DG

The Katadyn Pocket filter is very solid and I'm confident it will give me years of good use (probably a lifetime). After about 50 liters it became quite hard to pump, even though the water seemed pretty low in sediment. This was a noticeably sooner than other filters I've used (especially the far-cheaper PUR Hiker). Also, the filter does not appear to have all the parts described in the directions (notably the cleaning brush --- only brillo-type pads were included). I fear that the absence of the brush may have led me to clean slightly more aggressively than is optimal, scratching the ceramic element in a few places.

The Marmot Sawtooth extrawide bags are very comfortable--my wife, 10 month old son, and I slept in a zipped-together pair. My only complaint is that the Sierras were too hot for them this summer, so I had to leave them open on top.

The Wide-mouth Lexan Nalgene bottles are even better than the softer-plastic wide-mouth Nalgenes I've used on past hiking trips. They're very simple, but they're definite winners (for supplementing a hydration system, of course).