MSR MIOX Purifier w/ Batteries - 2008 BCS

Straining does not take out parasites.

All the answer is hear:
http://media.cascadedesigns.com/pdf/msr_miox_manual_en.pdf

Tried both the MIOX and Steri-pen systems. I prefer the Steri-pen from the "time" standpoint. It can do in 2 minutes what the MIOX takes 4 hours to do, chryptosporidium and all.

Hopefully this will help. The MIOX stands for Mixed Oxidants and is essentially a very small chemical factory you hold in your hand. The chemical it produces (using salt, water, and electricity) is incredibly effective in killing, rendering ineffective, and disabling protozoa, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and even bad tastes in the water. It is safe to make, treats the container the chemical is put in, and can even be used as a topical agent for irrigating wounds!

The process is done by, first, unscrewing the cap, filling up the tiny chamber on the unit (not the lid) with water (making sure there is enough salt, any kind of salt, in the lid), screwing the cap back on, shaking the unit thus mixing the salt and water, removing the cap again, pushing the button on the side which is determined by the amount of water needing to be treated, waiting until the water stops fizzing, and, once it's stopped, dumping the contents into the water container. Next you let it sit for about 20 minutes (for everything except chryptospiridium) or 4 hours for chrypto. It is really one of the easiest, safest ways of treating water in the backcountry.

It basically uses chemical reaction between salt and electricity to kill bad stuff...
Take a look at MSR FAQ's about MIOX to see all the details about treating more that 4L of water at a time etc.
http://www.cascadedesigns.com/MSR/FAQ/Water-Treatment-and-Hydration

Tucked inside the battery compartment there should be a white sticker with its serial. Those with numbers starting with a 1 are current and compatible with rechargeables, those with numbers starting with a 0 or older and are NOT.

Nope, older models won't work with rechargeables.

No its not, It is probably 2006 or so, so your sure I can't use mine with rechargables?

If it’s a MIOX manufactured after ~ Mar 2009 (the serial number will have 6 digits and start with a 1) it is compatible with rechargeable CR123s.

So yes, if you are ordering it now, those will work no problem.

Since the MIOX does kill bacteria (http://www.cascadedesigns.com/MSR/FAQ/Water-Treatment-and-Hydration) and leptospirosis is caused by Leptospira bacteria, the MIOX should prevent leptospirosis.

these are made In the usa their factory is in Albuquerque New Mexico
These were made and used for our military for many years before being introduced for civilian use. The company also makes large water disinfection systems for public utility use. (the water you drink from the tap in your city)

The Miox is made in the U.S.A. but most likely from components manufactured all over the world.

They are used for public water disinfection all over the country . The large units they make dissinfect millions of gallons of water a day piped to homes in small to major cities all over the usa and the world. I know because I install them. :)
If you live in new mexico your water is more than likely purified by a large miox system

I would say that depends on the person, I know people who have lived in the NW for years and never contract giardia because they have developed a stronger tolerance after many years of drinking stream water. That being said, here is some info that may help, found this a while back and dug it out of my delicious bookmark collection.

Follow the link for more information, testimonials, etc.
http://www.miox.com/miox-solutions/The-MIOX-Advantage-safety.aspx

Here is some text i pulled from the site.
"In contrast to alternative disinfection methods, the safe on-site generation of hypochlorite uses only salt, water, and power as feedstocks. Neither the salt nor the hypochlorite produced is classified as hazardous by the regulatory agencies. The concentration of the generated chlorine solution is below the Hazardous Communications Standard (HCS) safety threshold limit of 1 percent. Although hydrogen gas is evolved from the electrolytic process of on-site generation, automatic venting designs or air dilution systems safely vent this gas to the atmosphere. On-site generation has an excellent safety record, with more than 4,000 units, from a variety of manufacturers, installed worldwide. "

Fifteen minutes are required to eliminate viruses & bacteria, thirty minutes for giardia, & yes four hours for cryptosporidium. This system works best for larger amounts of suspect water.

Two main things: cost of tablets over time will be much more than the MIOX system. Also taste, I think the taste is much better than tablets and liquid mixes. There is a chlorine after taste but it is mild.

There are a number of things better and some that are not as good. First the better... One of the things about chemicals is the fresher they are, the more potent they are. Because the user is creating the chemical on the spot he/she will have a far more potent chemical than one contained in a pill because of the radical oxidants that linger after it's created. The pill also has a shelf life (about 5 years in it's package). This is never a concern with the MIOX Purifier. MIOX is also a liquid which is more easily dissipated or dissolved in the water than a pill. The chemical produced by the MIOX (MIOX stands for Mixed Oxidants which include carbon dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorus acid, etc.) is more effective in ridding it of pathogens and pesticides than the pill which only contains carbon dioxide or iodine. The MIOX solution is also much safer. If, for instance, you where to digest the pill, it would make you pretty sick (think kids). It can also burn your skin if it's wet and exposed to the pill directly. MIOX can be consumed without much adverse effect and it can be exposed to skin without burning. MIOX can also be used to disinfect wounds, clean contaminated vegetables (often found in third world country street markets), adds an anti-microbial coating to the inside of the water container which it treats along with the water, and is as effective, and in certain conditions, more effective, in killing Giardia and Chryptosporidium (much more than idodine). The pill can only treat water. The above reasons make it more versatile than even a pump filter. It has approximately the same dwell time as a carbon dioxide pill as well (app. 30 minutes for Giardia, bacteria, virus', and 4 hours for crypto). MIOX can be used for large quantities of water where a pill is only made for solo use. The MIOX is the only chemical treatment available which can be tested to make sure there is enough chemical added to the water using the included chlorine strips. Over time, MIOX is far less expensive than any other type of water treatment available.

Disadvantages include size and weight (pills are much lighter and smaller than the MIOX Purifier). However, you can produce enough chemical to put into a small vial which will last about 9 days if you don't want to take the unit itself (the unit only weighs 3.5 ounces). Pills are less complicated to use in that you only need to drop one in a liter of water. The MIOX does take a little more effort, but it is fool-proof to operate. There is little to go wrong with a pill whereas the MIOX is an electronic piece of equipment. However, you must be sure the pill is not too old.

That should give you some things to consider. I personally use the MIOX and found it to be very reliable and easy to use. I have never gotten sick even though I've treated some pretty disgusting water! I have total faith that it works.