American Bushman

"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing." —Benjamin Franklin

Friday, December 28, 2007

MSR Miox

While killing time yesterday between the dentist and a trip to McDonald's for the kids (I know...) we stopped at Dick's Sporting Goods just to wander a bit.

I found a table of discounted merchandise which included the MSR Miox Purifier at a substantial discount.

Having sold off my water filter last year I was in need of a new option and I'd always been interested in playing with this technology which is in use on a much grander scale in some municipal water treatment facilities. I just couldn't resist and had to have it.

Once I got home I pulled the contents of the box out onto the counter and examined the instructions. Impressive, the instructions are printed in about 10 different languages. Good to know that I can reduce the overall size of the package immediately. There is the Miox purifier, a container of test strips, and a bag of rock salt stuffed into a mesh MSR bag.

The whole kit must only weigh half a pound. Pretty impressive considering the volume of water it will purify.

Operation of this unit couldn't be much easier. You add salt to the "salt chamber," an aptly named piece, and then wet it with some of the water you're going to purify. Unscrew the salt chamber and add water to the base of the unit. It only takes a few drops. Screw on the cap and give the whole unit a shake or three. Remove the cap again and press the button--once for 1/2L up to 4 times for 2L of water. Keep the unit clear of your face and eyes as the Miox process creates a chemical that is bad for your eyes. Once the unit is done processing you simply pour the liquid into your water, give it a shake, and wait the appropriate amount of time.

You can use the test strips to determine whether or not you need an additional dose of Miox also.

I can't wait to get this out into the woods for a more thorough test. We'll see how it does on that stream water.

Thanks for reading,


B

2 Comments:

At 5:53 PM, Blogger Mungo said...

I like MSR's instructions:

How to use it: Add a little water, shake, push button, wait a few seconds, pour into water bottle. It doesn't get much easier than this

How long does it take: About 30 seconds from the time you pull the Miox out of your pack to the time you add the cocktail to your water bottle.

This link has some good info on it too!

Am very interested in your experience with it, as I would like to get one, but am waiting before I spend that much money. I normally boil my water, but that isn't always the most practical thing to do...

Cheers,

Mungo

 
At 9:02 PM, Blogger American Bushman said...

Mungo,

So far so good with the Miox. It really is just that simple.

I suspect I could have purified water underway in less than 30 seconds if I really tried.

I am also a boiler. Reliance on a battery-operated device seems foolish as it's really only as good as the batteries. However, this little device may well change my tune a bit.

Over the next couple of months I will be trying to consume as much "wild" water as I can find that doesn't reek of chemicals. If it's really sketchy I may still boil it as getting sick really isn't very high on my list of priorities.

The UV purifiers are also an interesting approach to water treatment. They don't add much weight to your pack and, as they fit down inside a Nalgene, add nothing to the volume.

Thanks for your comment,


B

 

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