Katadyn Vario Water Filter
Initial
Report - July 2007
Field Report - October 2007
Long Term Report - November
2007
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 49
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail
address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Pursuing
a long-time interest, I started backpacking four years ago, beginning
with
day-hiking and single overnights. Currently
I’m mostly a ‘weekend warrior’ and mainly hike and backpack in the
hills and valleys of West Virginia, but have section hiked longer parts
of the southern portion of the Appalachian Trail (AT) the past two
years. My usual
shelter is a hammock but I am currently testing a Tarptent. In general
my backpacking style is
lightweight and
minimalist, and I try to cut as much pack weight as I can without
sacrificing
warmth, comfort, or safety.
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Initial Report - July 2007
Product
Information:
Manufacturer: Katadyn
Year of manufacture: 2007
Model: Vario
Advertised weight: 15 oz (425 g)
Actual Weight:
Filter only - 13 oz (369 g)
Filter, hoses, prefilter/weight & float, &
bottle clip - 16.3 oz (462 g)
Repair kit , scrub sponge, zipper lock bag for outlet
hose, carry case 2 oz (57 g)
Total weight 18.4 oz (522 g)
Actual weight of filter after use: 15.4 oz (437 g)
Actual weight of assembled filter after use: 18.8 oz (533 g)
Listed size: 7.5 x 4 in (19 x 10 cm)
Measured size of filter: Approx. 7.5 x 4 in (19 x 10 cm) overall
Measured size inside carry case (all components):
Approx. 10.5 x 6 x 4 in (27 x 15 x 10 cm)
Listed output: up to 2 quart/2 liter per minute
Manufacturer Website: http://www.katadyn.com
MSRP: Not available
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Product Description:
 The
Vario is one of Katadyn's
Backcountry Series Water Filters, suggested as "ideal for camping,
trekking and backpacking" for 1-2 persons for use with clear to
slightly turbid water. The Vario is somewhat unique in that it
has three different types of filters built in - a cleanable ceramic
disc, a glassfiber microfilter, and a carbon core. The user can
select to engage all three types of filters for longer life of the
glassfiber filter, or bypass the ceramic filter for faster water
flow. A prefilter that attaches to the intake hose is also
included.
The Vario is cylinder shaped and has a lever style pump handle.
The overall shape reminds me somewhat of an oversized flashlight; a
comfortable gripping area at the base, which widens toward the
top. The top end has a transparent smoke colored cover that
allows me to see the dual pistons working when I pump the handle.
Working the lever up and down activates the dual pistons to start the
water flowing, bringing back childhood memories of using the old hand
pump at our vacation cabin.
The photo to the side shows the disassembled filter.
On the side of the pump head opposite the handle is a diagram of the
filter interior with a warning sign. It wasn't readily apparent
to me what the sign meant, but reading the instruction booklet quickly
gave me the answer. It is a precaution to make sure a V-shaped
notch in the glassfiber filter is lined up with a pointed ridge in the
filter housing when replacing the glassfiber filter after
removal. The Vario is fairly simple to assemble and
disassemble. To remove the pump head, I simply twist it slightly
counterclockwise, then lift up. The ceramic filter can then be
lifted straight up. Part of the time when I lift the ceramic
filter up, the glass fiber filter comes up with it, and I can simply
pull the two pieces apart. Part of the time it remains inside the
filter body, in which case, removing the rubberized cap at the bottom
of the filter housing allows me to push on the fitting at the end of
the filter which pops the filter up high enough that I can grasp it and
remove it from the housing.
The glassfiber filter looks like what I typically consider a filter to
look like - pleated folds of stiff papery feeling material in a
circular shape with plastic end caps to hold it properly in place
inside the filter housing. The ceramic prefilter is different
than what I would expect a filter to look like. It's just a solid
disk of ceramic material attached to a plastic fitting. Inside
the plastic fitting are small holes around the outside, and a small
tube for water inlet, which is located behind the white arrow to align
the filter for faster flow or longer life. The words faster flow
and longer life are printed on opposite sides of the filter housing,
and I just twist the white arrow to the desired setting, reattach the
pump head to the filter body, and it's ready to go in the desired
setting.
Inside the glassfiber filter is a core of activated carbon. The
carbon, which looks like tiny pieces of black coal, can be replaced by
pulling the red cap out of the top of the glassfiber filter, removing a
piece of green sponge, dumping the old carbon out, rinsing the center
with filtered water, and pouring in new activated carbon, which Katadyn
says is available in refill packs "where you purchased your Katadyn
Vario."
The photos below show the carbon core
assembly components.
Also noticeable in the photos is the V-shaped notch and the pointed
ridge in the filter housing that need to line up together.
Katadyn recommends using the included prefilter on the intake hose to
prevent large particles from entering the filter system. The
cylinder shaped prefilter is placed inside the hose weight, the barbed
fitting on the top passed through a hole in the weight and then
inserted into the intake hose. Adding a bit of silicone lubricate
makes the fitting easier to insert. I then added the foam hose
float and pushed it down toward the prefilter/hose weight and attached
it to the barb protruding from the side of the pump head.
Basically at this point, the filter is ready to pump, but I have a
choice to make on what type of outlet method to use. I have three
options - I can remove the bottom cap and thread a Nalgene-type bottle
directly to the filter housing; I can attach the outlet hose to the
barb in the center of the bottom of the housing and place the opposite
end into the water container of my choice, running the hose through the
metal clip and attaching it to the side of the container if desired; or
I can leave the bottom cap in place, positioning it so the built in
hollow tube aligns with the opening in the bottom of the filter housing
so I can thread my hydration system water hose through the base of the
filter for direct connection.
Katadyn provides a pamphlet with clear instructions on assembling,
using, cleaning, and storing the filter. The pamphlet also gives
field performance tips and instructions on how to replace the various
components of the filter. The Vario has 8 different O-rings, and
mine came with 7 replacement O-rings. Four of the O-rings are
used on the pistons, two at the top of the glassfiber filter, and one
between the ceramic filter and the filter housing. The 8th O-ring
is attached to the bottom of the glassfiber filter and a replacement
for this O-ring was not included. I assume that a replacement
filter would come with this O-ring already in place since none of the
included O-rings is sized to replace this one.
Also included with the Vario is a green scrubby sponge to clean the
ceramic filter, a small tube of silicone lubricant, a sturdy zipper
lock type bag marked "Outlet Hose", and a zippered black nylon case
that can be used to carry the filter and accessories.
The instruction pamphlet gives the following general guidelines for
life of the filters: 200 liters (or 6 months constant use) for
the activated carbon; 1875 liters for the glassfiber cartridge.
Interestingly, the website claims a slightly higher amount of 2000
liters for the glassfiber cartridge and a much longer life of 400
liters for the carbon. I could not find an estimated life for the
ceramic filter in the instructions or on the website.
Preliminary Use and Impressions:
After reading the directions, the Vario was easy to disassemble and
assemble (both of which I did several times before ever trying to
filter water). The parts fit smoothly together, and the process
is simple enough that I don't feel I will need to carry the
instructions in the field.
I took the filter and a 1 liter Platypus bladder to a local
stream. Conditions lately have been fairly dry, and the stream
was fairly low and moving only slowly. Not being used to using a
pump style filter (lately I have been using chemical treatment and
previously used a gravity fed system), I struggled a little to juggle
everything around, and ended up dropping the output hose and my
Platypus into the stream. Hm.. Lesson learned. Plan
A: Think about where everything is going ahead of time, if
possible get into a comfortable sitting position to make everything
easier to place, and pay better attention to the outlet hose.
Plan B: Take backup chemicals to disinfect output hose and
bladder if plan A fails.
Once I got everything settled I made mistake number 2. I placed
the float too far away from the prefilter assembly. While it was
okay when I first placed it, I soon found the pumping action moved the
hose around and the prefilter ended up on the bottom of the streambed
in a shallower area, stirring up a lot of sediment, which of course was
sucked up into the filter. Lesson learned. Don't allow too
much space between float and prefilter.
Proceeding to fill the bladder, I noted it took about 50 seconds to
fill the bladder. Not bad! I decided to take the filter
apart and look at the components. Wow! The ceramic filter
really worked - it was covered with slimy brown sediment and had turned
tan in color, but the glassfiber filter was still pure white. I
rinsed it off in the stream and reassembled the filter to play some
more.
Okay, on to mistake number 3. Deciding to see how quickly I could
filter a liter of water, I pumped the handle rapidly (must have missed
the part of the instructions that said to pump steadily and
slowly). I guess too much pressure built up, and the pump head
popped off the filter body. Lesson learned: Do not decide
filtering is a race with time. Follow manufacturer instructions -
pump steadily and SLOWLY. (Hopefully I will get better at all of
this when I am in the field!)
Next I decided to test the 'faster flow' setting. It took about
35 seconds to fill the 1 liter bladder. I switched back to
'longer life' and found it took about 80 seconds to fill the bladder
pumping steadily and slowly. I think I can live with this - it's
a lot faster than the wait time for chemical treatment, and several
minutes faster than my gravity fed filter.
I pumped the filter dry and weighed the assembled filter before
cleaning and drying and found it gained 2.5 oz (71 g) from residual
water.
 After
the test, I cleaned the Vario for long term storage according to
the manufacturer directions, which involves adding a couple of
tablespoons of bleach to a liter of water and pumping it through the
filter, then disassembling everything and allowing it to dry before
reassembly. I noted the glassfiber filter also had some brownish
stains (probably from using the 'faster flow' setting, which lets me
know it's really important to follow the manufacturer instructions to
only use the 'faster flow' setting when water is clear). The
photo at the right shows the color of the filters after use. Note
some slight brown staining on the glassfiber filter near the bottom,
and the darker brown coloring of the ceramic filter as opposed to the
pure white in the earlier photos.
The only negative thing I have noted about the filter so far is that it
tends to leak a bit of water from the area between the ceramic filter
and the filter housing when I pump water. While this doesn't seem
to be a serious problem, it is a little annoying. I plan to
contact the manufacturer to see if this is normal and expected, if
there is something to adjust to prevent this from happening, or whether
my filter may be defective. Stay tuned for more information on
this in my field report.
This concludes my Initial Report.
Field Report - October 2007
 Field
Conditions:
In late July I used the Katadyn Vario on a weekend backpacking trip to
the Dolly Sods area of the Monongahela National Forest in eastern West
Virginia. Elevations ranged from around 3000 to 4000 ft (900 to
1200 m), and temperatures ranged from 60 to 75 F (16 to 25 C). It
rained off and on for most of the weekend. I filtered water from
four different small creeks, which were running well. The water
appeared clear (sediment free), but colored by tannins. The creek
bottoms were mostly rock with some soil. The photo to the left
shows me using the Vario (far right side of photo) and also shows the
water is fairly clear, as evidenced by the visibility of the creekbed.
In early September I used the Vario on a backpacking weekend trip in
the Laurel Fork Wilderness in eastern West Virginia. Elevations
were around 3000 to 3500 ft (900 to 1100 m), and temperature in the 50
to 75 F (10 to 25 C) range, with partly cloudy to sunny skies, no
precipitation, and moderate humidity. I filtered water from two
different creeks. The water level was fairly low for the area,
with the water running, but slower than normal. The creek bottoms
were a combination of soil and rock, with sediment visible on the
creekbed which would easily stir up when disturbed. The running
water or undisturbed water appeared clear.
In mid-September I used the Vario for demonstration purposes only while
teaching a beginner backpacking class at Watoga State Park in
southeastern West Virginia. Due to logistics involved in teaching
the class, we were unable to filter water while actually on the trail
on the overnight trip. The creek we used for filtering had very
rocky banks which were wet with rain at the time of the class, so I
collected water from the creek in a pot and took it to the top of the
bank, to show the class how to use a filter (the Vario) as a water
treatment method. Temperatures were in the 60 F (16 C) range.
Field Use:
I've had some mixed results using the Vario in the field. While
set on longer life, it works like a charm to filter about 3-5
liters. On the two trips so far, after that it begins to spurt
water from the housing at the point the base joins to the top.
The spurting accelerates to the point it is spewing out more water than
is passing through the filter. At this point, I disassemble the
filter, and when I separate the two parts of the housing, a lot of
water pours out. Sometimes the ceramic filter appears to have a
bit of sediment on the top and sometimes it does not. I rinse the
top of the ceramic filter in the creek, scrub it with the included
scrubby sponge, rinse again, and reassemble the filter and begin
pumping. It will usually pump another liter or so before the
whole process repeats. Ugh! After doing this two or three
times, the pump becomes ineffective and will not pump water through the
intake hose. At that point I switch to the faster flow setting
and the filter works like a charm for the rest of the trip.
Unfortunately, this of course allows more particulate through the
glassfiber filter, meaning I will have to replace it faster.
On returning home, I disassemble the filter and clean it according to
directions, and make sure to scrub the ceramic filter once while it is
wet, and once when it is dry, brushing the particles away when
finished. The next time I use the filter, it again works like a
charm for those 3-5 liters. Then I repeat the whole
process. What surprises and concerns me most is that the ceramic
filter eventually will not work in the field despite repeated and
vigorous scrubbing, and yet once cleaned at home it will work for a few
liters the next trip. I e-mailed Katadyn about 2 weeks ago
through their website to see if this is expected or not, and have not
received a reply as of the date of this writing.
On the positive side, the Vario is fast when it is working properly,
and very fast on the faster flow setting. I can fill a liter in
only a minute or so. It is very easy to pump, requiring little
effort to operate the handle. It is fairly easy to assemble, and
easy and comfortable to grasp. It does require a little dexterity
when assembling to make sure I keep the outlet hose from becoming
contaminated by either coming into contact with the intake hose or
falling into the stream, but this is true of any pump style filter I
know of. The zippered plastic bag provided by Vario to store the
outlet hose did rip lose at the top after a few uses, and I have simply
replaced it with a Zip-Lock pint size freezer bag, which works just as
well.
Taking the Vario apart to thoroughly clean it after a trip is also
fairly easy, although I end up with a lot of pieces laying around while
it dries (two parts of the body housing, the rubber bottom cap, the
ceramic filter, the glassfiber filter, the handle/pump assembly, the
clear plastic top, and the pin that holds the handle/pump assembly
on. I generally allow the pieces to dry overnight before I
reassemble it, without the glassfiber filter, which I allow to dry for
nearly a week as it seems to hold water longer. Even when it
feels dry on the outside some water remains on the inside so I try to
make sure it is very dry before reassembling the entirety.
Katadyn recommends lubricating the O-rings each time the filter is
disassembled and cleaned, which is a simple matter of squirting a
little of the provided silicone lubricant on the rings and spreading it
with my fingertip, however if I have only used the filter a few times,
I have found there is still a good residue of lubricant and I may not
have to reapply each time.
Impressions so far:
On the negative side, the ceramic filter has not worked very well for
me, clogging quickly and causing water to spurt from the filter
housing, which also means I have to be very careful not to hold the
filter near my Platypus while pumping, because once the water starts
spurting about I could easily contaminate the bladder
accidentally.
Mostly I have used the metal clip to hold the outlet hose in place in a
Platypus bladder, which is my normal water container, although I did
remove my bite valve assembly and use the bladder hose to connect the
filter once. I find for the most part I prefer removing the
bladder to fill it, since I don't like taking my whole pack down to the
water source and prefer to keep my drinking tube assembly away from any
chance of contaminating it either by filter malfunction (spurting
water) or by dropping it accidentally in the stream.
 I've
found it a little difficult to hold a taller (2 liter) Platypus bladder
in place while holding the filter and pumping, due to the
bladder's flexibility, which means I have to try to support it somehow
between my feet and legs or against a rock and pump carefully so as not
to jostle the bladder making it fall over and spill the filtered
water. Shorter bladders are easier to handle so I sometimes
filter into a 1 liter or 1/2 liter bladder then transfer to the 2 liter.
On the positive side, pumping water has been faster than waiting for
chemical treatment to work, even including set up time, and there is no
chemical aftertaste to the water. All of the water I have
filtered so far has tasted (and smelled) very good, although a slight
variance can be noted between the taste of water from different sources.
The filter has never failed to work in the faster flow mode, and so far
it seems effective; at least I have not come down with any waterborne
disease.
Another big positive is that the Vario has undoubtedly kept a lot of
gunk from entering my system that I would have drank had I been using
chemical treatment, as evidenced by the color of the filters in the
picture to the right. All that brown stuff would have been in me!
This concludes my Field Report.
Long Term Report - November 2007
Field Conditions And Use:
In early October I used the Vario on a 30
mi (48 km) weekend
backpacking trip in the Cranberry Backcountry in southeastern West
Virginia. Temperatures ranged from around 50 F to 80 F (10 to 27
C) and the weather was mainly dry with only a few sprinkles of rain one
evening. Trails varied widely from sections of old logging roads
that had fairly smooth dirt surfaces, to rocky passages through
rhododendron thickets with their accompanying roots across the trail,
to
a short section of graveled forest service road. Elevation varied
considerably from 2700 to 4000 ft (800 to 1200 m) with some tough
climbs. Water sources were low and scarce due to a very dry
summer and fall. The first evening I filtered about 3
quarts/liters of water from a small low-flow stream near our
camp. The water appeared clear, but the bottom had a good bit of
clear appearing sediment which I tried to avoid stirring up.
After filtering about 1.5 quarts/liters on the longer life setting, the
filter once again began spurting water and not working well. I
cleaned the ceramic filter with the green scrubby and pumped a bit
more, but found the filter still not working very well, pumping water
very slowly. I switched to faster flow setting and quickly
finished filling my containers. I filtered an additional
quart/liter on the faster flow setting the next morning with no
problems. A couple of hours later I quickly filtered another
quart/liter on the faster flow setting from a small moderately flowing
stream which lasted until that night's camp. I did not need to
filter again on that trip, since a trail angel had planted some water
for our group knowing that we would have a dry camp.
Shortly after this trip, Katadyn contacted me concerning my problems
with the filter spurting water and not working well on the longer life
setting. Their customer service representative shipped me a new
ceramic filter and a new glassfiber filter to use in completing the
test, which I used for my next trip, a section hike of the Appalachian
Trail in northern Georgia and southern North
Carolina in late October and early November. A friend and I had
originally planned to divide the trip into a
2-day segment followed by a night at a motel (and showers) and another
4-5 day segment, but due my friend developing severe blisters, and
situations at a couple of shelters that made us uncomfortable, we ended
up spending 3 nights in hotels and 2 nights on the trail.
Over a
6 day period, I hiked a total of 56.1 mi (90 km) at elevations ranging
from 2660 to 5220 ft (810 to 1590 m), with a lot of ascending and
descending, often over 700 ft (200 m) within 1-1.5 miles
(1.5-2.5 km). The trail varied from short sections of semi-smooth
dirt to the more common rocky sections, with plenty of roots crossing
the trail to throw in a little variety, and a few rock scrambles.
Temperatures were in the 40 to 70 F (4 to 21 C)
range. The weather during our trip was dry for the most part, but
there was some
fog and condensation some mornings.
Unfortunately, this area of the Appalachian Trail was under an
exceptional drought during the weeks preceding our trip and during the
trip itself, so we needed to haul more water than normal. Due to
the lack of reliable water sources, I carried about 6 quarts/liters
starting out the first day, which lasted until mid-morning the second
day when we reached a good spring in a mostly dry creek bed behind Deep
Gap Shelter. The water itself appeared clear, but was flowing
into a shallow depression with a good bit of sediment at the
bottom. Recalling my earlier problems with sediment, I thought a
minute and decided to use a large fallen leaf to place under the intake
prefilter and weight assembly. This seemed to work very well, and
not much sediment was stirred up when I pumped. I was able to
quickly pump about 4 quarts/liters for my friend and myself using the
longer life setting and did not notice any water leaking from the pump
housing.
 Our
second night was spent in a motel, and I did a 15.6 mi/7.4 km solo
day hike the third day due to my friend having severe blisters.
Since a couple of good water sources were reported for this section, I
took the Vario along in my pack so I could refill my water bladder
and not have to carry more than a couple of quarts/liters at a
time. The stream at Plum Orchard shelter was running well and I
filtered from a shallow water hole there, with the water being clear
with little sediment on the bottom. I again used a large leaf
under the prefilter assembly, which seemed to be working well, since
the filter quickly pumped a couple of quarts/liters using the longer
life setting and again I had no further problems with the filter.
We set out the fourth morning with enough water for the day, and I
filtered about 4 liters/quarts that evening at the spring behind the
old Carter Gap shelter. The water was cloudy with suspended
particulate. After the first liter on the longer life setting,
the water began to flow very slowly gradually decreasing to a mere
trickle and a few drops began to leak from the middle of the pump
housing. I took the top off the housing, and found a good bit of
grainy sediment on the top of the ceramic filter which I washed off in
the spring. I had to repeat this once more, but was able to
continue using the longer life setting by cleaning the ceramic filter
with the provided scrubby, and did not have to switch to the faster
flow setting.
The final time I used the Vario for this test was the next day, at
Betty Creek, shown in the photo above, where the water was running well
and appeared clear. The water depth was sufficient for pumping
without having to worry about stirring up sediment from the
bottom. The Vario worked well on the longer life setting with no
problems, quickly pumping 3 quarts/liters.
Testing Conclusions:
Although I've been frustrated a bit by how quickly the Vario can clog
when there is sediment in the water, I've enjoyed having clean, clear,
good tasting water quickly available. Attaching the hoses in the
field and getting the filter operating is a simple matter; although
sometimes figuring out how to get to the water and hold the filter,
water bottle or bladder, and keep the outlet hose sanitary while
keeping the intake hose in a good position so it doesn't draw up
sediment or algae, all while trying to get in a comfortable position to
work the pump is a definite challenge. It's a little easier to
fill a hard sided water bottle than a flexible bladder, but both
usually have to be held in position to keep the containers from
shifting and the filtered water from spilling. Once in a while, I can
wedge the containers in place among some rocks, but I usually keep them
in place with my feet so I have both hands free to use on the
filter. All this results in the need for a little dexterity while
using the filter. Fortunately, the worst that ever happened when
I was filtering water was having one foot slip on a rock and get a
little wet.
In using the filter, I've found the dual piston design makes for a very
strong pumping action. This is both good and bad. It's good
because it's fast. It's bad because this means the prefilter
assembly will move around a lot in the water as I pump. This
allows it to drift around and get into less than optimal position, like
against an algae encrusted rock or too near the sediment at the bottom
of a shallow hole. This can result in a lot of sediment working
its way into the Vario and clogging the ceramic filter. I've
learned to work around this a little by taking up any excess intake
hose and holding it in my hand to keep the prefilter assembly better
positioned, and to use a large leaf to keep too much sediment from
stirring up in shallow water. It would probably be a good idea to
do as the manufacturer suggests and collect water in a container such
as a collapsible bucket when the water is cloudy, then allow it to
settle for a while before trying to pump it. However, I like to
keep my pack weight down and keep my equipment simple and to a minimum,
so it is unlikely I will have a large container with me on backpacking
trips. I could see how this might work better with groups when
the weight could be shared and this is something I might try in the
future to try to extend filter life.
I experienced only a little leaking from the pump housing after
replacing both filtering units, and it happened only when the ceramic
filter was coated in sediment. So, it appears that when the
ceramic filter needs cleaned or replaced, pressure can build up from
the Vario continuing to pump water in that can't filter quickly enough
through the ceramic. The water has to go somewhere when it is
under pressure, so it squirts out the path of least resistance - the
place the two parts of the filter housing connect. Keeping the
ceramic filter clean and replacing it when too gunked up seems to
eliminate this problem.
I've tried carrying the filter in several different places in my pack,
including within the main pack bag and in the front pocket, but I've
found I best like carrying the Vario inside its case in one of the side
pockets on the exterior of my pack. This allows for fast access
to the filter and lets excess water drain out of the case and drip
harmlessly into the mesh pocket and onto the ground instead of onto
other gear I am carrying. The cased filter fit well inside the
outside pocket of my GoLite Quest pack and I never had it come out
while hiking, but did have it come out of the pocket a few times at
camp while packing and unpacking if the pack wasn't completely
full. The loop tab on the outside of the case came in handy for
threading a compression strap through to make sure the filter can't
escape completely if it does work its way out of the pocket.
Final impressions:
Overall I'm impressed with how quickly the Vario can filter water, and
how clean and good tasting the water is after it's passed through the
filter. Although I'm quite impressed at the amount of dirt the
Vario collected from the water I pumped, I've come to the conclusion
that much of this dirt is collected due to the strong pumping action of
the dual pistons, and probably would not have been in the water had I
collected it carefully in a pot or other container.
Although I've really enjoyed being able to drink clean water quickly
without waiting for chemicals to work, the 20 oz (567 g) or so that the
wet filter and accessories weigh conflict with my 'gram weenie'
tendencies, and I probably will either go back to chemicals or other
lighter water treatment techniques for solo trips. On trips where
I am sharing equipment with friends, I plan to continue to use the
Vario and enjoy the quick, clean, good tasting water it provides.
Hopefully I'll find careful selection of water sources will make the
replacement filters last much longer than the originals.
This concludes my long term report.
Thanks to Katadyn and BackpackGearTest.org
for
the
opportunity to test the Vario Water Filter.
Read more reviews of Katadyn gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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