Before you all jump in and call the base camp junk bear with me, I'm also the owner of one of the original pile of junk base camp filters. Has anyone tried the base camp upgrade ? Right now we just use our old base camp for a storage bag for when our Sawyer runs empty but if the upgrade filter works ok I would consider trying one out.

I just use basecamp bag then run through sawyer filter. I do like the bag. Easy to fill with the wide mouth and easy to hang.

I like the size of the Base Camp bag especially for a group..........well sorta.

One thing I noticed is that bag when full is a bit heavy. And trying to fill it without getting a bunch of crud into it can be challenging. Did I mention its heavy? Wade out to fill it so you don't get a bunch of garbage in it and then try scrambling up a slippery rocky bank without crashing and burning. I never did but the potential is certainly there. I sold mine for cheap on this very website as I much prefer the Platypus.

DeanL-

I looked into it a long time ago. I don't think it uses a different technology, like the hollow fiber filters from the other makers that are back-flushable. It touts a faster flow rate, but doesn't mention field maintainability.

This link does say it has a "cleanable water filter" that lengthens the life of the filter so it can clean up to 1,500 liters. It does come with a One-Year AntiClog™ Guarantee on filter element. Katadyn warrants your Ultra Flow Filter™ Element to be free from defects that cause the filter to clog.

In the past they blamed the clogging on "red algae". I doubt that "red algae" would be considered a "defect".

It seems like a lot to spend on something that's probably still not solving the problem and not really competitive with other products using different technology that's field maintainable and offering better performance.

Thanks Boonie! I remain very skeptical of any product of their as my base camp filter was an epic fail. I'll probably just keep using it as a storage bag for now.

The upgrade was a success for me. Expensive, yes, but it held true to the 1 year anti clog guarantee. I just made sure to soak it in bleach water after each trip. We'll see how many trips it'll last. Right now it lasted 2 canoe trips and 3 or 4 hiking trips - probably 20 days of usage overall.

I took one to the border, Ottertrack, Knife, that area, used it 7 days without a hitch. Went to Horseshoe the next year, clogged 2 filters in 4 days. As others have said, I like the bag but I've moved on from that filter.