Katadyn Hiker for family hiking,allmost done..

C

CellerDrummer

Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Messages
564
Final price today was $14.79 , plus I got a free hat ! I had a $50 dollar giftcard from Christmas and they gave $20 off if you opened a chargecard...Went from $79.99 to $14.79 man I lucked out...Now I only have one last major purchase.THE PACK,lol..I have a decent little EastPack model but I want a real daypack for this year..This year we plan on exploring alot more and I want to be as comfortable as possible..Plus,this year I'm carring more..I carried all-most a gallon of water for the three of us last year and we had just enough, that made me worried though..

This is how I did it last year and everyone had a blast..I'm the pack mule and carry everything...The wife is in charge of our phsyco dog who walks/runs/swims on one of those telescoping leashes...And our 12 year old daughter gets to enjoy the hike and play with the dog/explore etc..Since everyone had such a great time we are planning several dayhikes this year,and I want to be better prepared..It was actually just a last minute idea last year and I couldn't believe how much fun we all had...
CD
 
My Hiker Pro burst on my JMT thru hike. I was wishing I had brought Micropure tabs as a backup.

Equipment can break on you. Have a backup plan. I "solved" the problem by just drinking straight from clean looking water sources. Somewhat risky(heavily area dependent), but worked for me.
 
#2: Always have a backup. I carried purifying tabs that I kept in my water kit, just in case my Hiker Pro broke too.
 
The Hiker is probably the longest-standing, and most reputable filter available on planet Earth, so don't start worrying you've bought the wrong thing, but an alternate method of purifying water is a must, IMO.
I always carry half a dozen MicroPur tabs just in case.
 
Erasmus said:
My Hiker Pro burst on my JMT thru hike.
Click to expand...
I did a lot of reading on that subject, and in particular I read about water the filters that Jeff Randal used and experimented with for his South American adventures along the Amazon River. He said that the one that worked best for them was the Katadyn Vario. He also said he had tried others including the Hiker, and they were all prone to break or fail. That, and the Vario put out the volume he needed. Anyway, that is the one I bought based on his recommendation.
-Bruce
 
I actually bought the water purifying tabs several years ago when I did kayak overnighters and never opened them..Its the two part ones,one to kill everything and one to make it drinkable..I'll definately take those along as well thanks for reminding me..

Surprised yours broke Erasmus..Did you send it in for warranty repair or was it just the intermal filter that needed replaced?
CD
 
Last edited:
I bought a katadyn hiker probably 2 years ago and love it. Easy to use, maintain, and good volume. I can't remember the models that my dad and brother use, but katadyn are the only filters we use. I also keep purifying tablets in case Murphy's law comes a knocking.
 
It was a 2nd hand one from REI's "scratch and dent" sales(therefore no warranty). Looked pristine, but a bonded joint burst after filtering a dozen liters. I spent some time looking, but couldn't find all the small parts that flew away. So that was that.

Stuff can break on you. When I got to Muir Trail Ranch, they were selling replacement hiking odds and ends for about 2x their regular retail price. I rebelled at that pricing, and kept drinking straight water. Did fine.

This will not work in cattle country. Having some emergency water pills is way better than mandatory boiling. I quickly abandoned boiled water and went to straight creek water.
 
Water filters are a funny thing to most. Most say, mehh, i don't have a need for one. Even in urban areas, at least where i live, a boil water advisory comes down every 5 yrs or so. Then, no one knows what to do. I have used mine 3x for that scenario. I also had a few acquaintances that were going to S. America on vacation. They wanted to borrow it, yet had no idea how to use it, let alone maintain it in the field. I said pass, go buy your own. They quit making the one i have. Glad i have 3 filters for it at least.

The Royal Big Berky is the way to go these days, at least for a stationary filter.

http://cart.berkeyfilters.com/bigberkey.aspx?gclid=CN-OhNaS5a4CFYNo4AodQ3dXxw
 
The creeks where we hike are crystal clear and mountain fed...When I was young my grandfather would drink strait from the creek using a colapsable cup....He did this every year during trout season because he had meds to take throughout the day..I will use my Kat Hiker if I run low on water...

I can't take the chance...I'm hiking with my 12 year old daughter and wife....The dog drinks from every water source we walk past..
CD
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top