and it seems like it would be fairly hard to break the filter while it's inside the filter housing. This filter removes protozoa and bacteria as small as 0.2 microns.įrom what I've learned on the internet, that means that this filter will remove any harmful protozoa or bacteria that exists in lakes or rivers here in central Canada. Water is pumped up the hose and forced through the ceramic element. The second part of this filter is the ceramic element (the part that actually filters the water). It works well, but it's still a good idea to ensure that the water intake is not sitting in muck or surrounded by debris. This foam removes large sediment and prevents debris from entering the filter system. There is a foam filter at the end of the water intake tube. This can be easily avoided by placing the filter inside one's sleeping bag during nights where the temperatures are expected to be below freezing. In addition, if this filter is being used during the winter or in areas with the possibility of freezing temperatures, then some care will need to be taken to ensure that water does not freeze inside the filter, causing the ceramic element to crack. This filter is slightly heavier than other similar filters. For long term storage the ceramic cartridge can be gently scrubbed and then boiled. Cleaning the filter for long term storage is also easy. Just unscrew the cap to the housing for the filter and gently scrub and rinse the ceramic exterior of the filter cartridge. However, if this were to happen cleaning the filter would be a breeze. I have not used this filter in extremely dirty water, so I have not had it clog up on me.
The design of this filter is superior to similar pump filters like the Katadyn Hiker or Hiker Pro because of its ability to screw standard water bottles to the bottom of the filter and because it has a cap that screws onto the bottom of the filter to keep the clean water outlet sanitary. It is possible to purchase a tube from MSR to attach to the clean water outlet to aid in filling water bottles with smaller openings. Water bottles with smaller openings will not screw onto the filter so a an extra pair of hands may be needed to fill up these style of water bottles. Most wide mouth water bottles (e.g., standard Nalgenes and the MSR Alpine Bottle) and water bladders can be screwed onto the bottom end of the filter for easy use. For a pump filter, the Miniworks is easier to use than most pump style PUR or Katadyn filters. This filter is ideal for individuals or small groups.
The filter takes about 1 minute to filter about 1 liter of water. MSR does not claim that it is effective against viruses, so if viruses are a concern, then water treatment drops should be used in conjunction with this filter. Based on my experience with the Miniworks, I have no reason to doubt these claims. MSR claims that this filter is e ffective against protozoa, bacteria, and chemicals/toxins. The Miniworks is a pump style water treatment system that has a ceramic filter with a carbon core.