BowCast Blog

Gear Review- MSR Hyperflow

I will be doing a number of gear reviews in my blog and this one covers the MSR Hyperflow water filter.  I will be posting a few more gear reviews in the coming months as I evaluate some of the new gear I used this season. 

Growing up I was introduced to backpacking at a young age.  We would filter our water from the alpine lakes for cooking but drink straight from the mountain springs and small streams.  I never once got sick and up until this year I have never carried a water filter on a backcountry hunt.  I hunt near streams or springs that have a very low risk of containing harmful amounts of protozoa, bacteria, and viruses; however, it only takes one bad water source and I could have gotten sick from any of these disease-causing microorganisms.  I consider myself lucky that I have never gotten sick.  Weight and space were also a factor as I didn't want to pack the extra weight of my backpacking water filter, the MSR Miniworks EX, and I always carried backup iodine water tablets in my hunting pack.

This year I started hunting some new areas and I didn't want to worry about the water quality or where I would have to get it from.  I knew MSR was coming out with a new lightweight filter so I waited until they hit the shelf and purchased one after looking it over in the store and talking to the sales representative who had used one.  I discussed with him the concerns I had of clogging and durability which were the main complaints I had been reading about online and he reassured me that I would have no problems.

My first weekend of archery season this year was a 3 day solo bivy hunt where I put the Hyperflow to the test to see if it truly deserved a place in my Badlands.  I evaluated it on size and weight, ease of use, flow rate, and clogging.  I will discuss each of these factors and rate them on a scale of 1-10.

This filter is light on the scale and I gave it a 9 on size and weight.  This filter is the size of a small bike pump at 7 x 3.5 inches and weighs only 7.4 ounces!  I found it to be very easy to pack in the little pouch provided and it was not an item that took up unnecessary space in my Badlands.  This is one of the biggest benefits as size and ounces are critical when trying to keep your pack under 35 pounds for a 3 day hunt like I was.  To keep the weight down more I eliminated the velcro straps on top of the pre-filter and don't pack the quick connect bottle adapter.  After using this filter on a few hunts I don't ever think the Miniworks EX will hit the trail again as it is 16 ounces.

To use this filter is quick and painless so I pumped out a 9.5 on ease of use.  There is a clean side cover for the outlet spout which is to protect the spout from contamination.  After quickly removing the cover, you can either use the quick connect bottle adapter or pump right into your hydration bag like I did.  Then simply place the pre-filter into the cleanest water available and start pumping like you would with a bike pump. 

Clean side outlet is what I am holding in my hand.

I used a two inch piece of the tubing and the Camelback Hydrolink filter adapter which allows you to quickly remove your bite valve and connect the filter.  After bleeding the line, I could simply pump my hydration bag full without the hassle of unpacking and then repacking.  Since my hydration bag is one of the heaviest items in my pack I keep it against my back and in the main compartment.  Before I had this filter, I had to unpack everything that was organized around my hydration bag, pull it completely out of my pack, and then try to fill it up in a spring or creek without filling it full of pine needles and leaves from the brush or water.  Now I simply attach the filter to my hydration line, keep my backpack on, fill it up to the desired level, reattach the bite valve, and continue hunting.

If you don't have a filter adapter then you can also use the quick connect bottle adapter.  This connects to the filter on the clean side and screws on most hydration bags or Nalgene type water bottles.

This filter doesn't drip it rips so I gave it a 9.5 in flow rate.  It comes with a pre-filter that floats on the water and has a large amount of surface area that provides an ample water supply.  This is evident by the approximate 20 strokes per liter giving it an approximate 3 liter per minute flow rate.  I would count my pumps so that I could estimate how much water I had transported to my hydration bag and know when to stop.  In comparison the Miniworks EX has a 1 liter per minute flow rate, a substantial difference.  This pre-filter will stop the larger debris from clogging the main hollow fiber filter and, just as manufactures always advise, I would try to place it in the cleanest water available to maximize the life of the filter.

One thing I did was to remove the velcro straps that are on top of the pre-filter as I didn't see a need for them and they kept it from sitting flat on the water which is important so you don't suck in air while filtering.  The only issue I had while filtering the first few times was that I would occasionally pull the pre-filter off the water and suck in a little air.  To keep from doing this I would put it in a calmer portion of the creek so it wouldn't float away and then tilt up at an angle because it was at the end of its line.  Also I moved the part of the pump with my hydration line and kept the inflow line as steady as possible. 

I haven't had this filter clog or slow down once so I gave it a 9.  I didn't give it a 10 because I'm sure I could have clogged it in some of the muddy waters of the elk wallows I saw this year but I don't know anyone who would filter water from a mud bath pit.  Also the water that I filter from is usually very clean and clear so I'm sure there are some areas that have murky water with lots of sand or silt that could cause a clog or reduction in flow for this or any other filter.  I have never had any issues with a clogged filter and I always try to find the cleanest water source to prevent these types of issues.  If the filter does clog there is a quick backflush process that should clear it.  To maintain the filter and flow MSR recommends backflushing every 8 liters.  Pick your puddles wisely if you have to use them as a last resort.

The Hyperflow retails for around $100 and is effective against protozoa and bacteria.  It will not filter out taste like a ceramic filter will, such as the Miniworks EX, or chemicals/toxins.  In the areas I hunt the water tastes great but if this is a concern just take a pack of Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover to mix in and this filter will work great for you.  Overall I found this to be a perfect backcountry hunting filter that I will now be carrying in my pack until something new comes out that tops its effectiveness and size.  For more information go to http://www.msrgear.com/watertreatment/hyperflow.asp and learn more about this product.