Just a note for those of you that have the MSR Sweetwater Microfilter or are maybe still finding it in a store near you: I noticed on the website below that it has been discontinued.

OutdoorGearLab MSR Sweetwater

I called MSR's customer service to inquire and was told it is true. They plan to keep producing replacement filters (as well as the optional siltstopper filters) for about 2 years, although that certainly is no guarantee. So if you are like me and this is your primary hand pump water filter, keep an eye on prices and inventory to make sure you have enough supply at home to meet your tripping needs when the replacement filters eventually disappear.. If you are in the market for a filter, go with something newer.

Good to know. That used to be our only filter, but a couple years ago we switched to a gravity filter. We still have the sweetwater as backup, with one extra filter. Thanks for the info.

Noticed that the other day myself, guess I'll order a replacement filter while I still can.

I have this filter and it worked good when I used it. I parted the hose from this filter to make a gravity bag filter and will not look back. I can filter so much more water 10000 gallons with my Sawyer filter than with this MSR filter. I can also back flush my Sawyer filter where I can’t with the MSR filter.

4keys: "Good to know. That used to be our only filter, but a couple years ago we switched to a gravity filter. We still have the sweetwater as backup, with one extra filter. Thanks for the info.
"

Me too, but my MSR Autoflow isn't very convenient while in transit sitting in my canoe. I'm actually thinking about picking up MSR TrailShot as a way of having the best of both worlds. And the TrailShot is the same price as a replacement filter for my SweetWater.

eagle98mn: "

4keys: "Good to know. That used to be our only filter, but a couple years ago we switched to a gravity filter. We still have the sweetwater as backup, with one extra filter. Thanks for the info.
"

Me too, but my MSR Autoflow isn't very convenient while in transit sitting in my canoe. I'm actually thinking about picking up MSR TrailShot as a way of having the best of both worlds. And the TrailShot is the same price as a replacement filter for my SweetWater."

Less expensive than a trail shot...Sawyer Water Filter Bottle

Frenchy19: "Less expensive than a trail shot...Sawyer Water Filter Bottle "

That's a cool water bottle at a good price! It would be perfect if I was a solo-tripper or all of my buddies had their own filters.

However, I'm not sure how I would use that to fill a trip-mate's bottle? For only $13 more, the Trail Shot will solve my in-canoe pumping needs created by eventually losing the use of my SweetWater. It will also double as a gravity filter when attached to my AutoFlow for my thirsty trip-mates around camp. I like the all-in-one nature of this plan.

That was my first filter. I'd always boiled or treated before I bought one sometime around 2011ish.

I went to a sawyer squeeze in 2013 and then bought a platy for my first BWCA trip in 2015. I've never looked back.

I carried the Sweetwater, the cleaning brush, a couple of coffee filters to prefilter the silt, and had to clean it every day. When the handle broke on a trip, I decided that I would go back to boiling and chem treatment. Thank goodness I found out about Sawyer. No more aquamira or iodine for me.