I have previously posted on why its important to filter or purify your drinking water in the backcountry. Chemical treatment is great because you only need to carry small tablets or drops with you, but they take a while to treat your water (about 30 minutes) and can leave it with a funny taste. With this in mind, I was excited to test out the Katadyn Vario Microfilter I recently received from All Filters.
The advantages of using a filter over chemical treatment are that you are able to treat a large quantity of water much faster, the taste isn’t affected, and the filter will remove any debris in the water.
Of special importance to note when looking at water filters is the size of the organisms that will fit though the filter. The Katadyn Vario passes this test with a .3 micron prefilter that removes Giardia and Cryptosporidium (two of the most common organisms that are going to have your stomach reeling). The Vario meets EPA purifier standards for bacteria and protozoa.
Like all Swiss made products, Katadyn has a good reputation for design and quality, and this showed when I opened the box. The filter is well designed (and has won several awards for it) and feels sturdy and durable. My initial thought was the filter itself is fairly large, and would take up a fair share of much coveted space in a trekking pack. On the plus side, at 425 grams, it doesn’t add a lot of weight.
After I opened the box I laid out all the parts and had the feeling of ‘oh man, this is going to take a while to set up’. Luckily I was wrong. Most of the parts were spare o-rings and all that was required was attaching the inflow and outflow hoses, and setting whether I wanted ‘faster flow’ or ‘longer life’ mode.
Once it was set up I thought I’d test it out with a nice concoction of really murky water; something that would be worse than you’d typically find as a drinking source in the backcounty:
While this was probably a cruel way to break in my new filter I wanted to be sure I gave it a good test. The Vario worked amazing fast, especially with the dual-piston pump that pushes the water as you lift the handle both up and down. The result was a perfectly clear glass of water. On tasting the water it was still a little ‘earthy’ which I guess was to be expected looking at how murky the water source was. The most important factor is having any potential harmful organisms filtered out.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Can attach directly to Nalgene bottle or hydration pack
- Adjustable for different water conditions, allowing longer filter life
- Filters up to 2L per minute. A lot more than most filters
Cons:
- Relatively large in size
- Like all filters, requires thorough cleaning before prolonged storage
Overall, this is a great water filter and I would recommend it for you’re looking to pick up a filter. It’s quick and easy to use, and filters a large volume of water in a snap. You can view the product page on Amazon.
