Was the filter actually clogged or did the o ring fail and let crap into the cartridge? I ask because mine locked up once and it turned out a tiny crack in the housing was pulling in sediment every time I pumped. That would explain why boiling worked fine, it kills everything regardless of how nasty the source is. How far were you from the next reliable water source when it died, like was it a dry stretch or were you crossing creeks every mile? And did you ever figure out what went wrong after you got home, or is the filter still sitting in a drawer somewhere?

Keeping a forum thread open for years just to feel smug about some guy being wrong seems like a lot of work for very little payoff. TechTitan99 was mostly repeating what everyone assumed back then, since physical keyboards were all anyone had used and touchscreens felt like a gimmick at the time. Screenshotting bad takes and saving them forever sounds less like fun and more like holding a grudge against a stranger who forgot he even wrote it. People are wrong about new tech constantly, and half the fun is that nobody can predict which way it goes. The keyboard thing is funny in hindsight, sure, but it is not exactly a deep life lesson. Storing old posts just to win arguments nobody is having feels like collecting receipts for a trial that never happens.