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Ideas for prefilter for a msr miniworks?


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  • #1291877
    John Dee
    Member

    @johnd412

    Plan on getting a MSR miniworks in the next few days, I was wondering how I should go about prefiltering the water. I was looking at this thread
    http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=13654
    and I picked up some ideas.

    I also went and bought the 1 micron sized felt sock from DudaDiesel too. I was thinking take a couple ziploc bags, use one of them to scoop water from the water source, pour that over my bandana or a coffee filter into a cooking pan or pot (by putting a rubberband over the bandana or coffee filter and anchoring it to the top of the pan), then take the water from that pan and pour it through the 1 micron material into a little aquafina bottle, ( or whatever kind of bottle the miniworks will fit into… Hopefully I don't need to bring along a nalgene just to use as a waste bottle ), and then extract the water from the waste bottle through the filter.

    I might just skip one of these steps if it proves to take too long.

    Another thought is something like this
    https://dpcr19kltm61a.cloudfront.net/backpackinglight/user_uploads/1299277870_38704.jpg

    I can attach one of those metal filters you get from under the sink (obviously get some new ones from a hardware store) into the cap of a plastic bottle, cut off the bottom of the bottle, and put a bandana or coffee filter around the bottom of the bottle using a rubber band to keep it put. The thing about this is how am I going to do it with only 1 set of hands? I could pour the water through this contrapment but what is going to keep it suspended over the pot of collected prefiltered water?

    I just want to extend the life of my ceramic filter as much as I can. I think when I set up camp for night if I have time I'll do both steps I mentioned earlier.

    I'm just making this thread to see if anyone can offer suggestions to get my thinking on track here.

    I'll post some pictures of what I can come up with.. See what yall think.

    #1893969
    Seth Brewer
    BPL Member

    @whistler

    Locale: www.peaksandvalleys.weebly.com

    Don't know the specifics of why you want to go through the hassle of a multi-step pre-filter system just so that you can use a 1 lb. filter that IMHO (having owned one – and then promptly got rid of it due to it clogging so frequently) is a pain to use. I like both my Steripen Adventurer Opti with a .1 micro BioDiesel prefilter, and I like my Sawyer PointOne Squeeze filter (with AM in case of hikes in possible viral infected areas). Just my 0.02 cents worth. I'd ditch that idea of getting the Miniworks and look for something lighter and faster / easier to use. Both the Sawyer and the Steripen are right around 3.5 oz. – even bringing both would be less than half the weight of the Miniworks.

    #1893977
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    You could use just about any brand of prefilter. MSR makes the 25 micron "Siltstopper" if you want to add more weight and cost– about $20 at REI. You can buy the MSR Sweetwater prefilter that is basically a screen that stops the big chunks (75 micron).

    MYOG gear options usually lean to using a bandanna, coffee filters and so on. I made a coffee filter holder from a Seal-A-Meal bag that will sit in the top of a pot or wide mouth bottle. You can make coffee with it too if you are careful and patient. See http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=44546

    Using your cook pot is the best method I have seen for water transfer. If you are freaky about contaminating the pot, a quick flame session should do the trick. With a Steripen, I used a simple smooth-sided drinking water container like a Smart Water bottle with the top cut off so I could fill it with other gear to save space. In a perfect world it could fit around your filter or pot. I've used cut down milk jugs as sinks and a 1/2 gallon plastic jug with the top cut off would make a good water transfer container.

    +1 on the Sawyer Squeeze filter and carrying backup chemicals with any filter system. Stuff happens.

    #1894098
    Sean Rhoades
    Member

    @kingpin

    Locale: WV

    Im not familiar with the Miniworks filter, but I use two layers of pantyhose stretched over a Nalgene to keep silt out before using my Steripen. Seems to keep particles out pretty well for my use.

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