Katadyn Pocket Water Filter

Dave

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Well, it won't fit in MY pocket but in my opinion it's the most bomber water filter out there.

It is expensive but, as I always say, buy once cry once.

Katadyn did not pay me or provide any gear for this independent write up.

Unlike the cheapies I see online and at REI, it has an all metal case and piston, ceramic filter, and it's Swiss made with a 20 year warranty.

We pulled water every day (4 day trip) out of Lake Superior with this bad boy and had zero issues. I can't really find anything to complain about other than size or weight but those attributes are what makes it what it is.

NPS recommends a filter specification of at least 0.4 microns, the Katadyn Pocket filters at 0.2 microns (!), the filter’s silver impregnated ceramic element is effective against bacteria and protozoa, and can filter up to 13,000 gallons (50,000 liters) before needing a new ceramic element, depending on fresh water source and quality.

I consider all surface lake and stream water to be contaminated with pathogens and so should you. Drinking contaminated water can make you very sick. Learn more HERE about types of contamination.

To be 100% safe, water collected should be filtered and then boiled at a rolling boil (Jetboil etc) for at least one minute because most filters (even this one) do not filter out VIRUSES. They must be killed via boiling, adding chemicals like chlorine, or by using UV light from a device such as the Steripen.

Suitable for cloudy or very dirty water, this is the only water filter I need to own and can provide water for me and my family during an extended emergency.

I give this Katadyn 5 stars for durability and ease of use, about 1-1.5 minutes to fill a 1 liter Nalgene bottle with clean, good tasting water.

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A Note on Algea: Blue-green algae can be toxic, and filtering does not remove toxins from the water. Avoid swimming, fishing, or filtering water if it has a cloudy-blue cast or looks like "pea soup".

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Very cool, thanks for the review. I hate pumping, but love my Katadyn filter (although its not the same one).

6L gravity filter, hangs from a tree/truck/rock filters fast with zero effort. Best money I have spent on gear in a few years. Specs are 2 quarts a minute (and I think its close) and .2 microns also. Has a pre filter that helps keep the main filter from getting clogged as quickly with dirty water.

water-purifier-camping-einzigartig-134-best-katadyn-water-filters-images-on-pinterest-water-filter-of-water-purifier-camping.jpg
 
You probably couldn't have a better source of water to sanitize for your use than there. Some of the purest on the planet.

It would be an interesting test to bring it along with you to Uwharrie this October and we can source some local water from the river or Badin Lake.
 
You probably couldn't have a better source of water to sanitize for your use than there. Some of the purest on the planet.

It would be an interesting test to bring it along with you to Uwharrie this October and we can source some local water from the river or Badin Lake.

Agreed. And I don’t think it would have any different results with Badin Lake water. It’s just not rated for Lake Bandini...

;)
 
Agreed. And I don’t think it would have any different results with Badin Lake water. It’s just not rated for Lake Bandini...

;)
Well, I would tell people it was from Badin Lake. In reality the source might actually be a little closer to camp... :D
 
I will be in the market for a filter. Thanks for posting. I'll have to ask my daughter if shes been using her Steripen in Namibia I don't think she has any other type of filter.
 
Well, it won't fit in MY pocket but in my opinion it's the most bomber water filter out there.

It is expensive but, as I always say, buy once cry once.

Katadyn did not pay me or provide any gear for this independent write up.

Unlike the cheapies I see online and at REI, it has an all metal case and piston, ceramic filter, and it's Swiss made with a 20 year warranty.

We pulled water every day (4 day trip) out of Lake Superior with this bad boy and had zero issues. I can't really find anything to complain about other than size or weight but those attributes are what makes it what it is.

NPS recommends a filter specification of at least 0.4 microns, the Katadyn Pocket filters at 0.2 microns (!), the filter’s silver impregnated ceramic element is effective against bacteria and protozoa, and can filter up to 13,000 gallons (50,000 liters) before needing a new ceramic element, depending on fresh water source and quality.

I consider all surface lake and stream water to be contaminated with pathogens and so should you. Drinking contaminated water can make you very sick. Learn more HERE about types of contamination.

To be 100% safe, water collected should be filtered and then boiled at a rolling boil (Jetboil etc) for at least one minute because most filters (even this one) do not filter out VIRUSES. They must be killed via boiling, adding chemicals like chlorine, or by using UV light from a device such as the Steripen.

Suitable for cloudy or very dirty water, this is the only water filter I need to own and can provide water for me and my family during an extended emergency.

I give this Katadyn 5 stars for durability and ease of use, about 1-1.5 minutes to fill a 1 liter Nalgene bottle with clean, good tasting water.

View attachment 40043

View attachment 40044

A Note on Algea: Blue-green algae can be toxic, and filtering does not remove toxins from the water. Avoid swimming, fishing, or filtering water if it has a cloudy-blue cast or looks like "pea soup".

View attachment 40042
Dave,
Great review. Katadyn is bombproof for sure , I've filled my fair share of water bottles over the past few years from Africa to North America with zero issues.
A little bit of elbow grease operating the filter beats Giardia, dysentery , or bilharzia hands down any day.:eek:
 
Great product. No personal experience with it but it was on my shortlist. Ended up with an MSR and have been very happy there. I also carry a bottle of Polar Pure as backup or for use against viruses.

One killer for any filter is debris. Many can be field cleaned to counter this but keep the inlet water as free of dirt and floaties as possible. I was canoeing a southern river years ago and we had to fill a 5gal bucket that was part of our gear and give is about 30 minutes for the silt to settle out.

Also be aware of filter elements freezing in cold weather. If a crack develops if will render the filter ineffective.
 
Great product. No personal experience with it but it was on my shortlist. Ended up with an MSR and have been very happy there. I also carry a bottle of Polar Pure as backup or for use against viruses.

One killer for any filter is debris. Many can be field cleaned to counter this but keep the inlet water as free of dirt and floaties as possible. I was canoeing a southern river years ago and we had to fill a 5gal bucket that was part of our gear and give is about 30 minutes for the silt to settle out.

Also be aware of filter elements freezing in cold weather. If a crack develops if will render the filter ineffective.

Great post. The Katadyn Pocket has a very nice "double insurance policy" against intake of debris. The intake tube has a large plastic "bumper cage" as well as an inner pre-filter at the distal end. The bumper keeps the pre-filter from resting on anything, and an adjustable float on the line allows you to dial in the depth of your actual water intake while pumping. A stainless steel clip keeps the outlet tube attached to your Nalgene bottle so you're not chasing it or losing precious water.

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So you pump the water through the filter AND boil the water or just use the filter?
 
So you pump the water through the filter AND boil the water or just use the filter?

The filter is effective against ALL bacteria and protozoa. In a setting like Isle Royale far out in Lake Superior, filtering was enough by itself as I felt very little worry over viruses out there, an assumed risk but it was fine.

In less pristine areas, and to be 100% sure that there are no live VIRUSES in the water, I boil for at least 1 minute in addition to filtering.

Great info from the CDC on water purification for travelers HERE
 
Great post. The Katadyn Pocket has a very nice "double insurance policy" against intake of debris. The intake tube has a large plastic "bumper cage" as well as an inner pre-filter at the distal end. The bumper keeps the pre-filter from resting on anything, and an adjustable float on the line allows you to dial in the depth of your actual water intake while pumping. A stainless steel clip keeps the outlet tube attached to your Nalgene bottle so you're not chasing it or losing precious water.

View attachment 40053
Couldn't agree more on float use. Keep the float positioned so that the inlet is at least a few inches under the surface (away from the floaters), and off the bottom, and you are typically good to go. For extreme cases of suspended material, fill a container and let it settle out to keep the filter happy (even with a pre-screen element). The 5 gallon bucket of river water I mentioned ended up with a solid layer of Georgia silt on the bottom after some time. The MSR's pre-filter (which is more of a foam screen than filter) still let enough of this though to be an inconvenience and required a field clean before we adopted this technique.

Two features not discussed yet are the pump mechanisms and outlet styles:
The Katadyn is a simple in/out reciprocal design. Unsupported you may tire after some time, but you can easily set the pump on a surface and use your entire body to pump (as Dave models above :coolphotos). Less fatigue, more water. Something like the MSR uses a lever mechanism. I find it to be fine for a while unsupported, but there really is no option to brace except against the container that you are filling. You start to feel it in your arms when you are filling everyone's bottles in camp.

Finally, the Katadyn uses the simplest option of a tube with a clip to get the water into a container. This will attach to everything from reused 20oz Cheerwine bottles, to a Nalgene, to a Scepter water can. My filter has a threaded bottom to attach directly to a Nalgene or Dromedary Bag, which is handy, but beyond that one must employ adapters or extra parts.

This thread is making me thirsty.
 
That thing looks built very well. We have two Katadyn filters that we keep handy in the truck, one is a levered pump type capable of 100,000 gallons per filter, and the other is the MyBottle, which I think they say is 13,000 gallons? We've yet to use either one, and consider them just part of the bailout bag requirements.
 
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