Keep Your Insides Clean

Q. Just how good are the water filters/purifiers marketed these days? I was going to purchase one for backpacking, but also thought it might be a good idea to carry one along on my longer bike rides (mountain and road). I ride in light urban, suburban and rural (e.g., dairy farms) areas. Will the filters really turn nasty-looking or maybe polluted water into the drinkable stuff? Any recommendations? I was looking at the PUR Hiker. Paul Hudy

Gear Guy: They all work pretty well, Paul, although they vary in terms of ease of use, maintainability and their resistance to clogging. In an emergency, using one in the woods isn’t that big of a deal. If you pick up some giardia, so what? But as you say, for your suburban/rural rides it would be nice to have some extra insurance.

Which filter, though? I’m partial to MSR’s; I think they work well, are rugged, and easy to clean and maintain. Plus, although they are a bit hard to pump, that’s because they’re doing more filtering than some of their competitors. The MSR Miniworks ($59) is the model I currently carry. But the PUR Hiker is 10 bucks less and recently bested the Miniworks after a pretty rugged bout of field testing conducted by another magazine. xxxx