In another recent post about water filters butthead mentioned that he used the MSR Trail Shot and (as he often does) he included a link which I followed.

The MSR Trail Shot has me intrigued! I'm normally a solo paddler and it looks like just the thing at only 5 ounces. Has anyone else had experience with it? Butthead, can you add anything more to this discussion?

As always, thanks!

Dave

Light and simple, can be backflushed, pumping by hand is not tiring or difficult.
Makes a real good gravity set. Filtered a gallon in 3 minutes (gravity feed), in my first try at home.


butthead

Have you used a Sawyer Mini?

Wondering if the msr is faster.

Butthead, this is way off topic but I have to ask. How do you keep your garage so clean and organized? You could eat off of any surface in that place! Every time you post a picture I'm envious. I'll guess that you don't have kids that live at home.

quote Northwoodsman: "Butthead, this is way off topic but I have to ask. How do you keep your garage so clean and organized? You could eat off of any surface in that place! Every time you post a picture I'm envious. I'll guess that you don't have kids that live at home."

Retired and a semi compulsive. I clean and put stuff away to use again, possibly in a few days.

MrBE, yes own one and the Trailshot is faster just anyway it is used. Yes 2x the cost but it's a pump filter AND gravity.

butthead

quote butthead: "Light and simple, can be backflushed, pumping by hand is not tiring or difficult.
Makes a real good gravity set. Filtered a gallon in 3 minutes (gravity feed), in my first try at home.



butthead"

Thanks Ken, now I'm out $49!

Dave

Butthead-

How long do you think the filter will perform with speed under conditions in the Q? I was excited about it, due to the reported ease and speed, but then I checked the specs of my MSR Mini-works, also supposed to be able to pump a liter a minute. On my last trip I was lucky to get a liter in five minutes (yes I scrubbed the filter element etc- the unit is barely used a total of two or three trips)- not to mention the degree of hassle involved in getting the flow started (I only filter water drawn far from shore). I found it a pain in the ass to use and it requires a frustrating level of fiddling.

I usually go without filter or treating, but when there is constant rain and water running off the landscape the chance of contamination is too high to use my slack methods.

Have no long term use yet. Trailshot compares better with the Hyperflow and Guardian filter (hollow tube, very similar cartridge design), than the MiniWorks (ceramic filter).
The pump of the Trailshot ensures starting a gravity flow easily. 3 to 4 minutes for a full gallon tested repeatably at home. My past experience with hollow fiber filters has been very good.
I need more field time to try sources of standing water vs flow rates.

butthead

PS: Just had my last checkup after hernia surgery with the go ahead for tripping. Will post extended review. bh

Thanks. Great to hear that you're cleared for tripping.

Gol darn it, Ken! Now I probably NEED a trail shot! Tell me about the green bag attached for gravity flow. Is that a Ken creation?

quote Frenchy19: "Gol darn it, Ken! Now I probably NEED a trail shot! Tell me about the green bag attached for gravity flow. Is that a Ken creation?"

The bag is a gift from Grandma L, holds at least a gallon. Fittings and tubing I added. I bought the Trailshot for use on long hikes/backpacking, size weight and ease of use. It easily adapts to canoe based tripping.

butthead

quote butthead: "

quote Frenchy19: "Gol darn it, Ken! Now I probably NEED a trail shot! Tell me about the green bag attached for gravity flow. Is that a Ken creation?"

The bag is a gift from Grandma L, holds at least a gallon. Fittings and tubing I added. I bought the Trailshot for use on long hikes/backpacking, size weight and ease of use. It easily adapts to canoe based tripping.


butthead"

Thanks, Ken. I have an MSR gravity flow, and I love it. Small, compact and easy to use.

I know this is an older post, so I'm hoping Butthead sees this, but I'm confused about using the trailshot as a gravity filter. One of the commenters seemed to imply you still had to pump. I love the idea of a gravity filter that you can pump if you want to move things along or let sit if you're lazy. Does the Trailshot work this way?

It will flow with just gravity, and quickly at that. Just pumping will start it up faster (I believe I timed filling a gallon jug in less than 4 minutes, but I do use extra long tubing to increase head pressure at the filter inlet). It can be back-flushed in the field. I know MSR only mentions shaking but it can easily be cleaned. MSR has come out with a Trail Base Gravity combo. It is a Trail Shot with all added connections and bags for a gravity system and yeah I do have this also. To back-flush I remove the one way valve in the dirty tube and just squeeze the clean bag back thru the filter for a back-flush (assume you have clean water in the clean bag).
Both have replaced my First Need and Sawyer for field use and still filtering fine.

butthead

butthead: "It will flow with just gravity, and quickly at that. Just pumping will start it up faster (I believe I timed filling a gallon jug in less than 4 minutes, but I do use extra long tubing to increase head pressure at the filter inlet). It can be back-flushed in the field. I know MSR only mentions shaking but it can easily be cleaned. MSR has come out with a Trail Base Gravity combo. It is a Trail Shot with all added connections and bags for a gravity system and yeah I do have this also. To back-flush I remove the one way valve in the dirty tube and just squeeze the clean bag back thru the filter for a back-flush (assume you have clean water in the clean bag).
Both have replaced my First Need and Sawyer for field use and still filtering fine.


butthead"

Perfect; thanks for clearing that up AND answering my follow-up question about how to backflush BEFORE I even asked it.

Chuckles< it is a hollow fiber filter just like a Sawyer and several MSR filters, I saw no reason not to back flush. Now I know that works!

butthead