Backpacker Magazine Bestows MSR with Coveted Editors’ Choice Award for New Guardian™ Gravity Purifier

March 10, 2021

The state-of-the-art, versatile, high-volume Guardian™ Gravity Purifier is the only gravity purifier on the market that meets the rigorous NSF protocol P248 military testing standard

SEATTLE, Wash. (March 10, 2021) –Mountain Safety Research^® (MSR^®), the high-performance outdoor equipment brand and leader in water treatment science, is honored to receive an Editor’s Choice award from Backpacker magazine for the Guardian™ Gravity Purifier, as part of their Spring Buyer’s Guide. This prestigious outdoor industry award is given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials, and performance.

“Drafting off the success and market-leading performance of our pump-action Guardian™ Purifier, we brought the same hollow fiber technology to a popular and versatile form factor in the Guardian™ Gravity Purifier, which accommodates high-volume groups and provides unparalleled ease of use,” said Greg Dean, Senior Director of Product Development for Cascade Designs. “We achieved the same military-grade NSF P248 test credibility, and added a carbon filter to further improve taste. All this was possible through our world class in-house water lab and talented product creation team, both highly experienced with purification technologies. Given the recent increased awareness of viruses and protection required to deter them, we feel this is a very adaptable product that can meet many of the use modes consumers are seeking throughout the world, from travel to backcountry pursuits.”

The annual Editors’ Choice Awards honors the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year for the Spring/Summer season. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories. Last year, MSR won a Backpackers Editors’ Choice Gold Award for its Dromedary for being the toughest soft-sided water hauler ever made.

“The MSR Guardian™ Gravity Purifier was a no-brainer for a Backpacker Editor’s Choice Award this year. Thanks to its unmatched convenience, this filter made its way into our packs for everything from group rafting trips to backpacking overnights,” said Zoe Gates, Associate Skills Editor for Backpacker. “We loved the ease of filling the 10-liter dirty water bag, opening the hose, and letting gravity do the work while we lounged around camp. The Guardian™ Gravity provides everything we want for clean water, no pumping required.”

This gravity-powered sibling of the original pump-action Guardian™ Purifier features two-stage purification: a .02 micron hollow fiber membrane that removes viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and particulate; and activated carbon to reduce chemicals, tastes and odors. Both the original Guardian™ and new Guardian™ Gravity Purifier stand out because they remove not just bacteria and protozoa, but the tiniest waterborne pathogens—viruses—as well, which are of greater concern as more and more people visit the backcountry with less regard for proper disposal of their waste. With the new Guardian™ Gravity Purifier you get a high level of protection in a high-volume, versatile, convenient system that serves all of your daily water needs quickly and easily. To learn more about the Guardian™ Gravity Purifier, check out this video about how the purifier technology works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdNQxXkqAKs

The Specifications:

• – FLOW RATE: 1 liter/2 minutes with optimal hang setup
• – PURIFICATION CARTRIDGE LIFE 3,000+ liters
• – COLLECTION: 10-liter collection bag
• – WEIGHT: 7 oz (1 lbs. 3 oz.)
• – PROTECTION: Meets NSF protocol P248 military testing standard for removing viruses (99.99%), bacteria (99.9999%), protozoa (99.9%), sediment and microplastics from “worst-case” water conditions.
• – ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Field maintainable and has a cartridge replacement indicator.

The complete list of Backpacker’s 2021 Editors’ Choice Award winners will be officially announced in the magazine’s Spring Buyer’s Guide, on newsstands March 16. The Guardian™ Gravity Purifier (MSRP $250 USD) is available now on the MSR website and from your local outdoor retail store. The Guardian™ Gravity Purifier Replacement Filter retails for $190 USD and is also available on the MSR website.

About MSR® (Mountain Safety Research®)

Seattle-based MSR has been engineering standard-setting high-performance outdoor equipment since 1969. A commitment to quality manufacturing and innovation ensures customers are outfitted with the finest, most reliable gear available for outdoor adventures. MSR product lines include: stoves, fuel, cookware, water treatment and hydration systems, shelters, snowshoes, snow tools, and backcountry poles. The majority of MSR products are made in the company’s Seattle, U.S.A. and Cork, Ireland manufacturing facilities. For more information, visit www.msrgear.com.

About Backpacker:

Backpacker (www.backpacker.com) brings the outdoors straight to our readers’ doorsteps, inspiring and enabling them to Get Out More. The authority on active adventure, Backpacker is the only outdoor media whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish.

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