View Full Version : Hiker Pro
Any early adopters tried the Hiker Pro? Ten bucks of extra marketing or good addition? Same cartridge, handle less beefy?
hikerjohnd
03-09-2005, 08:48
This is the first I've heard of it, but checking out the website (http://www.katadyn.net/katadyn_hiker.html) (which looks pretty bad for such a big company...) it looks like the cartriage is the only change. Is there just another prefilter inside the body of the pump? According to the site, if you have a Hiker then you can put a PRO cartriage in your Hiker body. (does that sound bad?) :cool:
Looks like they added a quick connect for the input hose. And most importantly.... the handle is now blue!
Spirit Walker
03-09-2005, 12:12
So Katadyn now owns both Pur and Sweetwater? No wonder there have been so few innovations in filter design.
Not only is the new filter more expensive, so are the cartridges. I wonder if they still have the one year guarantee? (We went through five on the CDT.)
hikerjohnd
03-09-2005, 12:18
Looks like they added a quick connect for the input hose. And most importantly.... the handle is now blue!
They have had the quick connect for a little while now - my Hiker came with one and I LOVE it!!! Very light compared to the old bottle adapter and fits right into my Nalgene bladder. I rigged an extra one with a short piece of hose and a camelback valve, adding a spigot to my bladder for around camp. So far it works great!
So Katadyn now owns both Pur and Sweetwater? No wonder there have been so few innovations in filter design.
This consolidation of outdoor companies is a disturbing trend in the outdoor industry as a whole. For example, K2 owns both ATLAS and TUBBSl; the two main makers of snowshoes.
Bethchya there is less diversity in these snowshoes in the future. Plus, Tubbs used to be made in the USA (in Vermont). K2 is offshoring all but the wooden snowshoe division to China.
On a similar vein, Columbia now owns Mountain Hardware.
Cascade Desings owns MSR as well.
Who owns what now is so mixed up. If you saw a "family tree" of the ultimate owners of companies, you will find out there is less true competition than was thought.
Luckly for us there are small, cottage industry companies that still make some quaility gear and are willing to innovate.
john,
Could you describe in detail your filter/nalgene bladder setup? I think I'm going to do something similar. I already have a Hiker filter that came with a quick connect insert, but it does not have a quick connect built into the filter body as I see in the picture of the pro version. I'm planning on getting the 96 oz. and 32 oz. Nalgene Canteen.
If its not too much trouble, could you include a parts list so I know exactly what connecters you have? Thanks!
JoeHiker
03-09-2005, 15:29
So Katadyn now owns both Pur and Sweetwater?I thought that MSR bought Sweetwater. I picked up one this year and it's got the MSR label on it. Did Katadyn buy MSR/Cascade designs?
Singletrack
03-09-2005, 15:42
K2 also owns Dana Designs.
hikerjohnd
03-09-2005, 17:34
john,
Could you describe in detail your filter/nalgene bladder setup? I think I'm going to do something similar. I already have a Hiker filter that came with a quick connect insert, but it does not have a quick connect built into the filter body as I see in the picture of the pro version. I'm planning on getting the 96 oz. and 32 oz. Nalgene Canteen.
If its not too much trouble, could you include a parts list so I know exactly what connecters you have? Thanks!
I can do better than describe! I'll add pictures!
OK - you have the hiker with the quick connect so you know what thet looks like. My bladder is not a canteen, but a real bladder (http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/subcategory.asp?categorysubcategorycode=65) (same size opening - just organized differently (see pic 1). The bladder has the quick connect (pic 2) molded into the bag. When I stop for water, I simply unplug the drinking tube and plug in the filter hose.
I am going to get a 32 oz canteen (and ditch the 6.3 oz hard bottle since it usually rides empty unless water is hard to find) and fill it from the bladder for around camp - but to the best of my knowlege there is not a quick connect adapter for filling bottles, but I wish the canteens had them!
Hope this helps - John
Thanx for the pics!
I'd been trying to think of a way to connect securely to the widemouth opening of the Nalgene Cantene using the quick connects. Think I can find or make a widemouth cap with the female quick connector? For that matter, does anyone sell that connector?
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Ok, so before I even posted this message I did a little searching and found this product from Camelbak at EMS (http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444256 9105&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302160905&fromTemplate=navigation%2Fsubcategory.jsp&bmUID=1110410548441). Maybe this will be the solution I was looking for. Thoughts?
hikerjohnd
03-09-2005, 21:24
Thanx for the pics!
I'd been trying to think of a way to connect securely to the widemouth opening of the Nalgene Cantene using the quick connects. Think I can find or make a widemouth cap with the female quick connector? For that matter, does anyone sell that connector?
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Ok, so before I even posted this message I did a little searching and found this product from Camelbak at EMS (http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444256 9105&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302160905&fromTemplate=navigation%2Fsubcategory.jsp&bmUID=1110410548441). Maybe this will be the solution I was looking for. Thoughts?
I think that would do the trick - assuming youare using a hydration tube. I may pick up a couple because stuff like that is hard to find around here...
hikerjohnd
03-18-2005, 10:26
I picked up one of the hydration adapter thingys (https://secure.gcmcomputers.com/packrat/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=31749) from camelback. It seems really easy to use so long as there is a tube attached to the water carrier. The connector that comes with Katadyn filters does not fit with this adapter. It also adds 0.6 ounces to the total weight of your bladder for you ounce counters. :D
hikerjohnd
05-05-2005, 17:48
Katadyn has put out a Hydration pack adapter kit - cheaper than Camelback's version, but it does not have an "off" like camelback does. On the plus side - it is 1/4 the size and weight of the Camelback setup. I can't find a pic online to link to - but the kit comes with 2 male connectors (one for your filter and one for your hydration tube line) and one female connector. I added mine to a camelback resevoir in about 2 minutes and now I can carry my bladder inside my Nimbus Ozone and fill it without removing it from the pack!
yogi clyde
05-05-2005, 22:22
No need for the extra stuff.
I just pull the bite valve off my ptalapus and attach the hose directly to the output of my old Pur Hiker. Works like a charm.