Pump filter
16 oz.
2,000 liters
One of the few pump designs with a ceramic filter.
Heavier and pricier than the Katadyn Hiker.
Despite all the recent developments however, it’s still the MSR MiniWorks remains one of the most sought-after pumps available. In comparison with the Katadyn Hiker above, the models have the same filter pore sizes (.2 millimeters) and guard against the same types of contamination, like Giardia as well as Cryptosporidium. However, while the Katadyn is only $30 more expensive and lighter, at just 11 ounces and weighs 11 ounces, the MSR is significantly larger and has a larger life span of the filter at 22,000 milliliters (the Hiker’s filter is only 500L) and the carbon/ceramic structure that is easy to clean at the field. Overall it’s an excellent filter from one the largest and most reliable brands of water filtering.
However, we’ve got the MSR MiniWorks in this list due to our in-the-field experience. We found the machine to be inefficient from the beginning (it lists a pump speed as 1L/min. We didn’t notice that). In addition, our pump ended up being unusable by the middle of the Utah hiking trip. The water was cloudy, but it’s no reason to expect a pump to fail just two days after removing it from the box. The majority of user reviews are favorable and we’re anticipating getting another MiniWorks to test further however we’ll go with the lighter cost and weight of Katadyn.
