In Terms of Backcountry Water Treatment, When is Water Considered Safe to Drink?

Mar 20, 2023

Brown, silty streams, tea-colored rivulets, even clear, ice-cold lakes—any backcountry water source can serve up a cocktail of contaminants. But not everything that’s present in an undeveloped water source is necessarily harmful, and only some things pose an immediate threat to your health. In fact, it’s impractical and unnecessary to remove everything, all the time. So in terms of backcountry water treatment, when is water considered safe to drink? First, what’s commonly in backcountry water? The types of contaminants that make water “dirty” depend a lot on that source’s surrounding environment. But most contaminants can be placed into these categories: Microorganisms- Simply put: tiny bugs or germs. Microbes are the primary focus of treatment devices because of their immediate and potentially serious risk to your health. The pathogenic ones include…

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Behind the Guardian Purifier’s Technology & Design

Mar 13, 2023

MSR engineers designed the Guardian purifier to be the safest and easiest way to purify water virtually anywhere on earth. Achieving such a high degree of performance required advancements in technologies and a great deal of engineering ingenuity. After six years of R&D, with expertise provided by our in-house water research lab, the result became the world’s most advanced backcountry water treatment device. The Guardian purifier is able to transform even very challenging water sources into reliable, microbiologically safe drinking water. Here’s a look at the features and technologies built into this device. Ultimate Protection Made Simple As a water purifier, the Guardian offers greater protection than a microfilter, removing not just waterborne bacteria and protozoa, but the tiniest class of waterborne pathogens: viruses. Traditionally, eliminating the threat of viruses meant…

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The Ultimate Guide to MSR Fuel

Sep 1, 2022

You’re psyched. You just bought an MSR® camp stove—the undisputed gold standard for everything from expeditions and extended road trips to casual backpacks and a weekend of family camping. In that process, you likely considered what type of fuel you wanted your new stove to use: liquid fuel or canister fuel. Now that you’ve made that primary choice, you may find yourself wondering a host of questions, from finding compatible fuel away from home to basic use tips to make the most of your stove or stove system. So, here’s a soup-to-nuts compendium of the most common questions we receive about MSR fuel to keep you going no matter where you want to be. What is MSR IsoPro™ Fuel? MSR IsoPro fuel is the magic sauce inside our fuel canisters….

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