Still rare but more commonly, late onset prion disease can supposedly can occur "naturally" and is thought to be inherited. Prion infection in humans is rare and when it has happened it has been associated with consuming infected beef products generally derived from brain or nervous system material which finds its way in to highly processed meat products like hotdogs and pre-made burger patties (see "mad cow disease" ), with certain surgical procedures and with certain religious practices (aka cannibalism where human brain tissue is consumed). Prion infection from water while it may be possible has never been confirmed as far as I can find and a study I did find indicates it is unlikely since infectious prions apparently do break down in water where prions in general may not. I was surprised to see that as a concern and am curious where you have heard that may be an issue. It sounds like you and I see those two systems in a pretty similar light. But I definitely see the versatility, weight, and speed of the gravity systems continuing to help them grow in popularity. I don't think the ceramic systems will be rendered obsolete, I hung on to mine for a very long time before fully committing to the Trail Base. Although with the ease of the gravity system and how small and light it is I might just take both! If I were leaving it at a cabin or a yurt for prolonged periods of time I would go with the Miniworks as it is very easy to clean up and get running again. If I were going on a prolonged kayak/canoe trip or in some situation where weight wasn't as important of a factor I may consider taking the Miniworks over the Trail Base. Otherwise, it has been great for me from bike-packing with a group to solo day hikes. Like you, the only drawback I see is having to keep it from freezing (I live in Alaska, so that's a potentially year-round issue). I participate in a lot of different outdoor activities and I have yet to find one that the Trail Base System doesn't work for. However, it is almost impossible to beat the weight, versatility, and volume of water that can run through the Trail Base Gravity system. I really appreciated how field maintainable the Miniworks Water Filter is, I've always been able to work out any issue I had with it and get it working. I had the ceramic miniworks filter for a very long time (probably 10 years) before I finally purchased a gravity system. I own the MSR Miniworks Water Filter as well as the MSR Trail Base Gravity system.