MSR SweetWater Microfilter Water Filter

We have two of these and have been very pleased with them. The fact they draw water in each direction makes the pumping/filtering go fast. Clean up is simple for the most part, but like other filters it depends on the water quality and the number of people you are filtering for on your trip.

I have had two of these. I really liked how quickly the water could be pumped (as long as the filter was clean). That was my favorite aspect. MUCH faster than some other filters I've seen. On occasion the filter would require field cleaning with a brush in order to be able to pump without water squirting out of the unit. Never worried about quality of water and never had any issues in that regard. It is pretty typical in needing to manage the two hoses, not better or worse than other filters from what I could tell.


I would still use this if I were paddling somewhere without clear water (Zumbro River? etc.), but have switched to a SteriPen which works better for where I usually paddle up north.

I've been using this ever since it was the Sweetwater filter back in the 80's. MSR purchased Sweetwater quite a while ago, and replaced mine under the lifetime warranty back in 2005 or so. It's lightweight, pumps water reasonably fast, easy to clean in the field, and will be replaced for free if anything goes wrong, forever. Hard to find any fault with that.


I use a SiltStopper with mine, which greatly extends the life of the cartridges. I highly recommend the combination of the two to anyone. Even though it's recommended to replace the Siltstopper filters, I've cleaned it a few times in the field which is easy enough and works well.