Reviews > Water Treatment > Filters > Katadyn Hiker Water Filter > Owner Review by James Bertil Warberg Jr

OWNER REVIEW - Katadyn Hiker Filter

June 19, 2006

Tester Bio

Name: Jim Warberg

Age: 45

Gender: Male

Height: 6' 0" ( 1.83 meters)

Weight: 200 pounds (113 kilograms)

Email address: jwarberg@mlgw.org

City, State, Country: Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

I have 10 years of backpacking experience. I typically make 3-5 trips per year. I like to hike the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in early spring and late fall. For summer hikes I like to find cooler (temperature-wise) destinations, mainly the North Cascades in Washington State. I am branching out this year by planning trips to Great Basin National Park in Nevada and Rocky Mountains National Park in Colorado. I carry a very heavy pack when hiking with my sons. When hiking with adults, though, I try and pack lightweight. I have hiked portions of the AT and PCT and I like to peak bag.

Manufacturer's Specification Information

Product Tested:................... Katadyn Hiker Filter (water filter)

Weight: ............................... 11.0 ounces (312 grams)

Height: ............................... 6.5 inches (165 millimeters)

Hose Length: ....................... 36 inches (914 millimeters)

Filter medium: .................. Pleated 0.3 micron glass fiber carbon core

Output: ............................. 1 quart (1 liter) per minute

Pump strokes: .................. 48 per 1 quart (1 liter)

Cartridge Capacity:......... Up to 200 gallons (757 liters) (depending on water quality)

Manufacturer: .................. Katadyn

Year of Manufacture: ....... 2004

Manufacturer web site: .... www.katadyn.ch

MSRP: .................................. $59.95 US

Tested Performance Information (as delivered)

Weight :............................. 11.7 ounces (331 grams)

Output: ............................. 1.6 quarts per minute (1.2 liters)

Pump strokes per liter: .... 47

Height: .............................. 6.5 inches (165 millimeters)
Hose Length: .................... 37.5 inches (953 millimeters)

Cartridge Capacity:......... 27.4 gallons (103.7 liters)
(Actual pumped capacity before having to change filter cartridge)

Basic Overview

The Katadyn hiker is a basic water filtration system. It comes with a filter cartridge, pump handle, and accessories to fit hydration bladders and canteens. Additionally, it comes with a small carrying case for convenient storage in a backpack compartment. Manufacturer claims are that the pump filters bacteria and protozoa; no claims are made that it can filter out viruses or chemicals.

Field Conditions

I have tested this filter on seven hikes and in all four seasons. In the Smoky Mountains it was tested under cold and snowy conditions on winter and spring hikes with temperatures ranging from 15 to 65 Fahrenheit (-9 to 18 Celcius) and elevations of 2000 to 5400 feet (610 to 1646 meters). In Washington state it was tested during dry and dusty summer conditions with temperatures ranging from 35 to 75 Fahrenheit (2 to 24 Celcius) and elevations ranging from 2500 to 7200 feet (762 to 2195 meters). All water filtered was from lakes and streams with water that appeared clean.

Field information

After years of using iodine and boiling to purify water, I decided to purchase a water filtering system, mostly because I was tired of the iodine taste and wanted good tasting water to drink on a hike. I chose the Katadyn Hiker Filter, because I found it on sale.

I have used the filter on four hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and three hikes in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. I have used and abused the filter in all weather conditions (wet, bitter cold, very hot, dusty, muddy, dry,..) and it has performed well as a four season filter.

The positives of this pumping system are ease of use and pumping performance. The filter beat the 48 strokes per quart (liter) claimed in the manufacturer's specifications; it was easy to use and pumped water as quickly as I wanted on every occasion.

Another positive is that the pump comes with a fitting made to fit wide-mouth Nalgene bottles and CamelBak hydration bags; very easy to set up and fill containers. I also bought an additional fitting for Platypus water containers. The pump comes with a somewhat compact bag for storage in a backpack; it is a bit of pain to find space for it, because it takes up valuable space and weight for a lightweight backpacker like me.

As for the glass/fiber core filter, it remained clean after six trips and soiled up on the seventh; I have filtered approximately 27.4 gallons (104 liters) of water through the unit. The manufacturer's specs claim that each cartridge is good for filtering up to 200 gallons (757 liters) of water, depending on water quality. The filter cartridge got dirty in color on the seventh trip after I pumped water out of a spring on the Appalachian Trail (AT). I filtered water without using the pre-filter on the end of the inlet hose. The water looked clean, but there obviously was dirt in it that was imperceptible.

WARNING: It is critical to always use the pre-filter on the inlet hose to avoid any debris from clogging up the filter cartridge. After the AT hike (where I pumped without the pre-filter), whatever I had pumped into the cartridge that discolored it set up when dried and permanently clogged up the filter cartridge. I had to purchase a replacement filter cartridge (retail price $34.95 US). Detailed diagrams of the filter and maintenance instructions are available by Googling "Katadyn Hiker Maintenance" (a set also comes with the pump).

Instructions for cleaning the filter are to pump a quart of water (1 liter) with two tablespoons (29.6 milliliters) of bleach through the unit after each hike. After the first six trips, the original filter cartridge was still nearly the same color as when I purchased it; I faithfully cleaned it after each hike. After the seventh hike, whatever set up in the filter cartridge did not come clean by using the bleach and water method. After pumping the bleach solution, I would hang out the inlet & outlet tubes and set out the filter cartridge to dry before putting the pump in its storage pack. I trusted the bleach solution to kill bacteria in the hoses and filter cartridge. Cleaning instructions can also be found on Internet sites similar to those found when looking for the illustrated parts breakdown. Although the filter and pump can only be cleaned at home, that wasn't an issue for me; I have used it for up to six days at a time on hikes and only the AT experience was a problem. I would suggest bringing some sort of chemical water treatment as a backup, in case the unit fails in the field. Even though I did not take care to keep the unit from freezing on my hikes, I have not noted any perceptible freeze damage.

The pump is fairly easy to take apart when performing maintenance (lubing seals, cleaning the cartridge, etc.). The pump handle is easily removed to enable me to clean the cylinder and the pump handle seal. Katadyn includes a tube of their silicone lubricant in its replacement cartridges for lubricating the rubber seal on the filter cartridge. The only difficulty that I have had with maintaining the pump was taking the filter off for the first time; it was screwed on so tight that it seemed impossible to get off (and I am a manly-man).

The filter is relatively easy to set up and use. For example, time to set up, pump 4.2 quarts (4 liters) of water, and then break down and put the unit away takes less than ten minutes. The length of the inlet and outlet hoses are only three feet (91 centimeters), so I did have to find a place to sit or hunker down where I was close to the water source. The pump handle has a large grip and the handle shaft slides smoothly, enabling the expeditious pumping & filtering of water. I found the pump easy to use.

After all that we finally get to taste; this unit pumps water that has no perceptible aftertaste (which is exactly what I bought it for).

Even with my mistake with pre-filtering, I still highly recommend the purchase of this water filtration system both for ease of pumping and for great tasting water.

Reviews > Water Treatment > Filters > Katadyn Hiker Water Filter > Owner Review by James Bertil Warberg Jr