I neglected to clean my Katadyn Hiker after last spring’s six days BWCA trip; it sat in the basement (funkifying?) until now as I prep for this spring.
I ran 2tbs per liter Clorox solution (twice) through it and I’m letting it now dry before reassembling it as directed.
What do you think. Will it kill me? Should I suck it up and buy a new filter cartridge ($38)?

Even if it doesn't kill you do you really want to take the chance of getting ill and ruining a trip for $38.00. If you just can't bring yourself to spend the dough;
I'd test it at home before hand, at least that way you have access to a hospital and modern medicine. I feel your pain, hate it when I do stuff like this too.

It should be fine, bleach has been used to purify water. I'd suggest running a couple of liters of clean water through right before use to get the taste out. It seems like a lot of bleach and it's good to "wet out" the filter before use.

Agree, the bleach will kill anything/everything…I’d be more concerned if the filter will work well. As boonie stated run some water through to clear the bleach and check speed of filtration.

T

Thanks for your replies. I'll compromise and drink some at home (there's a hospital in town). Hate to give up on it; new last year. I'll instruct my wife to post my obituary here if I die, let everyone learn from my mistake.

I’m in the same boat and will be taking the same path! See you on the other side, ha!

I mean...if you pull from the middle of the lake, there's a good chance you don't even need to filter your water. We have a few true-blue frontiersmen on here that pop up saying that from time to time.

I don't like to take the chance. I use Vario's and, like you, maybe my maintenance isn't always the best. I seem to change my filters out every two years.

Of all the useless stuff I have wasted money on, why take a chance on ruining the trip over a filter?

timatkn: "Agree, the bleach will kill anything/everything…I’d be more concerned if the filter will work well. As boonie stated run some water through to clear the bleach and check speed of filtration.

T"

This is my thinking too - specifically, will water flow through it effectively? I am sure you've sanitized it, and I'm sure it will still filter out nasties...but does it now have a compromised flow rate?

I have given up on on my BeFrees during the summer in the BWCA - my BeFrees really struggled with flow rate when algae was present. Still like them for clear mountain streams and early season in the BWCA.

I dip with a collapsible bucket, let it settle for 15 to 30 minutes, and then fill dirty bag. I also backflush a liter or so every time. Probably on same filter 10 years and it works fine.

foxfireniner: "I mean...if you pull from the middle of the lake, there's a good chance you don't even need to filter your water. We have a few true-blue frontiersmen on here that pop up saying that from time to time.


I don't like to take the chance. I use Vario's and, like you, maybe my maintenance isn't always the best. I seem to change my filters out every two years.


Of all the useless stuff I have wasted money on, why take a chance on ruining the trip over a filter?"

Middle of the lake…why bother…that which doesn’t kill thee…makes thee stronger :)

Well, Tim, if you're one of those asympotomatic carriers, it won't bother you at all, but if you or someone you infect isn't asympotomatic . . . It's an experience I plan not to repeat. So, no community GORP ;)

The price of a new water filter compared to a trip is so negligible.

In my humble opinion throw that thing in the trash and buy a new filter.

Picture yourself 15 miles from your car with a worthless filter. How much would you pay for a new water filter at that point?

Please don’t overthink it….

Take this as an opportunity to move to a gravity filter. Katadyn is too unreliable in the BWCA because of tanin cloggin the filter. Give me a backflushable inline Sawyer filter any day....any they are cheaper.