Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter Reviews

• Excellent backpacking water purifier

  
  By A1HNHYAH2WOYVQ on 2006-07-05
  Backpacking with the scout troop in the Colorado back country, we see a bunch of different water filters. This is one of the easiest and fastest to use. The inlet line can be easily placed in a small stream, and the float adjusted so it doesn't sit on the bottom. It isn't very sensitive to being fully submerged, unlike some other filters. Even the younger boys have no trouble operating this one. You can easily fill up a 1-quart water bottle in less than a minute. It comes with a reasonable carrying bag, although some care must be taken to keep the inlet & outlet lines separate. Parts (e.g., replacement filters) are readily available from a variety of sporting-goods & camping stores.
  
  

• Works great

  
  By A2M96VHTTWKSLE on 2006-11-06
  Used this for the first time on a two day hike at Albert Pike in Western Arkansas. Worked like a charm with no problems at all. Make sure you flush out the charcoal at home before you use it for the first time, or you will have a mess in your water bottle.
  
  

• Portable, easy to use, a great product!

  
  By A36HTH3AY1BUU5 on 2007-01-04
  I purchased this product to filter my water on a daily basis (I live in the interior region of a developing country) and it's great! The pumping handle is strong and sturdy, and it takes a short amount of time to filter a 2 liter bottle of water (1-2 minutes on average). The input and output hoses are more than adequate (almost too long for everyday use!). Best of all, when I do travel it packs into a small carrying case that takes up minimal space in my bag, and is lighter than a pair of jeans. A great product, highly rated for both camping/hiking and everyday use.
  
  

• quick and easy

  
  By A1MLKY2I5SGL7L on 2005-08-02
  just used for first time this past week on a five day hike. very quick fill rate and ease of use make this a great choice for the hiker or camper in you.
  
  

• Katadyn Hiker Pro

  
  By A1C6YABP87SEYB on 2007-05-18
  Flows nice. Fills a liter bottle in well under a minute with minimal effort. I pumped out of an active beaver pond and didn't get sick. In running water, a creek, the intake siphon isn't heavy enough to keep it in deeper water. The current keeps pushing it out to the edge. I might try a tent stake and a rubber band to keep it in the mid-water.
  
  
• Virtually indestructable
  By A1P1CHPG6WX134 on 2007-08-03
  I have the Hiker, purchased a few years ago. It's essentially the same filter, just previous model. I've hiked over 200 miles with this little bad-boy. It's a little slow to pump, but I think all hand-held, lightweight filters are that way. The think I like the most is the filter is almost indestructable. I've dropped a bunch of times, and it's been thrown into my bag with no worries. HIGHLY recommended.
  
  Only note of caution is to be sure to follow Katadyn's suggestion method of cleaning after use (which requires flush with bleach or other). If you don't do this, you risk microbies growing... which happened to me once... bad diarreah, you don't want it! So be sure to clean out the "proper" way after use.
  
  
• 4-Star trying to be a 5
  By A164328T2EEMZK on 2007-06-03
  Katadyn has a history of making very good products. To say that this rises from hiker to hiker pro makes the buyer think they should spend the extra money and move up to the next level. That is not the case. The basic units are the same, you just get more junk with the pro. The extra screen on the pro is flimsy at best, removal is difficult, and I don,t expect it to last long. KISS, buy the hiker and avoid the junk. ;)
  
  
• Best filter for the price
  By AGZFQ8SWSFLP on 2007-12-18
  I'm a Boy Scout leader and spend a lot of time in the outdoors camping and backpacking. For the past 20 years, I've only used iodine tablets for water filtration primarily due to the fact that I couldn't justify the added weight of a water filter when the iodine works just fine. I think alot of this was due to the fact that I always camped where there was plenty of fresh water. Well, this past summer's drought in the South opened my eyes to the necessity of having a filter. When it comes to having to drink out of muddy puddles, then it's time for more than just tablets.
  
  I had tried out an MSR filter that our Boy Scout troop owns and didn't like it because it was so slow to use. Then, I went backpacking with a friend of mine who had a Katadyn Hiker filter. I loved it! It was very light. The pump action was very comfortable and the flow was fast. I also love the way it just connects to a Nalgene bottle via the hose adapter.
  
  So, I spent a long time shopping around before I finally decided to go with the Hiker Pro. It's basically the same as the Hiker except that it has an additional screen around the filter element that permits you to service it in the field and extend the life of the main filter. If you already have a Hiker model, you can just buy the screen and you'll have the same filter.
  
  I couldn't be happier with this filter. It's a very simple, but effective design that I feel that I can trust for any length of trip. The water that comes out of it tastes great too. I recently went on a trip that required filtering from a black spring hole. The water filter with the Hiker Pro came out crystal clear and tasted great.
  
  
• I take this unit to Alaska
  By ANWS9MK0VIXJC on 2007-03-15
  on my yearly fishing trips - fantastic! It saves so much weight on the float planes to not have to bring bottled water. I also use it on float trips in the lower 48 - really saves weight and space as well as putting out a great finished product.
  
  
• Most Expensive Water I Ever Drank
  By A12PA6CWN406DO on 2008-03-21
  I purchased this filter for backpacking, but it failed on the first trip. The filter did produce about ten liters before the check valve blew out. I thought it was just a bad unit, but another hiker in our group had the exact same unit and it also failed after about ten liters. At $6 per liter the water was good, but I am going to try a different brand next time.
  
  
• Katadyn Hiker PRO Filter Review
  By AVHSOTC4AX0NN on 2007-07-04
  Purchased the Katadyn Hiker PRO several weeks ago for use on the AT - Harper's Ferry to Caledonia State Park trip. The PRO quick connect feature makes the filter extremely easy to use. Pumps very fast and converted some other trip members who were using a MSR pump, which pumped much slower and required more effort. The unit pumped water from multiple sources for 5 days - no ill effects, supplied 6 people, lightweight, fast and easy to setup and breakdown. Need I say more?
  
  
• Pumpalicious
  By A2SJ3ADWTEKP6Q on 2007-09-07
  To my liberal-arts mind, the filtering ability of this pump is nothing short of a miracle; I am tempted to try a reverse Christ and turn wine into water. Dare me.
  
  
• Don't Drink The Water.... Without It.
  By ANXR1O98JSAMO on 2007-07-03
  This is why I got it.
  
  1.) It's lightweight and small
  2.) It purifies water reliably and easily
  3.) It has different sized output devices, one being a water bottle nozzle
  4.) It purifies up to 300 liters of water with one filter in optimum conditions
  
  
• bottom valve broke before I got to use it camping
  By A33V6GHIOPIPW4 on 2008-07-06
  If you make something for camping make it sturdy, The valve began to leak and finally just broke on this filter before I got it out of the testing phase, I thank god I wasn't out camping where I would have been in the middle of nowhere without water because this plastic valve broke. Not sturdy at all, it's a risk, don't trust this thing for serious camping.
  
  
• Great filter for weight conscience trippers
  By A3O6VRUW3Z15P8 on 2007-10-20
  I used my Hiker filter in a recent trip to the Boundary Waters and it worked flawlessly. The water was the best tasting water I have ever had through a filter. It tasted better than the bottled water that I buy. It was easy to pump and is small enough to keep in my fanny (survival) pack.
  
  
• Simple, fast, reliable.
  By A3UM0QQPSIA8MI on 2008-02-22
  For the money, this water filter can't be beat. It's extremely simple to use. It includes a nice adapter that fits most standard Nalgene type bottles. It's compact. It pumps pretty fast. Basically, it is a must have for the serious adventurer. I'm sure that I'll be enjoying mine for years to come.
  
  
• GREAT PRODUCT
  By A12RN9JU66TBS5 on 2007-12-26
  WAS AS THE AD STATED AND WILL BE AN ASSET TO THE HIKER WE PURCHASED IT FOR!
  
  
• Water tastes so bad you cannot drink it!
  By A3BCJ4O1FHS89Q on 2008-07-18
  I took this to Africa for a month and only got water that tasted so bad that no one would drink it. Ever try to find bottled water in the middle of Serengeti National Park? How about finding a replacement filter out amongst the Maasai?
  
  It took two people to work: one to pump and the other to hold the bottles so that they did not keep falling over. Very awkward to use! It needs some design work and serious quality control testing!
  
  
• A definate must-have
  By A2K92P8HLOJ79Q on 2008-04-18
  This filter is everything that it promises to be. It is easy to setup and use, and has a great flow rate. The carying case fits everything: the pump, the lines, and all the accessories. The direct Camelback attachment fits securely and is especially useful. The filter was not put to any kind of test on this trip (the river was very clean), but given that it uses active carbon, i have no doubts in its abilities.
  
  
• Confidence that can make your trip!
  By A2ADMO3VOBBF3I on 2008-06-09
  Of the many products for treating water this is by far my favorite!
  I live in Indiana so the places were I often Paddle or backpack are in or around current or former farming areas. that means "cooties" aren't the only things I am concerned with ingesting.
  This filter also removes whats called "agricultural particulates" witch are pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers etc.. I am very pleased with the ease of use and care of this filter. The speed with witch I can treat several gallons of water is simply amazing! I often travel With my dog "Bodhi" so I need to treat a lot of water quickly, as he is not the patient type. I also don't have to worry about the long term effects of iodine treatments on his or my body. If you want a lightweight, portable, and reliable way to treat your agua this is your tool!
  
  
• excellent product
  By A3CG2RQB9ZRARX on 2008-06-13
  I started using the Hiker Pro three years ago and have so far hiked the A.T. to Erwin, Tn., the entire Benton McKay trail and the Suwanee section of the Florida trail. Also, took my kayak from White Springs Fl to the Gulf of Mexico (170) miles and used the filter on all trips. The only problem I ever had was in North Georgia I was pumping and the handle broke off. I was able to use the needle nose pliers in my tiny multi-tool to grab the pump shaft until I arrived at Wesser N.C. and the Natahala Outdoor Center GAVE me a replacement handle. (What a great bunch of people!!!) Will be back on the A.T. in October and will have the Hiker Pro with me.
  
  
• Hard to pump
  By A17KADCQDQZSLA on 2008-06-18
  After 4 days on the Appalachian Trail, this filter became very hard to pump. It worked for my entire 7 day trip, but I was worried it might fail before I could return to civilization. Other hikers on the trail recommended the MSR filter b/c of the ceramic filter it used...I dont know...I can't provide a long-term review, but I would definitely carry a spare filter if you have the Hiker Pro.
  
  PS...the water tasted great out of this filter:)
  
  
• Nice and Small
  By A1PCXC78X7IR2Q on 2007-06-20
  I took this filter on a trip to the boundary waters in MN and it worked great! It comes in a small zip up bag and fits easily into your backpack and you still will have plenty of room for your other items. We had one filter for a group of four and everyone was able to enjoy safe water. The water tasted great and had no bad chemical taste at all. It can fill 1 liter in about a minute of pumping. I like that it comes with an attachment to fit in a Nalgene bottle so you don't have to hold the hose. It also works great with a Camelbak backpack. You can attach the filter directly to the drinking hose and fill it up without having to take out the reservoir.
  
  
• Thumbs up
  By AS0XVHRQNI83C on 2008-02-10
  I have been on numberous backpacking trips from 4 mile hikes to 75 mile hikes and have taken this pump on all of them. I once used an old MSR which took forever to pump and only filtered water on the downstroke instead of both. This pump is small, compact and filters water quickly. It would take a lot to convince me to buy a different pump.
  
  
• Filtered hundreds of gallons over 8 years = THE filter to buy.
  By A2PY5ED630H0QJ on 2008-06-12
  My first one broke after 8 years of use and the replacement is identical if not a little better. I have seen and used others on the trail and for the most part they are a joke. Fast, durable, relatively lightweight. Too bad it doesn't have a carbon filter integrated with the bottle adapter like the PUR version (katadyn took them over) but other than that minor (and heavy) omission...it rocks, I love it, everyone uses it, buy it now, don't look back.
  BTW: If you want ultralightweight, go with the new water tablets. It takes an hour long soak in complete darkness but you shave a pound off your pack.
  
  

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