Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter
- Pocket water filter designed four outdoor enthusiasts and international travelers
- Filter's silver-impregnated ceramic element is effective against bacteria and protozoa
- Filters all microorganisms larger than 0.2 microns to produce clear, drinkable water
- Round pump handle for easy pumping; outlet hose attaches to containers with clip
- Measures 2.4 by 10 inches; 1-quart-per-minute output; lifetime warranty
Product Description
The most rugged, longest lasting microfilter available. Chosen by the U.S. military and expeditions due to it's extreme durability and dependability. For those who want the best.Amazon.com Product Description
Water treatment products are in high demand for outdoor enthusiasts, international travelers, and relief agencies. Few are better for long-lasting continuous use, however, than the Katadyn Pocket water microfilter. Made of heavy-duty materials, the P... More >>
Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter
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The Katadyn pocket has a well-deserved reputation for reliability and durability. It is one of the pricier filters but is also rated to pump much more water than its competitors. The Katadyn pocket isn’t light (20 oz), but the better competitor pumps are also about 16 oz., so this isn’t too much heavier. Some of the others pump a little faster, but they are usually 0.3 micron filters, whereas this is a superior 0.2 micron filter. The Katydin pocket is also the only pump with a lifetime warranty (excluding wear of the ceramic filter).
If you search the web, you’ll find a lot of reports of the $75 pumps eventually breaking, especially plastic handles. If you have to replace them (or their short-lived filters), you’ve already well into what it would cost to buy a Katadyn Pocket. This thing is pretty damn tough, and the only way to break it would be to take it apart and drop the inner ceramic filter.
I’ve found it easy to use, though you need to hold it upright to keep water flowing. During 8 years of trips through the Sierra Nevada, Utah, New Hampshire, and Wyoming this filter has never disappointed.
General tips to extend the lifetime of any water filter:
1) Use running water from streams/rivers whenever possible
2) Position the floater so that water inflow comes from the top of the stream and not the bottom (where a lot of sediment stirs about)
3) Rubber band a coffee filter around the prefilter to keep particulate matter out.
4) After pumping, unscrew the filter and drain the excess water. This filter is silver-impregnated though, to prevent microbial growth.
If you want to keep your packing weight down, carry your water in collapsible water bladders instead of thick plastic bottles. You can buy a cheap adapter so that water is pumped from the filter right into the water bladder. If you search around the web you can find the Katydin Pocket for around 180 or less. I tend to pack light and have lots of fancy lightweight gear, but I am serious about my water sources and don’t plan to compromise on this beauty.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is the most amazing water filter on the market. If you are looking for a cheap piece of junk with a plastic handle that might break, buy any of the others on the market. This is used around the world. I have used it in the US and abroad. My friend convinced me since he had used it on a mission trip in the Philippines. I talked to a guy who, while in Utah, could not find anything better than a mud puddle to drink from. He pulled out his Pocket Katadyn and it worked great. Other filters have a relatively short life span. Think about this. The Pocket has possibly a 13,000 gallon life on one filter. If you were to use this filter to pump only one gallon a day, you would need to buy a new filter element 35 years later. That’s assuming your not normally drinking from a mud puddle. Even when the filter gets hard to pump and dirty, all you have to do is open it up and clean it out and it will pump smoothly again. If you consider the life span of this pump it may be the cheapest filter on the market. But if you are one of those people that like to buy cheap things that break and have to be replaced buy one of the cheap filters out there.
True this one is a little heavier, but it is worth having a filter that will work and has a metal handle so you won’t have to worry about breaking it. Although if you do drop it on a rock it is possible to break the filter element. So caution is still needed.
I added the Carbon charcoal extension that enables you to drink from virtually any source. The extension was only around 10 to $12.
This is the best filter on the market.
Well worth the money.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is an awesomely manufactured tool for outdoors or survival or self-reliance. We own and use in raw mountain streams in the Rocky Mountains….WORKS GREAT!! Katadyn claims the original ceramic filter is good for 13,000 gallons…and I believe it. This is outdoor, emergency prep, disaster survival and/or self-reliance gear you’ll use for decades, and then pass down to your kids. Recommend unconditionally!
Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter
Rating: 5 / 5
There are trade offs among weight, size, and cost with the water filters I have used. This one is more expensive, smaller, and packs easier, but is a little heavier for its size due to the nature and quality of the materials utilized. Others are lower priced and made of lighter plastic materials, but occupy more space. I have used this on three and four day hikes. It performs as one would expect. Prepare to do a good deal of pumping to produce your water. I gave it four stars only because it would be nicer if the design incorporated hoses with a greater diameter to allow more water to be filtered with each pump.
Rating: 4 / 5
I have one of the originals from the early 80′s that has seen many parts of the world and has always worked for me.
Used extensively I have replaced the element several times.
Cost means nothing compared to having the runs or worse.
Rating: 5 / 5