View Full Version : Katadyn Wate Filter Question
Has anyone used the
Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter (http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Hiker-PRO-Water-Microfilter/dp/B0007U012U/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2B4SHQ1V9KB8D&colid=3U60XJ9HUB4EQ) ?
This is what I am thinking about buying, I want to talk with people who have used and make sure no one has gotten sick from water filtered with it on the trail.
I have used one for maybe 500 trail miles and I have never gotten sick from anything in the water. The thing I like best about filters is that there is no wait time compared to chemicals and it actually can improve the taste
Cool, thanks for your reply. Think I'm going to get this one.
Raul Perez
01-05-2011, 16:42
its fine I havent gotten sick. Also used the MSR Sweet Water Micro filter system and I was also fine no problems.
Celeste, I too have had this one since 2000, Love it. IDo use a coffee filed at the pre filter wrapped with a twist tie and change at each refill. That has save my hide many times. I also use two freezer bags to store the "In" and "Out" hoses. I use the in hose bage "dirty" to collect water from those sad little creeks and drips. Read the booklet that comes with it and kept it clean when you get home and dry the filter separately. I have used for over 500 miles and am on third filter cartridge, (one due to not supervising kids) You will love it.
i have had one for years. only bought it because my original one from pur died. won't have anything else on the market. i store my hoses together because i like to live on the wild side. i have never gotten sick. i also twirl them around over my head like i'm a banshee when i'm done filtering to get the extra water out of the hoses. the storage bag is not waterproof. you may find this out.
also, a few things you should know:
1) after filtering, always take the hoses off, turn it upside down and pump out the extra water. no need to carry the extra weight and during the winter, it can freeze in your pack if you don't. it will fizz and shoot bubbles when it's empty.
2) when you get home, take it apart and let the filter dry separately. if you don't, it will mildew.
3) don't forget to occasionally use the grease that comes with it on the large o-ring at the top of the filter (depending upon use, a couple of times a year). otherwise, you will eventually cuss and swear and use pliers to take the filter out of the casing.
CrumbSnatcher
01-05-2011, 19:25
had my pur hiker since 1999
thousands of miles on it!
never had a problem!
best filter on the market!
LoneRidgeRunner
01-05-2011, 19:29
Never tried one but have used an MSR Water Works 2 for years with no problems...I guess you can get a "lemon" in anything..but I had a Pur Explorer that was a piece of expensive junk....leave it to me to buy the one lemon out of a million...lol..
I wish it was lighter but I've never had a problem with it. Like Kanga says, make sure you pump the water out of it in winter or it will freeze.
sheepdog
01-05-2011, 19:42
i have had one for years. only bought it because my original one from pur died. won't have anything else on the market. i store my hoses together because i like to live on the wild side. i have never gotten sick. i also twirl them around over my head like i'm a banshee when i'm done filtering to get the extra water out of the hoses. the storage bag is not waterproof. you may find this out.
also, a few things you should know:
1) after filtering, always take the hoses off, turn it upside down and pump out the extra water. no need to carry the extra weight and during the winter, it can freeze in your pack if you don't. it will fizz and shoot bubbles when it's empty.
2) when you get home, take it apart and let the filter dry separately. if you don't, it will mildew.
3) don't forget to occasionally use the grease that comes with it on the large o-ring at the top of the filter (depending upon use, a couple of times a year). otherwise, you will eventually cuss and swear and use pliers to take the filter out of the casing.
Good tips. I always pump a liter of water with 2 tsp of bleach through it before drying it out. Really kills the cooties.
JaxHiker
01-05-2011, 20:39
I also run a quart of bleached water through it when I get back. I think the instructions actually tell you to do that.
Pioneer Spirit
01-05-2011, 20:56
I used one one a couple of week long trips. I made the mistake of using it in brown water along the BT last spring and clogged the filter up after a few strokes even with a coffee filter. Lesson learned. Try using a pre-filter made from a piece of handi-wipe that won't tear so easy as a coffee filter.
If you are buying one get it on manventureoutpost. It's about $10 cheaper there
I used one one a couple of week long trips. I made the mistake of using it in brown water along the BT last spring and clogged the filter up after a few strokes even with a coffee filter. Lesson learned. Try using a pre-filter made from a piece of handi-wipe that won't tear so easy as a coffee filter.
brown water shouldn't have done that. i've filtered mud through mine. had to slosh off the filter a couple of times to get it all done, but it worked. still using that same filter.
58starter
01-06-2011, 09:42
dont loose the little bottle of oil that comes with it. use the oil every few days to keep the pump working and you will be fine. take the filter out every few days to remove anything that should not be inside. if it does break, they will replace the broken parts for free.
rpenczek
01-06-2011, 14:52
Our Scout Troop used (still owns) this type of filter (we have 6 of them), I own one as well. But, we were converted to Micropure this past summer by a ranger at Philmont. While this filter pumps fast (much faster than my MSR Miniworks I also own), it will never outpace Micropure. And I don't think you would need to carry enough Micropure to equal the weight of the filter (it is not that much though). The filter will clog in tepid (spelling) water and new fliter elements are about 1/3 the cost of the filter. I have tried the coffee filter and handiwipe prefilter thing and found neither to work that well. Also, as mentioned, they must be taken apart and dried after your hike to keep them from molding.Having said that, I don't like to drink with floaties. So for tepid water I use the MSR (really easy to clean the filter when is gets clogged), but for clear water sources, Micropure is the ticket for me (Scout Troop too), we are all but done using water filters.
Tepid means "warm", you may mean turbid?
I have the Katadyn Pro, I love it, use it all the time.
rpenczek
01-07-2011, 10:13
Doh, thanks for the spelling and correct word. :)
Joshuatree
01-07-2011, 17:31
I love mine I've had it for ten years now and have had no isuses with it. I've filtered some nasty muddy water with it and had no isuse with clogging although I do take the filter apart and rinse the housing out at the next clear water source I find. if you do loose or run out of the lube you can use food grade silicone its the same as what they send with the filter
Most of the pump filters on the market are adequate to filtering out cysts and bacteria... they won't filter viruses, but those are so quickly killed by chemicals that people who worry about virii do both and have drinking water in 15 minutes. (Most people in the continental US going into the backcountry don't have to think about a virus problem, it's mostly bacteria).
I have a Hiker Pro, and a gravity filter with a platypus cleanstream inline - both are pretty great filters with a little maintenance once in a while. I prefer doing maintenance at home to scrubbing off the ceramic filter while all my hiker buddies are standing there watching me. :)
A prefilter is worth it if your sources are muddy or somewhat silty. If you have water that seems to be mostly silt, more like runny pudding than running water, you might even need a flocculant and a bucket to settle it out... but mostly that applies to places like the Colorado River in spring.
I have one. Used it for a few months then decided to go with simply Aqua Mira. I was already carrying the drops anyway, so why not leave the filter behind and save some weight? IMO, between the 2, the AM are less likely to fail. But that's just me.
If you are stuck on a filter I would suggest looking at the MSR HyperFlow filter as well. I have came across a few people on the trail with them and have a buddy that has one and they are/were very happy with them. Plus they weigh less than the Katadyn. I would suggest though learning how it works first. I met a few guys that had one on the trail one time and it wouldn't pump. I asked them if it was the one that back flushed to clean it out and they weren't sure. They had to get the instructions out and tried to figure it out right there on the spot...
Trailryder42
01-22-2011, 18:21
While we're on the subject of these filters, I just got the Hiker Pro and when filtering water with it for the first time, I got this fizzing/foaming blue liquid out of it. Ran about a quart of water thru it before it cleared up.
Is this normal? If so, will every new filter do this?
Joshuatree
01-22-2011, 19:33
If I remember the directions correctly from when I got mine it said to expect the water to be colored the first time you used it. so to make sure to run water through till it runs clear. its from the active carbon part of the filter once you run a couple quarts of water through it should be fine.
While we're on the subject of these filters, I just got the Hiker Pro and when filtering water with it for the first time, I got this fizzing/foaming blue liquid out of it. Ran about a quart of water thru it before it cleared up.
Is this normal? If so, will every new filter do this?
normal. just keep filtering until it stops.
Northern Lights
01-23-2011, 15:31
dont loose the little bottle of oil that comes with it. use the oil every few days to keep the pump working and you will be fine. take the filter out every few days to remove anything that should not be inside. if it does break, they will replace the broken parts for free.
Best thing about this pump in my opinion. My filter broke last year I went to MEC(same as REI) to purchase a replacement, and the young lad came out with the filter, hose, everything and said here you go, no charge. They stand behind the product.