Initial Report
Katadyn Hiker Pro Water Filter
Date: September 10, 2005
Reviewer Information
Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 51
Height: 6' 3" (1.90 m)
Weight: 210 lb (94 kg)
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA
Backpacking Background:
I've been camping since my teens. My outdoor activities include
backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross
country skiing. I have expanded my backpacking to include winter
mountaineering, back country skiing and ski backpacking. I have received winter
mountaineering training with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. I actively
study ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months,
my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or
tarp for warm weather, and a small four-season tent for winter trips. Most of
my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear
and techniques.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Katadyn Products, Inc.
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: www.katadyn.com
Manufacturer’s Specifications:
Weight : 11 oz (312 g)
Height : 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
Hose Length : 36 in (91 cm)
Output: Up to 1 quart (.95 L) per minute
with 48 strokes
Cartridge Life: Up to 200 gal (189 L)
depending on water quality
MSRP:
Filter $69.95 US
Replacement cartridge: $ 34.95
Specifications as measured:
Weight : 14.75 oz (418 g) Note: ‘Wet Weight’
After being used,
drained, and fully packed for field use, including pump, hoses, bottle adapter,
and both carry sacks. This most accurately reflects actual carry weight.
Height : 6.3 in (16 cm)
Hose Length : 36 in (91 cm)
Output: 1 quart (.95 L) per minute plus
Initial Impressions:
I am a long time user of the PUR Hiker Voyager water filter. PUR has since
been purchased by Katadyn and I was eager to see what changes have been made to
what has been my favorite water filter. The Hiker Pro is part of Katadyn’s
Backcountry Series water filters, intended for backpacking and trekking. The
Hiker Pro is marketed as a ‘higher performance’ version of the Katadyn Hiker. A
moment spent rummaging through all the bits included with the Hiker Pro seems
to indicate the performance improvements refer to additional fittings supplied
with the filter. Indeed, the pump output specs are identical to the standard
Hiker model. The story does not end there, however.
The Hiker Pro is nicely packaged in a cardboard box. The box is all but covered
with information on the filter and gives considerable related information
including:
- An extensive list of pump features.
- Information regarding the Safety Level Rating (#2).
- General Technical Data.
- A list of provided parts.
- The fact that the filter is Swiss made, something I did not know.
Inside the box is found the filter and a long list of hoses, fittings and carry
bags. Externally, the Hiker Pro is virtually identical to my old PUR Hiker.
There are some small differences noticed on closer examination. The first change
I noticed is the quick release fitting on the pump input, located on the side
of the pump shaft tube. A quick review of the provided assembly instructions
indicated that this accepts a male quick release fitting (provided) and which
must be installed on the input hose. Next is the dark blue color of the pump
shaft, filter cartridge cap and brand label.
The filter requires some minor assembly. The most notable bit is the
installation of the small, cylindrical input hose float, the strainer, the
strainer weight and the male quick connect fitting to complete the input hose.
The assembly is very straightforward, but there is one caveat. The instructions
suggest the application of a small amount of silicone lubricant to the male
quick connect barb to ease insertion into the input tube end. Do not skimp on
the lubricant here! Getting the tube on the barb is a real bear, otherwise. I
made the mistake of skimping on my first try and finally gave up. Make sure
there is a generous, even coat of lubricant over the entire barb before
starting. The strainer weight must be in place on the strainer before assembly,
as the input hose expands when placed on the quick connect barb and will not
permit passage of the weight after installation. This is intentional, as the
expanded hose holds the weight in place over the strainer when assembled
properly. Other than this, assembly of the pump requires only the fitting of
the output hose, which is easily accomplished by slipping the hose over the
appropriate non-barbed fittings, one on the pump output (located at the top
center of the filter cartridge) and another on the bottle adapter.
Katadyn provides an additional female and two male quick connect fittings. The
literature mentions that these are intended to make the output hose compatible
with certain properly fitted hydration bladders. Nalgene and Jansport are brand
names given as examples. The literature also describes how the supplied
fittings can be used to adapt the quick connect feature to other hydration
bladders.
Interior Details:
Here is where the real differences start to show. Much attention has been given
to preventing, or at least reducing, the old bugaboo of water filters:
clogging. In addition to the external strainer, designed to filter out any
impurities larger than 130 microns, Katadyn has designed a secondary
pre-filter, referred to as a ‘filter protector’ in the literature, which wraps
around the primary filter element. I could find no reference to the filtering
rate in microns, but the filter protector is clearly finer than the strainer on
the input hose. Its primary purpose is to afford additional protection against
clogging of the primary cartridge. An additional advantage is that the filter
protector is field maintainable. The instructions are provided illustrating how
to remove the filter cartridge and then to remove the filter protector, held in
place by a stretchable plastic mesh. The filter can then be scrubbed with a
provided sponge and the filter reassembled.
The primary filter cartridge is rated to .3 microns, which will remove all
bacteria and protozoa, such as Guardia and Cryptosporidium. The next important
feature is the activated carbon core now included as part of the filter
cartridge design. This was a feature that PUR included as part of its Hiker
Voyager model, but the activated charcoal was contained inside the water bottle
adapter. The original Voyager design had an iodine component in the filter
cartridge, intended to eliminate virus contamination (thus obtaining the
highest #1 – or purifier- filter rating). The intent of the activated charcoal
was to remove the iodine taste from the filtered water, as well as providing
additional filtering for organic chemicals. Unfortunately, it was later learned
that the iodine exposure was too brief to be effective and the #1 rating was
discontinued.
Katadyn has taken the more practical route and focused on the #2 rating, which
really is sufficient for most applications. The activated carbon is now located
within the filter cartridge itself and intended to reduce the presence of any
organic chemicals and generally improve the flavor and color of the filtered water.
In the rare instance that one might require additional protection against
viruses, Katadyn properly recommends a secondary chemical treatment of the
water on the box labeling.
Additional details:
One thing that always bothered me about the original PUR hiker design was that
the input and output hoses are more or less permanently connected. It seemed to
me that this invited the possibility of cross contamination of the hoses when
the filter was packed in its stuff sack. I never experienced an illness, but it
seemed the possibility was always there. Katadyn has addressed this potential
issue in two ways. The quick connect fittings allow quick removal of the hoses
prior to packing, so they can be isolated and packed separately. In addition,
Katadyn has provided a dedicated plastic storage pouch just for (and even
labeled!) the outlet hose. This is a very nice detail. Another plus is that by
having two different hose fittings, it is not possible to accidentally connect
the input hose to the output fitting, further reducing the possibility of
accidental contamination.
Another nice detail is the inclusion of a black nylon carry
pouch. The pouch is 9 in (23 cm) X 7 in (18 cm). It has a zipper closure across
the top front and two nylon webbing loop tabs at either end, one 1 in (2.5 cm)
long, the other 2.3 in (6 cm) long. Inside the pouch is a tag which gives
“Important Field Tips”.
Water Pump Preparation:
Before one is supposed to use the Katadyn Hiker Pro in the field, the
instructions advise that the filter be flushed out first. The instructions
state it is important to flush about a liter of water through the filter before
use. The purpose is to remove any activated charcoal dust in the filter
cartridge. After I completed the assembly process, I pumped two liters of water
through the filter. The dark grey color of the water exiting the filter
verified the importance of the flushing process. The literature states the dust
is harmless, but it is certainly not aesthetically pleasing. I then pumped
another two liters through the filter and this water was perfectly clear.
Pump Rate:
I tend to be a bit skeptical of manufactures performance data, as they often
seem to generate their data on a product sample that is somehow a bit better
than the shelf model. I am pleased to report that Katadyn does not do this. In
fact, my initial pumping test indicates that their data is well on the
conservative side. Katadyn states that the Hiker Pro will pump at the
approximate rate of a quart (.95 L) a minute with 48 easy strokes. Now, ‘easy’
is a relative term, but I found the pumping effort to be quite moderate. I did
not have to work hard at all to exceed Katadyn’s stated rate. In my first
minute of pumping, I completed 59 strokes and pumped well over a quart (.95 L).
Summary:
Likes:
1 – Quality materials used all around.
2 – Very easy to filter large volumes of water.
3 – New upgrades, including quick release fittings and filter protector design.
Dislikes:
1) Size and weight, which really are not that unreasonable, especially when
considered against the resulting advantages: Easy filtering of large volumes of
water.
The Hiker water filter design has a long and positive history in the hiking
community. Katadyn has taken a tried and true design and made some very
intelligent upgrades to what was already a good product. The quality of the
plastic moldings and seals are all but flawless and the design fits nicely in
the hand without being bulky. The pump action is comfortable and about as easy
as I’ve ever experienced in a filter. The pump rate is also one of the best on
the backpacking market. All these factors combine to make a really nice pump.
If I have one nit to pick, it has to do with the size and weight of the Hiker
design. The filter really isn’t overly large or heavy and will quickly
disappear in a typical backpack. The size and weight are considerable enough to
give an ultralight backpacker pause, however. One must keep in mind that the
size (and therefore the weight) of the filter, which allows a large filtering
area in the cartridge, is on of the primary reasons the pump action is so easy
and pump rate so fast.
Test Plan:
The Hiker Pro will be used as my only filter source for the next four months.
During this time I will be observing the following details:
- Does the pumping pressure increase over time?
- Does the pumping rate decrease over time?
- Do the new quick release fittings leak?
- Are the supplied extra fittings sufficient to adapt the filter to my existing
water bladder inventory, or do I have to go out and purchase a compatible
product to enjoy this feature?
- How easy is the field cleaning process?
- How effective is the filter protector? Does cleaning, or removing, the filter
protector result in a noticeable difference after much pumping?
- Does the activated charcoal element in the filter cartridge have a noticeable
effect on water flavor?
All the above will checked and noted, as well as any other items of interest
that arise during the test period.
