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MSR
MiniWorks Ex Water Filter

4.198863636363637 out of 5 stars
176 Reviews
$119.95
Color:One Color

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MiniWorks Ex Water Filter

Filter your water year after year with the MSR MiniWorks Ex Water Filter. Clean this lightweight, compact filter back to like-new condition, without any disassembly tools. The MiniWorks' ceramic element ensures long-lasting protection against bacteria, protozoa (including crypto and giardia), and particulate, and the carbon core removes yucky tastes. MSR's little wonder (7.5 x 2.75in) can filter up to 1 liter per minute. As a bonus, the MiniWorks Ex Water Filter screws onto a standard Nalgene bottle or any MSR dromedary bag.


Details

  • MSR's best-selling micrfilter known by backpackers for longevity
  • Marathon EX carbon/ceramic element ensures clean, tasty water
  • AirSpring Accumulator delivers one liter of water per minute
  • Field cleanable without any tools
  • Includes filter, hoses, stuff sack, hose float, scrub pad, and instructions
  • Made in the USA of US and imported materials
  • Item #CAS0479
Purifying Element
Marathon EX (carbon/ceramic)
Eliminates
particulate, bacteria (99.9999%), protozoa (99.9%), chemicals, toxins
Filter
Marathon EX (carbon/ceramic)
Pore Size
0.2microns
Cartridge Life
~2000L
Action
AirSpring Accumulator (pump)
Flow
1L/min
Field Cleanable
yes
Includes
filter, hoses, stuff sack, hose float, scrub pad
Dimensions
2.75in x 7.5in
Claimed Weight
1lb
Activity
backpacking, camping, paddling trips
Manufacturer Warranty
limited 3 years

Overall Rating

4 based on 176 ratings

Review Summary

1 Stars - 20 reviews
2 Stars - 5 reviews
3 Stars - 6 reviews
4 Stars - 34 reviews
5 Stars - 111 reviews

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5 out of 5 stars

November 6, 2023

20 YEARS LATER!!!

I bought this product in 2004 to hike part of the Appalachian Trail. Now older with young kids that want to camp I pull this thing out (always cleaned and dried after previous uses) and it worked flawlessly. No one is sick, water tasted great, and I’m glad to see this product still on the market!

Mark J.
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

5 out of 5 stars

August 15, 2023

Algonquin Park

Its light, packable, fits wide mouth Nalgene bottles. Worked great for 6 day trip into the interior. No issues just clean water. I recommend this product. FYI purchase and prepare a backup filter just in case.

Kevin (.
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

1 out of 5 stars

August 2, 2023

Dissapointed

As many others here have written, this filter worked fine for the first couple of times that I used it, however it seems that the filter is clogging very quickly even when filtering clear river or lake water only. The pressure builds in the canister so much that you are just pumping water back out of the hose, or the system seems to fail and will not pump up any water through the hose at all. Took almost 20 minutes to pump 1/5 litre of water! This filter failed me in the middle of a backcountry trip this week and I had to boil water the rest of the trip. This is very disappointing and frankly dangerous to bring as a source for clean water! Do not recommend and I would appreciate MSR refunding my purchase.

Amy C.
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

4 out of 5 stars

July 17, 2023

Great Product

Worked great once I was shipped the missing hinge. Excellent customer service

Steven W.
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

2 out of 5 stars

June 10, 2023

Unhappy with product

I have had 3 MSR mini-ex water filters in the last 15 years. My first filter- I used perhaps for 15 trips. I didn't have much issue with my first one- I figured it might be safer to get a replacement since I didn't remember how effectively I kept the filter clean while in college :). It was getting old and didn't seem to be filtering as effectively, my wife bought me a new one about 4 years ago. My second filter the pump (just 4 years old) The plastic piece that holds the handle to the piston just fell off (and I couldn't find it) in the middle of the trip. I never got around to trying to find a new piece and just ended up buying a new filter because the first MSR filter worked fine. I figured perhaps it was my fault- maybe I bumped it against something? I still have this 2nd filter because I figured then I had replacement parts if needed for the future I then bought ANOTHER filter just last year. I used it only twice in northern MN, in very clean (at least to the eye) water source. I honestly have probably only pumped 15 L through the thing. I used in a lake that was crystal clear. The middle of the trip the filter stopped pumping water through. It took me an hour to pump a nalgene. I tried to clean the line/look at the filter but couldn't identify the problem. I'm really frustrated with the product. Both of them let me down in the middle of trips. I still have both filters but not sure I can trust these moving forward. I have followed everything to a T on the instructions the last two filters I have had. Fortunately I brought a back up Sawyer this last trip. I almost never leave a bad review on anything- very frustrating though to be on trips twice and have them break. I am not an avid backpacker- I use the pump maybe 1-2 times a year. I would be interested to hear response from MSR about possible warranty coverage for my concerns?

Steve
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

2 out of 5 stars

May 9, 2023

Don't waste your money.

I purchased this filter in 2021 and used in on three weekend trips. On the first trip it worked flawlessly. On the second trip is was a pain but it provided adequate water for our group. On the third trip we couldn't fill a single nalgene bottle. All of the maintenance was done pre and post trips and we always used clear lake water off shore. I used this style of pump filter for years as a kid, they should bring the older models back.

PatD
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

5 out of 5 stars

May 2, 2023

this is a back up

this is a back up for a unit that I have been using for over 15 years straight to filter all of my water, the original is still going strong but now I have a back up too, its a great product and you can bet your life on it.

william f.
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

4 out of 5 stars

April 8, 2023

Well made and effective

Had mine for 20 years. Great product. Cons- Unless water is fairly clear, you can find yourself removing the cartridge and scouring the surface clean every 2lts. Pros - easily maintained and well made, better that than something with a faster flow rate that eventually slows and you can't do anything about it in the field.

Lee
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

5 out of 5 stars

December 26, 2022

Amazing filter

Hi. I've had this for over 5 years. It has worked amazingly well for me on my extended outdoor adventures. Recently, while cleaning it out I had a bit of an accident-i lost the small plastic ball that's at the top of the filter to prevent the backflow of water.

JobJ
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site

1 out of 5 stars

November 23, 2022

Complete failure

I purchased this pump for a 14 day backcountry elk hunt. The shear size of the pump almost completely deterred me, but I figured for the price and the usual MSR quality, I thought this was going to make everything just a little easier on my small group when it comes to getting water. Unfortunately, it became easily clogged on the first attempt in a clear stream. Even after cleaning (per the instructions) it never got any better. After three separate attempts, this pump stayed back at base camp for the remainder of the trip. Luckily I had my backup MSR trailshot and steripen, or things could have went bad.

Sam P.
a Cascade Designs brand site

Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site