Katadyn Exstream XR

Review Date
August 3, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: inkdust ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $25.00 at Adventure 16

Summary:
I used it on accident, downstream of a herd of cattle and never got sick. It's easy to use. Scoop up some water and squeeze hard to get a drink. It works and is very convenient, but I wouldn't trust it as my sole method of filtering on a multi-day trip. For day hikes I love it!

Customer Service:
Not needed.

Similar Products Used:
Katadyn Hiker and Guide.

Review Date
August 3, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Chaoszen ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $25.00 at Ebay

Summary:
Great for when a source of clean safe water is not available. Or you don't have the time to boil some. The taste is a bit off. But who cares when your thirsty. I used it to drink water from a communal well in India that was known to contain all manner of nasties. I know this personally, as I had previously got Dysentery from that well. Never got sick after using this product.

Customer Service:
Unknown

Similar Products Used:
Water Purification Tablets.

Review Date
July 18, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Khumbu Trekker ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $50.00 at REI

Summary:
It's true that this product has drawbacks, but I loved it on my month-long trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp in Nepal. It's so convenient to be able to drink immediately - anywhere, anytime. I never noticed any iodine taste, and I never got sick. Staying hydrated is the key to acclimatization at high elevations, and although this bottle requires vigorous squeezing to deliver adequate amounts, I had no problem staying hydrated up to 18,400 feet. This product isn't perfect, but I plan to take it on my return trek to EBC next year. I swear by it.

Review Date
July 28, 2004

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.33 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: craigfaiman ,  Mountaineer

Price Paid:  $49.00 at REI

Summary:
I bought this primarily because of its light weight with the thought that I could live with the slow speed and low capacity. But I can't. It gets used mostly for glacial runoff, which often carries a lot of sand. Unless the water is absolutely clear, the purifier is good for only a gallon before clogging. There is no option to field clean or back flush the cartridges. With the replacement the only option and cartridges costing nearly as much as for heavier and higher capacity purifiers, it makes sense to toss this thing and get a high-capacity model. Most annoying, though, is that the weight rating is misleading. The iodine cartridge has to remain wet to remain active, which means carrying around water in the bottle for that purpose, water I would not otherwise carry. With the water it ends up weighing more than heavier models. The water has a taste, probably of iodine. But I would live with that if not for the basic inability of this purifier to purify reasonable quantities of water. Another annoyance is the fragile-looking goose neck means the bottle has to be carefully stored, not stuffed with everything else.

Customer Service:
Never called.

Similar Products Used:
Have used a MSR Sweetwater, but am switching to a First Need Deluxe, which is chemical free and does not have the contamination issues of two hoses.

Review Date
May 23, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: mcnallys(Unregistered User) ,  Car Camper

Price Paid:  $39.00 at REI

Summary:
A great product for what it is designed to do, PURIFY water. A previous reviewer complained of the technical aspects of using this product, and felt his "filter" was a better alternative, but his "filter" would do nothing for him if he was concerned with a waterborn virus contaminating his drinking water.

The 1 liter "Mackenzie" is capable of "purifying" up to 26 gallons of water, without a filter change. The filter itself is broken into three components, each of which can be replaced independent of the others. The first is the "Pre-Filter" (activated coconut carbon granules which reduce pesticides and herbicides & eliminate unpleasant tastes and odors).

Then comes the "Cyst Filter" (1 micron glass fiber traps protozoan cysts such as giardia and cryptosporidia as well as other particulate).

The final filter is the "ViruStat" (Resin bed of patented penta-iodine which deactivates bacteria and viruses by electrostatic ion exchange in a demand-release system, minimizing any iodine residue. A layer of activated carbon granules eliminates any residual iodine).

Remember, this is a "scoop or fill" system. No hassle over unpacking, assembling, pumping and separate containers here. Simply fill up the bottle from any fresh water source available, squeeze and sip.