[Philmont]: Novice backpacker with Philmont questions

Hi All,
 
I'm a novice hiker and backpacker (I must admit, I have never purified water) and I have a lot to learn in the next 11 months because next July I'm headed to Philmont. I just found and joined this list within the past two weeks and I'm astounded by the level of activity. The courteous and kind exchange of information is great and I guess attributed to the fact that everyone is a Scouter.
 
Since I have been on the list the two dominate discussions have been about water and gear (primarily raingear). Having read there are no bad questions, I have two:
 
1. Nobody talks much about using a decent pancho. I know they (e.g.Campmor) make backpacking panchos that fit over a pack and are more long lasting than the kind WalMart carries. Does anyone use a good pancho rather than a rain suit? If not, why not?
 
2. Throughout the discussion on water treatment, only recently did someone mention the MSR Miox system. No one has really commented on it. I'm curious as to why? Maybe because it is so new? I saw it at a local outfitter store and it's about the size of a flashlight, uses batteries and charges a mixture of salt and ordinary water to create a "cocktail" that is put into the water to be treated. There are no moving parts and the product is odorless and tasteless. I've seen it on sale for $110 which seems to compare to a good pump filter with extras filters.
 
Thanks for any in put on these items.
 
Mike
ASM Troop 646

                
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Received on Thu Sep 9 02:03:33 2004