Katadyn Pocket Water Filter

I wanted a decent and reliable portable water filter that could be used for either drinking from the filter bottle or decanting larger amounts into water bottles. I did consider a couple of other manufactures namely, Drinksafe and Lifesaver, but a closer look at their products could be expensive in the long term. Drinksafe manufacture several filtration units. The reviews are on the whole quite good but several reviews have questioned the build quality (leaks from the cap by squeezing the bottle too hard when the filter starts to become clogged or leaks from the flip out drinking teat assembly). Some claim in real world useage the amount of water it can filter is way too generous and the filter can clog prematurely if you try to filter too much water that has high sediment with no way to clean the filter. Replacement filters cost around £24. Another attractive water filter system was the Lifesaver 4000UF. A fairly light all plastic construction and used by the military, it's about half the price of the Katadyn pocket system. The downside is the price of the filters. Unopened, the main filter has a shelf life of 3 years. Once opened, the life of the main filter is 2 years and at £90 per filter means you're spending £45 per year for filtered water. The additional carbon block filter only filters 250 litres of water and a replacement pack of 4 carbon filters costs around £20. So this system will become an expensive long term option. The Katadyn Pocket water filter oozes quality and is a simple and proven design. It's difficult to see in normal useage how it could ever go wrong and all reviews on this system are positive. It's certainly not the lightest or smallest filter system available, but it's lighter than carrying several litres of water and more importantly the Pocket gives you peace of mind knowing it will not let you down whenever you need it. Katadyn cannot guarantee the filter will filter out all viruses as some viruses may be smaller than the 0.2 micron filtering ability of this unit. See what Katadyn say with reference to viruses: "The Pocket is a filter, it will remove Bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium however it will not remove all Viruses. Due the small size of virus parasites (0.02 - 0.2 microns) it is not possible to guarantee that all viruses will be removed by the filter alone. Some viruses will bond to larger particles and thus be filtered out by the 0.2 micron filter of the Pocket. For maximum safety against viruses Katadyn recommend water is filtered and then disinfected using a product such as Micropur Forte". So for total protection from contamination additional treatment may be required. Having said that, none of the reviewers of this product on the Internet claim to have succumbed to viral infection just by using the Pocket alone with no additional treatment of water. The cleanable ceramic filter has a lifespan of 50,000 litres of water filtration depending on water quality and does not seem limited by time. It's been estimated that if you filter the average amount of 1.9 litres of water per day, the filter should last about 71 years. So the Pocket will become a family heirloom passed down through the generations before a new filter is required. The Pocket is guaranteed for 20 years, I doubt very much you would need to use the guarantee. I have no hesitation in recommending this product and I'm looking forward to using it.

I thought long and hard before purchasing this because of its high price. Once I'd done a calculation on the cost of ownership it worked out really good value compared with other products. It is very sturdy and easy to use. The build quality is excellent and it's light enough to carry in a back pack. I have no doubt that this will last longer than I will. The added bonus is that, when I'm not using it on my travels, it's there in case there is a loss of mains water supply and I needed to filter large quantities of water.

fantastic product. makes easy clean water every time. did lose the little metal thing on the tube within a few uses though. take it on evey mountain and overseas trip.

This is a top quality, well made and very durable water filter. I am so impressed with the outstanding build quality of this item, not only that but it's reassuring to know that I can take my stainless steel canteen and fill it from any water source I come across outdoors. Obviously clean running water from a spring or river is preferable to still pond water, as it also helps in the longevity of this filter. Possibly the only filter you would ever need...excellent!

Very useful. No more spending in water bottle.

This is a fantastic bit of quality kit, Yes it is heavier than some of the others however the build quality is there and it will out last worth while investment for those that dont have access to a water source all the time used mine a lot on canoeing expeds.

Bought for kilimanjaro trek - did not disappoint. Easy to use and handle. Water quality excellent. On kilimanjaro at 3700m onwards water looks bit brownish - after filtered clear as anything. Also none of us got sick. Great product.

This is an excellent product. The local water supply is not too safe; Causes vulcanic tummy and vesuvian tail. This product eliminates the bacteria causing the problem. Has been in daily use for two years now with no problems. In daily use, remember to take it appart and flush it clean weekly. Similarly, on the trail, always clean it before packing away. Never let the outlet pipe anywhere near the inlet pipe to prevent cross-contamination. Before re-assembly always apply a thin coating of Silicone Grease to the threads and exposed aluminium to prevent oxidation (Aluminium does rust). The tiny tube of grease that comes with the product will not last long so it is a good idea to buy a 100 gram tube of the grease at the same time and pop it into the carrying bag which comes with the filter. It is also a good idea to put a Stainless Steel Cup with folding handle in the bag so you have something to put your clean water into on the trail. That also allows you to have a cup of tea or coffee on the trail boiled over a wee twig fire. Be carefull not to burn doon the forests. A word of warning: The Outer-Sleeve is hard plastic; drop it and it breaks; I learned that the hard way. It can take a while to get a replacement part, and though I was still able to make water safe by boiling, water does not taste as good with the impuritys not filtered out. I suggest wrapping some foam sheeting around the filter to give it some protection against accidental dropping. Remember sod's law, what can happen will happen; no matter how carefull you are, some other sod will drop it, so wrap it. This product is used by the Red Cross, and probably every armed force in the World. Can't think of a better recommendation than that. Check out this data via Google. When the long? overdue Solar Mega-flare hits the Earth, All electric will fail, which means we lose gas and water too, for they are dependent on electric to operate the supply systems. The experts say the Citys will be blacked out for up to a year, so safe water will not be available except to those that can filter their own. Electric not working for a year means food cannot be grown or moved to markets. Ships, trains, trucks, tractors, harvesters simply will not work. All industry will close down and all business be forced to close. That's assuming the mega-flare does not cause every city, town, village to burn down. Life could be pretty rough for a while, and there could be major civil strife caused by lack of food. A worst case scenario could reduce World population to less then a billion; Bad things happen when your neighbour has to become your next meal. But at least, with this filter you will not have to worry about your water supply.