Thanks very much! Looks like MSR mini is what I will purchase. By the way it is for the local Boy Scout Troop not me. That is why wanted to be sure and get a quality product. I Like my water in a can or bottle. THanks again.
instead of using iodine you could use aquamira- a chorine based additive. It works great and adds no extra taste. Only thing that sucks is you need to mix it for 5 mins before adding it to the water. One package does something like 100 gallons! I am probably making that number up but I used it all the time last summer in Nepal and never ran out of the chemicals. I also never got sick!
i've also used the katadine hiker and can only give it two thumbs down. The filters are a bitch, and the whole thing is made from cheap plastic that will break. ( I broke two handles off of mine). and it clogs all the time.
maybe its been awhile since I was in the mountians but I'm suprised no one mentioned PUR filters. I have been using one for 12yrs with no problems. Did they get worse in quality/filtration