Hi there. I've been eyeing the new MSR Hyperflow. Do you guys know if it is still made in the USA or has MSR gone over to China as well?
I also hear that the filter needs to be backflushed every 8L. Is that true? I find that a bit excessive.
The filter and the element are made in the good ol' USA (actually 90% of all Cascade Design's products are made here). Cascade Designs has made a few sacrifices in keeping most of their manufacturing in the USA, but those sacrifices have paid off in the long run.
You are right in that the instructions state that in order to get the optimum life from the HyperFlow the user should backflush every 8L. It is a fairly simple process and should only take a few minutes. If this is excessive (and dependent on water quality), I would at least backflush after every trip using a chlorine solution. The more you backflush, the greater the life of the filter element.
Because these are suggestions not requirements, many won't heed them. I would dare say that most people who own filters do little if any maintenance in the field or when they return home. The one thing to keep in mind is that it is an OPTION that the HyperFlow offers that very few filters do. The fact that you can backflush and get a significant performance advantage afterwords is one if it's major benefits.