I was on a 3-month trip into the backcountry of the Philippines when the gray-colored cap ruptured (fatigue fracture) and rendered the filter completely useless. (Yes, not the best time for this to happen!!!)

I used this filter on a daily basis for approximately 30 days (pumping between 3 to 8 liters per day) before it broke on me.

I was pumping the water into a clear plastic water bottles. I took careful precautions and measures to avoid contamination of the water bottle but began noticing "gunk" accumulating on the bottom of the bottle (aggregated matter, organic in origin) indicating that the filter was not cleaning the water as claimed.

The downward force required to pump the water is immense, and will strengthen your arms, especially, if you must filter a lot of water each day.

You must place Katadyn filter on a solid, stable surface in order to pump water through the filter.

Unfortunately, I acquired bacterial dysentary. However, after taking a lot of Immodium tablets, Pepto Bismol, and a few beers ... I finally recovered.

Good luck, folks!!

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First Need Deluxe

This filter is awesome. But there are several tricks to make usage enjoyable. It takes a bit longer to fill a bottle than the Pocket Filter, but not THAT much longer.

One important trick is to put the base of the filter on your boot and then hook the output spout on the lip of your water bottle. You can slide the base up and down on your foot until you get the right height. I can easily pump from this position but otherwise you go nuts looking for a rock or log with the desired height. You don't need the outlet hose.

To keep from sucking sand off the bottom, use the float that comes with the newer models. Put it 2-3 inches from the end of the inlet hose.

Finally, because the filter size is so small it clogs FAST with dirty water. Clean it as soon as it gets hard to pump with a scouring pad. It doesn't take much time and it makes pumping real easy. Sometimes you have to do this after only 1-2 bottles.

Until I figured this stuff out, I hated my Katadyn.....Now I think its the best engineered but horribly documented product out there...

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None

I cant quite believe what Im hearing (or reading) this filter is one if not the lightest in the world. The water it produces is second to none. Its tiny and well made and it can be connected to a camleback hydration hoses. If thats not your bag then you can attach the supplied hose and filter straight into a water bottle.
Replacement filters are cheap and it is a very durable piece of equipment for single person use, for people who complain that its hard to pump, just keep it well maintained and it will work for years. Its like the perfect filter for solo use.

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MSR - Chunky and a bit heavier but water quality is excellent, as are many top brand filters.

7 years and counting, used it on a few multiday backpacks in B.C's coast Mtns. Yes, it takes a while to get the body mechanics just right, but I always filter from my " dirty water bottle" into my "clean water bottle" so I can choose a nice, comfortable scenic spot to pump. Hey, I'm out there to savour the scenery and my arms certainly need the workout :)! Re the clogging problems....I used it in silty glacial water and didn't have too much of a problem with it....never even had to use the built in brush and scraper. I take along a toothbrush tip ( extra firm, weighs next to nothing ) and gently brush the ceramics filter whenever the pumping gets hard .... the toothbrush doesn't scrape any ceramic away whereas the built in scraper does. Just vigorously rinsing the ceramic filter in the water ( downstream from filter point) and hand rubbing it also did the trick when I couldn't find the toothbrush tip...just had to do it a bit more often. I love it's small size and little weight. Make sure you dry it well after use as mold can grow under the screw cap !

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None

I bought this filter about 8 or 10 years ago when they first became available. This is a suberb product if you are weight conscious and don't mind leisurely pumping sessions. Very rugged, ultra-light, easily cleaned, very long cartridge life, silicone rubber hose, and no risk of cross-contamination. Very good pumping mechanism - I have only ever had to unscrew it for priming on one occasion. The only downsides are that due to the small size, it's bone slow. The specs say 0.5l/min, but I would say not. More like 0.2l/min, so 5 minutes to fill my 1l Platy. The other problem is that the ergonomics are not great. The unit must be strategically supported on a rock which puts the discharge nozzle just slightly above the height of your bottle. One hand has to hold the pump body from slipping of the rock, while the other operates the plunger. Also, the screened inlet filter must be strategically held in position by large stones, so that it stays off the bottom and doesn't suck sediment. This is a bit of an art, since the inlet filter on the hose-end jerks around a bit with every pump stroke. I imagine that this problem could be overcome by using a separate bottle for collecting the raw water and then filtering into another bottle, or by adding a small foam float to the inlet hose. Another refinement might be to carry a small hose which could be slipped over the discharge nozzle and run into your bottle. Finally, there is no carbon stage, so you have to hope your water source tastes OK. I have also not exposed it to glacial silt or clay-laden waters, but in these cases a person should be using a settling technique and/or a coffee filter. Maybe I will try my Sweetwater pre-filter with it. I don't want to lose the weight advantage I paid for, but I think that maybe this may be the answer to solving the clogging problems, at a weight cost of only one ounce. Too all the critics, look, it only weighs 8 oz., so don't expect perfection!! It's never let me down, I've never gotten sick, and it's the lightest filter on the market.

Customer Service

Never required.

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MSR Miniworks - excellent, but heavier

Not happy....! Bought this for a trip to the Karakorum, Pakistan. It took us 5 weeks and many bouts of dissentry and giardia to realise that this couldn't filter out elephants let alone ameoba..

A couple that I met out there on a trek up the batura glacier had one and theirs worked fine, filtering green sludge to crystal clear water.. this is when we realised what had caused us so much grief.

Do you think I could sue Katadyne for this?

answers on a post card,please!

It is light though and small.. packs away nicely. Does take an awful lot of pumping to clean a small amount of water. If in a group take a larger type of pump. This is the right size for one person.. not for three mountain bikers needing 5+ litres per day.

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Iodine... but it turns you mad apparently!

First trip out the filter cap cracked under the pressure leaving the filter useless. A bit hard to use but if you put it down on a flat rock and use body weight to pump its not so bad. Great water quality and very light. REI replaced mine with a whole new filter. We shall see how this one works out. First one cost $130, now they cost $79.

Customer Service

A good value IF the damn thing doesnt break on you. Performance is fine.

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For ultralight solo trips this is THE filter to have. It's much easier to use if you get an extra hose to direct water from spout to bottle/canteen. Small, light, fits in pocket. I've been using it for about 6 years. Those who find it hard to pump should try cleaning it.

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Katadyne Pocket Filter is worth the extra size and weight if you're pumping water for more than one person.

I've owned this filter for 4 years and believe me it is hard to pump (yes, I clean it over and over and over !!) Unfortunately, since it's a real pain in the a$$ to use, now it sits behind on our trips and we use my buddies PUR filter. The PUR filter is fine for our local hikes, but I hang onto the Katadyn in case we take a trip to Europe or Asia. You won't be disappointed with the quality of water it produces, but you'll be swearing at it the whole time you're pumping.

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To contrast other comments about the Mini's durability, the cartridge housing on mine completely exploded leaving the filter unusable (near the end of a trip thankfully). Staff at MEC told me it was a common problem with "certain batches". I upgraded to a Pocket Filter which has worked out great, inspite of the added weight.

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MSR filter, first version