Well, boiling water has its place, Fred. But really, after being out longer than a day you're more than ahead of the game by carrying a filter, rather than lugging the fuel you need to boil three or ...

Well, as you note, one obvious difference is the price. The Katadyn Pocket Filter goes for $199, the MSR Miniworks for $70. Both use a ceramic based filter, although the Miniworks has a carbon core ...