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Katrina Update: these filters are reputed to work in the worst conditions, but be aware that they are designed to filter living organisms like bacteria, viruses, cysts, etc. While they do remove some chemicals, they are not designed for the removal of chemicals from polluted water. Of course, no filter really does that, since the chemicals are actually dissolved in the water. If you are looking for an emergency preparedness item, this is a good one, but for example, it will not remove gasoline from water. It will, however, remove bacteria, spores, algae, viruses, and almost anything else that lives. Be sure to get reserve filters for the pump mechanism (about $30 each) because they get clogged after a number of uses, depending on how much gunk they need to filter. I get about 30 gallons each from my use in streams and mountain runs. I had always packed in whatever water I wanted to drink on my hikes, but with the desire to do longer and longer hikes, this was clearly not feasible for much longer. Most hikers find water en route, but this really scared me. I had the misfortune of making a plan to get water on one of my first hikes, on the AT near Bake Oven Knob in Pennsylvania. The air temperature was around 100 degrees that August day, and the drought that plagued the area for several years knocked out even reliable sources. I wound up bailing out of a planned 5 day hike after a day because there was no water. Still, I wanted to take longer hikes, and the 200oz of water I generally carried wasn't getting any lighter. It was time to get a filter. The water in Pennsylvania, and the rest of the country for that matter, isn't to be assumed safe to drink. Giardia, crytosporidia and other bugs have spread from animal populations into even the purest-looking mountain streams. Sure, you can use iodine--if you like nasty tasting water. You can boil it for five minutes--which is only recommended for those who have never actually tried it! Or you can filter it. The Pur Katadyn Hiker filter is designed from the ground up for hikers, and they've done an especially good job with it. It's small, yet highly effective. It's also fast, utilizing a unique ceramic filter with numerous serrations that give it a much larger surface area. I tested my filter on the Delaware River in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which is probably a good spot to test the efficacy of a filter due to the high use. On my last trip, I spotted at least one drunk urinating from his canoe directly into the slow-moving current, and with the large deer and bear populations in the area, it's safe to assume there are other creepy crawlies in the water in addition to various petrochemicals from motor boats. The Katadyn (named for the mountain at the extreme north end of the Appalachian Trail) has several filtering mechanisms. The first level is a 'pre-filter' which knocks out the chunky stuff like twigs and leaves. The next level is an integrated charcoal filter, which made even the Delaware water taste great. The last, and most important, is the micro-pore ceramic filter which is .3 microns, or very, very tiny. The specs on the unit say that it takes 8 pounds to pump the filter, which produces 1.5 liters per minute, or 40 strokes. This was my experience. Right about the time I felt my arm getting tired was when my 70oz CamelBak was full. The Katadyn comes with an insert designed to fit into most 'standard' hydration bladders, based on the old CamelBak design, and I would think that it would work well, but I didn't test it, since I had recently purchased several CamelBak 'Omega' bladders. The Omegas have a gigantic opening that is about twice the size of the fitted cap that came with the Pur filter. Not to worry, though . . . CamelBak makes a set of accessories just for water filters called, aptly enough, the CamelBak Filter Adapter (see photo below). Essentially, it lets you fill your bladder directly through the bite valve end instead of the larger opening.
The method they use is ingenious. The accessory comes with two inserts that connect to a new dongle (pictured in the middle) that you place on the end where you would normally have the bite valve. Two ends can then snap into it with O rings sealing the H2O from the rest of the world--keeping your contaminated water away from the filtered water. The ends snap in and out easily, one fitting the Katadyn's silicone hosing and the other containing a bite valve. Snap off the Katadyn and snap on the bite valve and you're ready to go. You don't need to fiddle around with open bladders in the middle of the woods while mosquitoes are eating you alive near that stagnant pond :-) This reminds me of the second test trip I took with the Katadyn--the first hike where I deliberately did not bring enough water for the length of the hike. After a rugged 6 miles over rocky Pennsylvania ridge hiking, I was running out of my first bladder full of water. Down to the Detweiler Natural Area of the Mid State Trail . . . a solid and reliable stream, or run as they're called here. The area is known to be infested with giardia cysts, so this was another good test. The area was loaded with mosquitos that my generous application of deet held at bay, but it was so thick with them that I still got bitten a few times. I was certainly glad that I had the filter adapter kit and that the Katadyn filled my bladder so quickly! On neither of my test trips did I have any trace of stomach troubles, and that's something, considering the sources. I haven't tried a puddle shared by a dead antelope yet, but I think I would be confident, having consumed some of that Delaware River 'drunken urine' water . . . I give the Katadyn a big thumbs up for ease of use, speed and size.
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