Water Filter - MSR Sweetwater vs. MSR Miniworks vs. Katadyn Vario

So, my wife and I are getting ready to go into high gear for backpacking - we will be leaving on a trip tomorrow (weather permitting) and hopefully hitting the trail every weekend after that until July. Got some vacation to burn!

Anyways, Kim and I decided that it sucks using a water bottle to filter water... we have been using one like this.

It works ok, but I must admit the water bottle tires your arms out after squeezing it for a while - however, it's a good cheap way to get some water filtered, especially if you live in a place where the water is relatively clean and you only have to worry about larger particles. The limitations show up when you have more than 1 person to get drinking, cleaning, and cooking water for. Also, if you are in a water-scarce area with small streams and puddles, it becomes next to impossible to get any, since you have to actually scoop the water into the bottle before being able to filter it. Comparatively, the more expensive traditional water filters have a little tube that you can insert into even a tiny stream or puddle.

So, the main choices I am considering are the MSR Sweetwater, the MSR Miniworks, and the Katadyn Vario. All three are microfilters, whereas the water bottle system is merely a filter, and some more expensive systems are purifiers. What's the difference? A filter removes only protozoa like Giardia and Cryptosporidium (The infamous perpetrators of Montezuma's Revenge), while a microfilter also removes bacteria like E. Coli. A purifier removes all of these, and also viruses(virii?), for the best protection you can find. Like I mentioned previously, most people assert that a filter is all that is necessary to clean Colorado's water, so even a microfilter will be more than enough protection.

The Miniworks is a tried and true standard of water treatment, but it is a little bit large and not as fast as the other two (~.8 liters a minute) . The Sweetwater has also been around a while and has high output (1.1l/m) with light weight, but it has less of a reputation for ruggedness, and the filter has to be replaced about 3 times as often as the other contenders. The Vario is brand new on the market, has a cool selector for high flow or long life, the former with an awesome output of 2 liters a minute, but is a little bit larger and heavier than the other two. Prices range from $60 for the Sweetwater to $80 for the Vario and Miniworks.

I'll be posting back soon with a trip report and maybe a review of a new water treatment system.