Gear Review - MSR Miox Purifier

January 24th, 2008 Wade

MSR Miox Purifier

Dwell times (how long you wait)
Viruses, bacteria — 15 min.
Giardia — 30 min.
Cryptosporidium — 4 hrs.

Weight
Pen — 3.5 oz./99 g
Kit — 8 oz./227 g

Price
Retails for $139.95

I’ve had this water filter in my possession for several months but haven’t had the opportunity to test it. I’ve finally gotten around to taking a good look at it and here’s my assessment.
The Miox wins the prize for being ultralight as far as purifiers and pumps go. It is light, just 3.5 ounces. It jams down into your pack nicely. You literally won’t know it’s there. It also provide some of the best protection you can get. It kills all viruses, bacteria, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium. The other great feature about the Miox is NO PUMPING! Now some of us love to pump water in a traditional filter pump. Oh yes, there’s nothing like spending 20 minutes hunkered by a stream until your knees seize up in that position and you can’t stand again. Then cleaning the filter when it gets clogged, and pumping some more. Okay, so we don’t love it… Well with the Miox you just put the salt in the cap along with some water, then press the button and zap it. After it’s been zapped you pour it back in your container and let it works its magic.
The downsides to the Miox are that it is dependent on batteries, and you have to wait for your water. From 15 minutes to 4 hours depending on what you’re trying to kill. And lastly, the price is quite high compared to your standard pumps.

My conclusion is that if you’re trying to kill some nasty stuff, hate pumping, trying to purify large amounts of water, or are buying for ultralight reasons, then this is your purifier.

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