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

Used this filter for an 8 day Canada kayak camping trip. Sure beat hauling in enough bottled water and hauling out empty bottles.

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.

We bought this filter a few days prior to leaving for a week-long hike in the high Sierras. It was a last minute purchase as our group-of-eight realized we'de need another filter for our trek. Where we were going was known to be contaminated with giardia and other nasties, so I was hoping this little filter would fit the bill. I couldn't be happier!I had never used one of these before, and wasn't really sure what to expect. I opened it up, and was very happy to see that the only setup required was attaching a couple of tubes to the filtration mechanism, and the weight+filter head that you dangle into the water source. Other than that, it was ready-to-go. It came in a great little case, too - with a bag of replacement o-rings and most other parts except replacement filter cartridges (which I'm sure you purchase separately). The case was very handy for keeping the unit contained in my day-pack during our long hikes, both protecting the filter unit and keeping my other gear safe from drips. The unit actually doesn't drip much, though, especially if you pull the dongle out of the water source before your last few pumps (this voids the tubing and empties the water in the filter chamber, which will top off your water bottle and get the water out of the unit, making it lighter to carry and less prone to drips). It also comes with a securely-fitting stopper that plugs up the outlet to help prevent leaking.The unit feels very sturdy and well put-together. It just feels "solid". When you're trusting your health to something like this - it helps to feel like it's well made and isn't leaking on the inside, and this filter delivers. When first getting accustomed to its operation, I noticed that if I unscrewed the top before the filter had been voided, you could hear pressurized air escaping (a result of forcing water through the filters), further testament to its tight construction.Despite two other people in our group having their own filters, by the end of the trip everyone was wanting to use this one since it was so much faster and easier. I would highly recommend this filter to anyone who needs it!