OT: Water Filtration Recommendations?

Can anyone recommend a good and compact system that will not break the bank? How are the ones made by MSR? I have a multi-day camping trip coming up and I want to carry as light in food and water as I can.

Also, does anyone have any recommendations on dry packed food options? I have a Jetboil and was hoping to just eat those for the most part.

Thanks in advance!

For the ultimate in lightweight, try the Aquamira purification tablets. Not as fast as filters, but sure is a lightweight solution! Got me through a summer of ounce-conscious packing. Great for the clean Rocky Mountain streams.

I like mountain house meals, if I pack a jetboil. Tasty stuff.

Jesse, interesting, I have not checked that option. How long do the tablets take? Do they affect the taste of the water much? Thanks for the advice on the meals.

It takes about 15 minutes, if I remember correctly. After taste wasn't an issue. Works well for our fairly clean streams. 15 minutes of sitting/waiting for water never was an issue for me. An acceptable trade-off for one less bulky thing to pack.

Awesome, thank you!

The MSR micro filter is terrible... mine didn't even make it through one trip before becoming clogged. The Katadine (formerly Pur) Hiker Pro has been a standard for years... great filter, not too heavy, but not super light either. But usually in Colorado where the streams are generally clean to begin with I use a SteriPEN, which is a UV stick that zaps the bacteria to death. It's very light and compact; with spare batteries it's still much lighter than most any filter would be. I bought it in New Zealand; maybe you can find it online.

I use an old Pur Hiker. It's worked great. I have the Aquamira tablets, but have never used them.

I've eaten a lot of Mountain House food, and have been pretty impressed. I generally try to just boil water for my backpacking meals, and those are great. I also usually have oatmeal for breakfast, and some of that powdered apple cider. Easy to make, and a super-easy cleanup. I eat the Mountain House right out of the package, and breakfast just out of a cup. So, I only have to clean a cup and a spoon.

Jack, I have never even heard of those SteriPEN devices. I found them on Amazon and they seem to get good reviews and may be a good option here in Colorado, as you say there are plenty of clean streams for water. Might rely on that and boiling water in my Jetboil for a complete solution!

I use the Katadyn Hiker - reliable, fast, easy to use, and not too heavy (about 10 ounces, I think). It is on sale at REI for $45. When replacing a difficult to use MSR ceramic filter, I did a lot of research on the SteriPen and saw a lot of negative reviews on REI's website. There were quite a few reports of it being unreliable on longer trips.

In terms of meal options, I agree that Mountain House products are a good option. I also like many of the Indian meals in the Backcountry Pantry line-up (chana masala, for example), plus most of the Italian options. I might actually eat the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff at home and I rarely eat beef, let alone freeze-dried beef - it is pretty yummy at the end of a long day. Some of my favorites to take along: the Laughing Cow cheese wedges, oatmeal packets, chocolate-flavored rice cakes and peanut butter, and Chomps brand energy chews from REI (berry flavor, I believe.

Have fun!

I've got a Katadyn Hiker as well, although I have to admit I haven't used it in three years...I think I'm pushing my luck though with the unfiltered water, its just so easy and nice to drink straight from the creeks.....

Personally I can't stomach Mountain house meals any longer, I think I'd rather just eat Ramen.

I also have Katadyn and it worked amazingly purifying spring water from a silt ladden inflow into Paria River, I never had to worry about clogging on a 4 day trip.

I'm with Jeremy on the Mountain House, it kills my stomach. But it might work for you. If so, make sure you read the calorie count per bag. I was splitting the meals that are supposed to feed two with my husband after 14 miles of backpacking per day and we were far from full (I could have eaten the entire thing myself). Next day we cooked another feeds 2 pack and a cup of easy mac and that was almost enough.

Thank you all for the great feedback!

By the way, Koveh, if you are just going to be eating dried meals (which I usually do) and only need boiling water for that, you can save a lot of weight by using a cat-food-can stove with denatured alcohol. See here: http://www.andrewskurka.com/advice/technique/fancyfeaststove.php It's great... my only suggestion is to use a large size cat food can, which balances the pot better and provides a longer flame.

RE: Sarah: I've used the SteriPEN for several years on a LOT of backpacking trips... so far so good. (Knock on wood...) But if you're somewhere with more stagnant/dirtier water, like in the Utah canyons, a filter is definitely better.

Jack, you are knowledgeable as you are a great photographer. Thank you for the great info.

I've used a Sweetwater Guardian in the past with great results. It pumps water faster than most filter systems. I also have a SteriPen but haven't had a chance to use it yet. I would definitely filter the water with a coffee filter before using it to get rid of particulate matter that may interfere with the light.

I've had an MSR Sweetwater for many years. It pumps fast with little effort and since a Nalgene threads to the filter, its easy to work.

Keep in mind that to purify water by boiling, you need more than just boiling. You need a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Our water may appear clean and it contains few sediments, but Giardia can be found in all water in this state.

As for meals, the Alpine Aire meals I've eaten in the past are far better than any I've had from Mountainhouse or Backpacker's Pantry. Mountain House is OK, but everything I've ever tried from Backpacker's Pantry has been awful. Keep in mind that there are light alternatives too. Ramen + a small can or packet of chicken is good for backpacking. You can add a can of chicken to wild rice cooked with bouillon or a seasoning packet.

I use the Steri-pen, but on this last trip my batteries died and I had brought the wrong spares with me. I was definitely wishing I had the tablets Jesse mentioned as backup. They were sitting on the table at home. In the end I decided that risking giardia was better than dehydration.