This Katadyn Pocket review is about the most reliable water microfilter on the market. Contrary to what you may see with other plastic models, in the case of Katadyn Pocket water filters all moving parts are made of metal.
So this is a tool designed to last, and indeed it has been used by the military throughout the world.
Buying a Katadyn Pocket is quite an investment. But the best description of this tool which I have seen from a user reads: This thing you can trust. True experts will tell you that this tool is simply beyond comparison with anything else.
This is a field-maintainable, heavy-duty and sturdy construction and you feel it. This seems to be the impression of everybody who has been using this tool.
The upper piston part and the lower valve part are both metal (aluminum), and the central cylinder is a strong PVC. The PVC is in fact used for the purpose; this is where you hold the tool when you pump the water. It is with a pleasant touch, so you will not feel cold. The piston rod inside the cylinder is steel.
The main filter
The filter of this tool is a silver-impregnated ceramic. This is done in order to prevent bacteria growth. Some features and advantages of ceramic filters I have mentioned in my previous post about ways to purify water for drinking.
The main filter will keep everything above 0.2 microns (0.0002 mm). Good enough? Most likely so. The majority of those dangerous creatures are of the size 5 microns and bigger.
So it will eliminate many types of bacteria, algae, spores, protozoa, cysts, even some viruses (some of them are with the diameter over 0.3 microns), and also sediments. This is is thus in agreement with the U.S. EPA standards for filters.
But indeed there are smaller bacteria, mycoplasma type, which are of the size o.3 microns or even smaller. Did you hear about Escherichia coli? A very bad one. This creature is in the range of 0.25 – 1 micron diameter. So can it really be stopped? I am not convinced, going to boil my water. I am joking of course. Well, not completely.
For comparison, human hair diameter is roughly in the range 50-150 microns.
About some other parts
The intake hose has an adjustable floater attached on it, and a 130-micron pre-filter which prevents larger impurities from getting into the system.
The output hose has its own plastic package to keep it clean, and it comes with an all-purpose clip to attach it to the bottle when you pump the water. You will distinguish the two hoses by length, the intake hose is far longer, about 3 feet long in total.
You will notice that both inlet and output barbs, where you attach hoses, are metal as well. So here definitely you will not have problems reported with some other Katadyn water filters.
The kit comes with a measuring device (the filter gauge), to show you when your filter has run out. Normally you will use a scrubby pad to clean it, and this is how it wears off in time.
But no worry, this is not going to happen anytime soon: you will be able to pump some 50 thousand liters of water through this tool before the cylinder ceramic filter runs out.
Let us do some maths: if you use 2 liters of water per day, this water filter will serve you another 68 years. Convincing enough for me.
About Katadyn
Katadyn is a Swiss brand with a very long history, established in 1928. So with this tool, you buy decades of experience with products of this type.
See how this filter works:
Technical specifications & summary of features
- Weight: 550 g.
- Size: 24 x 6 cm.
- Filter type: 0.2-micron ceramic.
- Output: 1 L/min.
- Filter life: 13000 gallons (50000 liters).
- Removes: giardia, cryptosporidium, bacteria, algae, sediments, particles, taste.
- Effective in dirty and cold water.
- 20 years guaranty for the filter steel bomb.
- Completely field maintainable.
- The kit includes a ceramic filter, prefilter, bottle adapter, a very nice carry bag, a silicon lubricant, a scrubby pad to clean the filter.
User experience with the Katadyn Pocket water filter is exceptionally good. So I am not going to write about the pros, they are obvious.
Cons:
- See the price.
- It is rather heavy, but there are good and justified reasons for this.
- I do not know how it behaves at subzero temperatures. Obviously, if it is left wet, the ceramic may crack.
- The output hose is a bit too short in my view.
Summary
Please check under the category Water Filters if you need more options.
Thank you for reading, I hope to have some comment from you in the comment box below.
Michael says
Hi Jovo. I am going hiking in the summer and have been looking at different filters. This is the best one I can find. It is a bit pricey but I think its worth it because it’s built to last. Now, my friends won’t want to lose me in case they run out of water 😉
Jovo says
Hi Michael, if you can afford it, this is a tool indeed. But if the price is an issue, you might want to check these MSR tools, or Sawyer filter which is on the totally opposite side of the price range.
Robert Basaker says
Jovo, I like the detailed information you provide on this water purification system. Personally, I am hiker and camp for weeks at a time. The weight wouldn’t be an issue for me versus packing water. I have an inferior water filtration system I use along with boiling the water but I am going to look into this product. Thanks for the recommendation. I always enjoy visiting your website. Keep up the great service to you readers.
Bob
Jovo says
Hi Bob, great to hear from you. So you are a hiker too. No doubt you are very much able to realize ho great this tool is. You are right about boiling, this is the only completely secure way. Everything else I understand as an emergency only. Best luck out there.
Elliedan says
Hey there Jovo, I like the info published here, it is very informative. It seems that these portable filters are getting quite popular today. This one seems to be a more high-tech version of the life-straw. Their outdoor use has become quite invaluable. They seem to be finding their place in the military, with hikers and in humanitarian efforts.
Jovo says
Hi Elliedan, thank you for visiting my site. You are right, this is indeed a high tech tool. Expensive though but reliable. Yes, I have seen military people using it in various places around the world. All the best.