I use the hiker pro on paddling trips, and backpacking trips where space is limited for both extra water and bulky gear. I like it because it packs small and works very well. I have used it to pump water out of mossy water at times and the water always comes out clear and odor free. I have never experienced any problems with pumping and I can fill my camel back up in no time and be on my way. I always feel safe with this product.

Customer Service

I have never needed to use them

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tablets..gross taste. boiling..takes too long to cool

A damn good filter that does what it is advertised to do. Used it for a couple of days water that was full of sediment and didn't have any problems with it clogging. The only complaint I have is that the design is suited more to packing well than for pumping large volumes of water. (We ended up having 3 flters for 14 people--my hiker, a sweetwater guardian which clogged frequently, and a pur first need which also worked well). As such it gets pretty tiring after pumping more than two gallons or so.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it.

Great filter - I've used it on five extended day trips and dozens of overnighters without one glitch. Its fast, light, and easy to use. I'm approaching the 200 gallon limit on the filter and will replace it soon but not because the pumping has slowed down because it hasn't.

Customer Service

No need to use.

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None

Great piece of equipment! Light and effective. Pumps a whole lot of water fast.

I have both a PUR Hiker and a Sweetwater Guardian. While the Guardian has been my filter of choice lately because of compactness and weight, the Hiker is more reliable and durable. I have yet to have my Hiker clog or fail, but it is more difficult to pump. I would recommend this pump to anybody looking for a good all around water filter. Purchase the iodine filter for it (if they are still available) and you have a higher level of protection.

this gilter greatest attraction to me was it's "guaranteed not to clog" promise. with such a promise, i bought it although it's not field serviceable. at the begining, it was really fast - 1 qt./minute, and even beyond. my first cartridge clogged after only 8 gallons, when i had to filter murky water in the appalachian. after that - even after rinsing and on clear water, it was very hard to pump, and took up to five minutes a quart. i continued to use it for about more 35 gallons, because i wasn't in place to replace it; pumping become a work for 2, and was VERY hard. i called PUR, and they explained that very dirty water can clog the filter, however they sent me a replacement free of charge - as their advertisement promised. with the next cartridge i was more careful: i've added another prefilter (Sweet water SiltStopper), used coffee filters, and tried the best to use the cleanest water around. this time, it has clogged after 30 gallons approx. removing the prefilter and filtering clear water from a home hose didn't do much to improve the flow rate, and rinsing the cartridge didn't do much either, although it was only off-white, meaning "no very dirty". this time, Katadyn's (Pur mothercompany) responded to my enquiries in several e-mails, all pointing out that they can't assure the filter will not clog, becuase even in clear water and with the prefilters some silt may get through. in other words, the filter that was guaranteed not to clog can be clogged by almost everything. and when it cloggs, there nothing u can do about it. enough for me - i'm switching filters. if it's reliable only in completely clean water, it's no use for me - i hike in varing conditions, and sometimes have to filter dirty water. the PUR, my experience showed, is quite useless in such conditions. si'll probably go with one of the field-servicable models, like the msr (heavy! slow!) or the sweetwater guardian (Mixed reviews).

Customer Service

good. they replaced the cartridge at their own cost.

If your looking for a light wieght, compact, never needs cleaning, quick pumping filter this is definately the one. I have taken this filter on many, many trips and it has never let me down. It pumps faster than the MSR miniworks that my friend has so dont be fooled by what some people say. We alternated on just a few trips back and forth until we both agreed that the hiker was much quicker even though the handle design is not as user friendly as the lever on the MSR. I previously owned a sweetwater walkabout which was not bad but really wore you out to pump and required some cleanig. My friend used to own a sweetwater guardian which would piss on you all the time when you tried to pump fast or when it started to clog which it did much to easily. We both still use the sweetwater silt filter in-line cartridge which I recomend to everybody who rely's on these type of filters. The silt filter greatly cuts down on the dirt that goes to your main filter and since it is clear, you can see how dirty the water is as you are pumping. I have probably pumped 60 to 80 gallons of semi decent water and this last trip my friend saw me take the filter apart after we got done to let evertything dry and he asked if I had gotten a new filter recently. I simply said what the manufacturer says in their literature. The filter should go about 200 gallons before needing to be replaced. If it begins to clog at that point you should be able to rinse the fiter off enough to finish filtering for that trip and when you get home throw it away and buy a new one. So far mine still looks like its brand new and my silt filters have turned brown instantly many times. I have never had to clean it and don't see that i will need to for a long time. Maybe it's the silt filters but our other filters still clogged constantly in the same rivers and creeks that we have frequented over the last 8 years of backpacking. The only thing I would change is to have a lever pump but once you get used to it you wont notice. I doubt that i will ever own anything different. Awesome fiter!!!

Customer Service

never needed it

Similar Products Used:

Sweetwater Walkabout, Sweetwater guardian, and MSR miniworks.

This was my first filter purchase. I am very impressed with the ease and the speed. This is the one to get.

Customer Service

Never needed

I've now had the 1st generation Hiker for years, and it has never let me down. I've filtered more gallons than I can count, from clear snowmelt streams to heavily silted glacial rivers. Change the filters and it lasts forever. Once had arctic ground squirrls chew up my hoses, but managed to salvage enought to keep going.

Customer Service

$15 dollars for replacement hoses was a bit much, but they were very helpful

This is an excellent filter. I've had mine over 5 years and used it dozens of times. The only problem I've ever had is that when it's completely out of water it sometimes has difficulty in starting. To remedy this, I remove the bottom hose and place the filter bottom directly into the water source for a couple of pumps just to get it going. Filters last about 3-4 days for up to 3 persons. After that they become sluggish. I usually bring extra filter for week-long excursions.

Customer Service

REI has excellent customer service but haven't had any problems with this particular product.

Similar Products Used:

Sweet Water Guardian - Pump failed on first day of trip. First Need - Awkward to pump and slow.