Nice Review on Water Filter

[Nick]

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showRev ... ?prod=2325

I use this Hiker water purifier by Katadyn and have been really pleased with its performance.

(Disclaimer: any similarity of this posting to those of JohnH is purely coincidental. I deny any affiliation to or appreciation of his postings! )

[fonixmunkee]

It seems as if the Hiker has been made more durable now? Because if I had a dollar for every Hiker filter I broke, I would have...two dollars (that's right, I've broken two of them, snapping the pump handle right off both times). I guess it just can't keep up with my tough physique.

[Nick]

It must be a pain dragging your knuckles across those trails when you hike, too. I've used my filter for almost ten years without a problem. I even learned last year that that you can remove the handle by taking the clip off and use the underside of the handle to unscrew the filter (that was always a pain in the a**).

I replace the filter every other year and have had no issues with it.

[philranger]

I have a MSR Mini works and have not had a problem (knock on wood) with it.

[fonixmunkee]

Does the Hiker still use paper filters?

[potato sausage]

I have a MSR Mini works and have not had a problem (knock on wood) with it.
I have a MSR Mini works and have not had a problem (knock on wood) with it.

I second that!

[Nick]

Does the Hiker still use paper filters?

Yes, it has a cartridge.

[moss13]

I 3rd the miniworks as I have one too. No problems as of yet either........knock on wood.....

[johnhens]

Fonix,
Aren't you using the Vario?

I too use the Miniworks as a back up to the Katadyn Base Camp whcih is a Gravity Filter that uses a ceramic cartridge like the Miniworks.

I saw Platypus has a Gravity Sytem of their own, I would like to find someone who has it to hear their thoughts.

Nick, don't blame falling on your filter and breaking the handle as a poor design of the filter.
Learn to walk. Et Tu Brute??

[philranger]

OUCH!

[Tom]

I have one of the 'older' hikers (back when Pur made them) and my brother in law has the latest redesign. I'm not sure I'd say the pump assembly is any stronger (although I always though it would be hard to break, since it's an up-down plunge motion and not a lever action like the MSRs. Fonix IS strong!)
They redesigned the hose ports and basically added simple quick-disconnects, but other than that, it's almost the same filter over time. I've never had it break down and it's easy to service.

I did think that the article's author had an interesting comment on labelling the hoses; but I'm somewhat wondering how careless they are with cross-contamination. I guess that I pull out the 'clean' side of the filter last (from a zip lock bag) and put it back first as part of my procedure, so never really saw a need to label them...

[Nick]

Nick, don't blame falling on your filter and breaking the handle as a poor design of the filter.
Learn to walk. Et Tu Brute??

Gee John, as usual, find someone to read the posts to you. I didn't break mine!!

[fonixmunkee]

Fonix,
Aren't you using the Vario?

I do use the Vario. Works great, a tad heavier than I'd like, but the reliability is worth it. I used to have a review half typed up, but I've since lost it. I'll have to work on that again sometime.

[bobonabike]

Hello! My first post/question. I've planned my first trip to IR for the end of this month. I had planned to go last August and had been in training for four months. A few weeks before departure I had emergency bowel surgery and was in the ICU for over a week. I jokingly asked the surgeon, "I'm planning a week-long backpacking trip at the end of the month. Is it OK if I go?" She just smiled. Oh well, "Maybe next year," I thought (I'm used to it, I'm a Cub's fan).

Well, it's next year already. This time I've been in training since February, alternating bicycling one day (my primary activity, as you probably can tell) with practicing with a fully loaded pack the alternate day, doing things like making 180 round trips up and down the stairs in my house (I figure it's equivalent to a 1500 ft elevation gain and loss). I know, I know, walking up nice, evenly spaced carpeted stairs is nothing like being on a trail, but what are you gonna do - I live in northern Illinois and there's not much topography around here, at least not within 40 miles.

I've read almost everything in all of these forum topics, and have found it most helpful in answering questions I've had (most importantly, how to pronounce the park's name!), and with tidying up my final planning.

My question is this: All the posts appear address water treatment by filtering, boiling, or chemicals. What about UV treatment, e.g. a Steripen? It kills protozoa, bacteria and viruses. From a post above it appears that it doesn't take care of tapeworm eggs, but the Steripen has an accessory 4 micron prefilter, and a post above indicates that tapeworms eggs are considerably larger. Does anybody have experience with a Steripen on IR? It seems that people either love it or hate it (see REI's website). Other than the issue of its voracious appetite for expensive batteries, assuming a user follows the directions, does anybody see a problem relying on a Steripen?

Thanks for any input.

(Note: You may see I've posted this same question with other topics, as it seems water treatment is covered in more than one area).