Katadyn Vario Water Filter, Dual Technology Microfilter for Personal or Small Group Camping, Backpacking or Emergency Preparedness

For the past 11 years I have spent 8 days a year hiking/camping with buddies. I have gone through numerous pumps and this is my favorite. The msr mini is more durable and the filter lasts a lot longer but it pumps super slow. This baby can fill my water bottle really fast. It costs more fire the replacement filters as well (mini is $40) by $12 but I’m still ok with that. The one thing I don’t like about this filter is the paper filter doesn’t last at all. If the water is really harsh the paper filter will only last about two weeks on the slow mode. For me it is still worth it solely based on how fast and easy it pumps. You have to lube up the rings regularly but this filter is really reliable. A couple friends have it as well and no one has had a problem at all. Oh yeah another difference between the mini and this filter is the mini starts pumping slow when you need to clean the filter and this one leaks around the middle. I can pump one liter with the mini between cleaning the filter and two with this filter. Saves me a little time and makes it less annoying to get water. I’ve never gotten sick with any of the filters I’ve used. The base camp is garbage and so is any filter that only has a paper cartridge. They don’t last and get clogged way too easily. If you go on a trip where you are totally dependent on a filter to clean your water you must have a ceramic cartridge. Hope this review helps.

I bought this along with an MSR MiniWorks for my Scout troop (I'm the Scoutmaster) to test out and compare in preparation for a back country trip in the Rockies. It took only a short test to determine that even on the "Longer Life" setting that the Katadyn Vario was much faster than the MSR MiniWorks. This is mostly due to the fact that the Katadyn Vario pumps on both the push and pull strokes of the handle unlike most pumps. The Scouts liked this one so much better that we purchased a second one for the trip, so that less time would be spent pumping water and more time could be spent exploring and enjoying the mountains.Care and maintenance of these filters is very easy. The outer casing of the pump unscrews with a simple 1/4 turn thread. The "guts" of the pump them disassemble equally easy with the ceramic prefilter pulling off of the main filter, all of which comes out of the bottom barrel of the pump with a slight pull or light push on the bottom outlet port.My one concern - the inlet port protrudes from the top of the pump assembly and I can see where this could be easily damaged if the filter is stored and handled with some care. I stressed this point to the Scouts and we made sure to put the red cap back on each time and then put it into the carry bag with the coiled hose under that port to provide some extra support and padding.We did take these two Katadyn Vario filters along with us on our 9 day trip from MN to CO. We used the Vario to filter water from a variety of sources including a campground in Omaha on the way out where the water had a very questionable smell to a variety of mountain streams, some that bordered on river size and some at elevation which were nothing more than snowmelt that was trickling down the mountain. In all instances we were satisfied with the results, and water bottles and hydration packs were filled up quickly while hiking or at our campsite.Once we got home, we ran a mixture of bleach/tap water through the pumps and allowed them to thoroughly dry for a couple of days and then packed them away until the next time we need them.

Overview: A wonderful, complete water filter system. Prefilter could have been a little better to extend the life of the ceramic inner filter. Can be used alone (or) paired with a SteriPEN traveler system for additional protection.Pros:- Lightweight- Compact form factor- Includes soft carrying case- PriceCons:- Prefilter mesh (intake) is good, but still allows a lot of stuff through which limits the life of the ceramic filter- Small, red, silicone cap (used to protect inlet valve during storage/transport) easy to loseThis filter system was purchased for hiking. It is relatively compact and easy to use. Simply screw a wide mouth Nalgene bottle to the bottom of the filter and pump the water in. I always leave it on "Longer Life" because the "Faster Flow" setting bypasses one of the internal filters which means your water isn't as clean. It still pumps water into the bottle twice as fast as any other system I've used.To get around the wide mesh prefilter that's included, you can purchase an inline silt filter from sweetwater for about $20. Just cut the intake hose and insert the inline filter. This will filter more dirt before it hits your ceramic filter and extend the life of your system.Recommend following the priming procedure (pump 1 L of tap water through it to flush all the filters before using it) and disinfecting after each trip. The ceramic filter can be removed and cleaned (gently sanded if needed). The charcoal cartridge should be replaced yearly.If taken care of, this will provide you with a great system for purifying water on your hikes.One last interesting tip, is a SteriPEN traveler (3-in-1 purifier) fits perfectly in the bag with the Vario. It will provide an additional layer of protection when you are near campsites / shelters where you may be worried about viruses, etc.