MSR Trailshot..... interesting....

Joined
May 24, 2016
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Southern CO
I ordered a Trailshot and it should be arriving this week. I'll hopefully get a chance to take it out this weekend and I'll update with my initial findings
 

Lawnboi

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Mar 2, 2012
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North Central Wi
Looks good for what it is. Looks like it would work well in an area where a bottle is all you need.

I'd like one for longer, self supported trail runs and mountain bike rides.

I don't know if I'd want to fill a 6l bag with it

Looking forward to some reviews
 

Dodgeis4me

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Feb 12, 2015
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Northern Utah
I have one that I have used on a 4 mile hike.. I had a stream next to me up the trail and it was so nice filling up my canteen without pulling extra bags out like I would have to do with the sawyer mini. I would just stick the hose in the water and pump it with my hand and I was good to go... I think I could fill my 32oz canteen in about 45 sec.... for me that is awesome. no more trying to put water in the small mouth sawyer bags just to push it threw the filter.... and it only weighs 5.55 oz... THIS THING IS AWESOME!
 
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SHTF

SHTF

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Feb 4, 2013
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Colorado
I may try it for 50$ not to bad based on reviews. Always good to have a few ways to sanitize water 5 ounces is easy to justify packing it in.


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jherald

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Sep 16, 2012
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Alaska
I've picked one up to try this year. Can't beat the weight and convenience of an actual pump filter weight just a little bit more than a sawyer rig.
 

JDZ

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Jun 12, 2014
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Texas
Are people replacing pump filters like the Hiker Pro with this Trailshot?


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Joined
Apr 29, 2015
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Littleton, CO
This review states "It’s worth noting that the MSR TrailShot filters down to 0.2 microns, while the Guardian filters down to 0.02 microns"

MSR TrailShot Review, Hell or No Water - BIKEPACKING.com

The Sawyer mini is rated to 0.1 micron.

Does anyone know if the larger pore size is an issue?


The 0.02 of the Guardian is necessary for viruses. I believe the 0.2 or 0.1 are sufficient for most backcountry use cases especially here in the US and probably there in Australia. If there is livestock around you may consider looking at filters or doubling up with a steripen.

The Trailshot seems too painfully slow to be effective for a primary source of water, but wouldn't be bad for day hike use cases. I would just go with the Sawyer Squeeze because it can be rigged up for gravity filtering in camp on top of squeezing water through for quick needs.
 
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JDZ

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Jun 12, 2014
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Texas
I like that it is inexpensive and lightweight. But not having an outlet hose is a big downer. I like to filter into my Camelbak with a quick disconnect. Inlet hose seems a little short, too. Sometimes the water source isn't a nice babbling brook with a girl in a skirt waiting there for you.


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Joined
May 31, 2012
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Prineville, Oregon
I used the trailshot for a 7 day spring bear hunt. Like others have said advertised weight is spot on, on My scale anyway. I carry a single Nalgene bottle and 2-2 liter squeeze bags. My Nalgene is the only water i need filtered. I use unfiltered for cooking, I just make sure I bring the water to a boil. So far I have never got sick and have used this method for over 20 years. So for my needs I thought the trail shot would work fine. Yes the mini squeeze is lighter but then you have to carry a 1 liter bag to fill from and sometimes those bags are difficult to fill. So on to the trail shot. Being spring time the water I was filtering was okay not super clear but not to bad. The trail shot for the most part worked great,
quick and fast. I did late week notice the flow was reduced and as the directions said, I filled the bulb and shook violently for 30-60 seconds. Surprisingly that did the trick and flow was great. As far as long term I will use this for elk season and see how it does, but so far it's a neat little addition.
 
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