I may have read some misinformation, but I thought the Brita filter did not filter out Giardia or, was it Crypto? and was only considered a filter to improve the taste of tap water.
It's just an activated charcoal filter. From Wikipedia:
Active charcoal carbon filters are most effective at removing chlorine, sediment, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), taste and odor from water. They are not effective at removing minerals, salts, and dissolved inorganic compounds.
If you use chlorine dioxide to purify water the Britta filter will remove or reduce what you'd consume. It's my own opinion that chlorinated water kills gut bugs, and that this can lead to all kinds of health issues, so I try not to consume that.
As far as Giardia and Crypto, I filter first, then boil my water if I'm concerned with that, but generally I'm not where I backpack. If I were gathering water from lakes or ponds I'd use a Sawyer or boil my water, but I'd still want to charcoal filter it first to keep the Sawyer as clean as possible while I'm out there.
As far as I know, the lightest, safe method to clean and disinfect water in the backcountry is the Britta filter I use combined with either boiling, sunlight, or chlorine.
There's obviously a lot of wiggle room in the above statement, but there's also truth in it. I enjoy the taste of good clean water as much or more than great beer and I notice it in every sip.
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