The Survival Store: Camping / Hiking: Katadyn Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Product Description
A member of Katadyn's Backcountry Series of water filters, the Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter is the first water filter that is adjustable for different conditions. It combines two leading technologies into one high-performance pump: ceramic for a longer life and pleated glass fiber for easy operation. The Vario offers a high output and also contains a replaceable carbon core to keep the water tasting fresh.

Key Details:

Output: Up to 2 quarts (2 liters) per minute
Cartridge Capacity: Up to 500 gallons (1875 liters)
Weight: 15 ounces
Height: 6.5 inches
Hose Length: 36 inches
Includes prefilter, cleaning pad, and deluxe carry bag

About Katadyn
Katadyn of Switzerland has been producing high quality portable water systems since 1928. Their history has been one of innovation and durability. Katadyn products are used by militaries, health organizations and outdoor adventurers world-wide. No other water system provides higher quality or longer lasting performance. Katadyn is the global leader in portable water treatment. With subsidiaries in the United States, Germany, France, and Singapore; Katadyn develops, produces, and distributes high quality products which are used whenever safe drinking water isn't available--for travel, camping and humanitarian operations.

From Backpackgeartest.org
The Katadyn Vario Microfilter is part of the backcountry series filter line. The manufacturer indicates this filter line is good for all round use. The manufacturer claims that this filter meets the industry standards for reduction of bacteria (99.9999% Klebsiella terrigena) and protozoan cysts (99.9 % Giardia and Cryptosporidium)...read the entire review

Product Description
112694 Features: Multi-stage filtration system can be engaged for a longer life Dual-mode option- Fast flow or Longer Life Replaceable carbon core reduces toxins and chemicals to keep water tasting fresh Adapter base can be attached directly to water bottles or an output hose for hydration systems Dual-piston pump for maximum output High surface area glassfiber microfilter removes bacteria and cysts Specifications: Weight: 15 ounces Height: 65 inches Filter element: Ceramic- Carbon Output rate: 2 qt-min Cartridge capacity: 500 gallons

Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Great November 10, 2008
Easy to assemble, easy to use, and a great price. This puts out a lot of water without much effort. I could pump 5 gallons without getting tired. It isn't as fast as the kitchen sink but it will meet the average persons needs.

5 out of 5 stars

Worked Great October 28, 2008
Purchased to take on Scouting Backpacking and hiking trips. I used it for refilling approximately 40 - 32 oz water bottles on first trip. Water filtered was from a fairly clear creek, so I set the filter to the extended life setting and still pumped water at an incredibly fast rate (seemed much faster than advertised). Other Adult leaders were amazed at its speed and soon were asking to borrow it rather than use their model (the one I used to borrow). The water tasted great!!!

We later found out that one of the older Scouts was drinking water straight from the Creek without filtering and/or treating with chemicals. That scout ended up vomiting during the trip. Not sure if it was related or not. No one else got sick and we were a group of 30.

Once I got home, I proceeded to clean the unit, very easy to do. This is now an essential item for each of my future trips. Be sure to use it at home prior to taking out into the field. You will want to flush out the carbon black dust and make sure it works prior to your trip. This is a well constructed unit. However, I recommend that you bring some back-up chemicals just in case you break it. You wouldn't want to be left without safe water.

3 out of 5 stars

Where'd the other reviews go?? July 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This item apparently fell off Amazon's listings, taking previous reviews with it. I may have bought the last one, but I'm not sure I'll keep it...

Consensus of prior reviews was that it's good all around, faster than other models, but had some issues w/back pressure & leaking if you pump too fast or while using the "faster flow" setting instead of "longer life". The faster setting bypasses the ceramic filter (your biological nasty filter) and uses only the charcoal (some bio, chemicals & taste, like your average Brita filter).

I bought this instead of Katadyn's Pocket Microfilter (found for $179 on some sites) for 4 main reasons:

1) ability to attach directly to Nalgene bottle. I'll be using this primarily while living overseas in areas w/questionable tap water, so this is a nice convenience. Don't think the Pocket filter allows this.

2)2-stage filter w/activated charcoal to remove chemicals, pesticides & bad taste. This option isn't available w/the ceramic-only Pocket Microfilter, and again was something I want specifically due to where I'm going. If chemicals aren't an issue where you'll be, this aspect might not matter to you.

3) Double-piston design for faster output & ease of use compared to the Pocket Microfilter. Pumping action was simple & ergonomic.

4) Cost. $80 is great compared to $180+. I may regret that mentality if/when this breaks, but for now it's a good deal.

Three things so far that I'm not excited about:
1) Although they state that the paper carbon "cartridge" is good for 500 gallons, the instructions say that the activated charcoal INSIDE the cartridge should be replaced about every 50 gallons or every 6 months, depending on chemical content/taste of the water. I felt deceived after discovering this omission from the reviews I read. Not printed anywhere in their online documentation, but REI does mention it. Without the charcoal, I might as well have purchased the more expensive Pocket filter w/lifetime warranty & just use a separate PUR/Brita pitcher for taste & chemicals (which I'll probably do anyway)... (The pocket filter's ceramic filter has a life of 13,000 gallons, compared to the 1000 gallons of the Vario's ceramic pre-filter).

2) The back-pressure & leaking issues mentioned by people in the now-deleted other reviews seem to be true. After flushing the system & then filling my 1L Nalgene, I removed the hose from the water source (sink) & attempted to pump the rest of the water through the system.

After a few pumps, handle resistance increased & it wouldn't lower fully. I had to unscrew the pump head to release the pressure, which of course splattered water everywhere. If I hadn't been pumping from my sink, but had instead been camping w/a questionable source water, I could have potentially contaminated my clean water.

The instructions recommend adding more lubricant to the pistons in case of difficult pumping, but this seems to be a very common complaint & caused several people to give 1-star ratings on various sites (see REI for one).

3) This doesn't seem like the simplest system to use, clean & maintain. Several O-rings & moving parts to deal with. Also, the plastic housing may or may not hold up over time. We'll see.

Since I need a filter for travel/living overseas where the water is allegedly contaminated both w/chemicals and biological stuff, I'll keep this around & replace the charcoal until it breaks. After I get back, I'll probably get the more expensive filter for camping/backpacking use. This one is a bit large too, but hopefully will be ok.

5 out of 5 stars

This thing rocks the house July 17, 2008
Ok, I live in Colorado and thought that I could rely on tried and true US Army method: Bleach. 1 drop for a canteen of clear water, 2 drops for cloudy water. Guess what; it doesn't kill Cryptosporidium or Giardia, the two main culprits of waterborne illness.

This device has a two stage filter that also improves the taste. Yesterday I drank stream water that tasted as good as water out of my Brita faucet filter. Also, the box says its good for filtering 500 gallons of water without a new cartidge, though I cannot speak to this.

For ninety bucks I get safe water that tastes good with no Cripto-whatever or Giardia . I believe it was money well spent.

5 out of 5 stars

Light, fast, easy to use water filter July 5, 2008
I purchased this water filter for a recent backpacking trip to the Sierras. It worked very well and produced water quickly even in the slow mode (for longer life). It's light but a little bulky.