I've a a Hiker Pro filter with the carbon/mesh filter that costs about 2/3rds of what the filter cost in the first place. I have been able to make it about one year with this filter before it gets super slow and clogged.

I'm wondering if anyone has any better luck with extending the life of the filter and how they do so. I use a coffee filter attached with a rubber band around the intake bulb and try to keep the bulb out of the sand/muck as best I can but most of my filtering is from shore. What tricks do you use?

I found the best way to extend filter life was to pre filter out water. We used a coffe filter and ran all the water through the filter before pumping it. We have also brought a pail and let all the water settle before filtering. This only works if your willing to carry a pail or some large container. I have had mixed results with the coffee filter and rubber band.

I probably should have started with taking water from open deep water.

I have same pump and I've been doing the bucket thing - have a decent collapsible bucket that serves many purposes - and since starting that have not replaced a filter - average 2 weeks a year for 5 or 6 years now.

Just get a Sawyer or Platypus gravity and give up on the pump

My Katadyn is now my backup because I also have switched to Sawyer. I never used the Hiker Pro at the shore line, have always paddled a minimum of 75 feet away.

I've got an old Pur (Katadyn bought them out) Hiker which uses the same filters as the Hiker Pro. I've had it since 1990. Other than switching out filters about once every other year I've had no problems with it. I also use the coffee filter and rubber band trick on the prefilter. I also rinse mine out after a trip and use some bleach and run thru if it is going to be stored for quite awhile and at the end of the year. I use the little white screen that you get to go around the filter element. I also rinse the filter element off after each trip. The big culprit I have found with it slowing down is due to tannins in the water that clog it up rather easily. As others have suggested you could let the water settle out but I don't believe the tannins will settle out. I would suggest using a gravity filter like an MSR, Sawyer or Platypus. This way you can back flush these filters. Also since you are around a large amount of water it's easy to fill these types of reservoirs. I keep my pump filter reserved for times when I am out backpacking and know that I may have to filter water out of a very small and shallow water source. As in that case I would have a hard time filling the reservoir on the gravity filters.

Yep after several different filters, we switched to Sawyer. Made my own gravity filter for $40. Works like a charm, and if it does down, I can back flush it and have it back together in 2 minutes.

Ok, seeing some one brought up filtering, can I run my katadyn gravity filter through on of those sawyer mini cartridges?

I've never had the coffee filters work. I have an MSR silt filter. Cheap and it works great. I also backpack, so middle of the lake isn't an option.

Another technique is to filter from a bucket. Scoop the water, then let it sit a while while the crud settles to the bottom.

quote ECpizza: "I've never had the coffee filters work. I have an MSR silt filter. Cheap and it works great. I also backpack, so middle of the lake isn't an option.


Another technique is to filter from a bucket. Scoop the water, then let it sit a while while the crud settles to the bottom.
"

+1

i must paddle in clean lakes.i have never had a problem with mine.
i don't pump from shore but carry a three quart billy into camp and pump into the water bottles.when i get home i rinse and dry the filter that had the new plastic wrap around it.the pre filter has really nothing on it.
sure pumping takes some work but i can get enough for drinking in a few minutes.

I almost exclusively pump from shore (because i forget whilst in the canoe). The secondary container trick is nice, but i use the coffee filter/rubber band trick on the intake screen and have never had a problem. In your maintenance kit, put some extra coffee filters and rubber bands, and when you have some downtime at camp, change out the filter. I've found a once-a-day changeout (takes 3 minutes) has kept my filter working beautifully for at least 7 years (i've never had to replace the element).

I have been using the same Katadyn Hiker for about 10 years... I have bought a new filter for it once. I use a coffee filter pre-filter held on by a piece of women's hose and a rubber band (Which I change out about every 2 days).

After each trip I take the filter out at home and clean it and let it dry outside the pump. I also clean and lube all the parts. Granted I only use it for about 10 days a year, but I have no problems with it.

Bought a Steripen Traveler as a backup this year... just in case!

Bruce

Awesome tips! Thanks and hopefully I can go a couple years before dumping another $50 on an element.

Pswith, we are doing that with my dad's. Haven't done it yet, but don't expect any problems. We are just taking the crap katadyn filter out, and then putting the mini towards the bottom of the water line. It works faster if you have it towards the bottom because of gravity.

It seems that Katadyn filters either the gravity or the pump do not do well up in the BWCA. My guess is it's the tannins in the water that just do not work well with the pleated filters of Katadyn. I've never had any problem with my Katadyn pump filter in using it on backpacking trips else where. I would suggest looking at other brands of filters especially the gravity type as they are less work and have lower incident rate of clogging and slowing down.

Don't know what you mean, OldFingers. As a few have mentioned, our Hikers have been alive and kicking for a number of years. I, myself, use mine exclusively in the BWCA, and have never had a problem. As with most anything else, a little forethought and TLC will keep them running just fine. By no means would i avoid Katadyn for use in the BW.

Sometimes I have a piece of equipment or gear that works great for me that others curse, so it's great if the Katadyn works for some of you. However, the number of reports of failure on these units is so high, I would never buy one.

it must be like the EPA gas mileage figures, it varies from user to user

you people are going to gag, but my Hiker filter, which is old enough to say Pur on it, still has the original filter!

part of the reason, I am guessing, is that I have always used the coffee filter trick, almost always get my water far from shore, but most importantly, has almost always been used for solo trips, and the country I travel is primarily clear water like NE BWCA, as opposed to that skank water near Ely

We have and use a Katadyn Vario. Always pull water from the middle of the lake for water bottles or pull from water bucket at camp. Always use the pre-filter pick up screen. Never try pulling water near shore. Have had great luck with ours. Upon returning home I always run mild bleach water through pump and filters then completely disassemble and dry out everything for a week or more before re-assembling. If this is not done the lake water in the charcoal and ceramic filter is going to grow funky flow blocking things if A. not sterilized (kill all bacteria) with bleach water and B. dried out completely. I have not had to replace either filter in years. We use it about two (2) weeks a year in Quetico Park. If you have to pull actual dirty water from somewhere I would say the filters are toast and time to replace. PS. I always get my Katadyn Vario out right before we leave for a trip and run some tap water through it just to check the flow rate through the filters to make sure all is well before we take off. Good Luck.

i have a msr something , maybe the sweet water or mini works. it has a ceramic filter, i read somewhere all the ceramics have the same problem in glacial lakes of plugging up. paddling.net had a review on them. the churning glacial lakes keep the silt and protazoas stirred up. and prematurely plug up requiring cleaning. that being said i still like my filter.

quote BearDown: "Pswith, we are doing that with my dad's. Haven't done it yet, but don't expect any problems. We are just taking the crap katadyn filter out, and then putting the mini towards the bottom of the water line. It works faster if you have it towards the bottom because of gravity."

Thanks

I have put an aquarium filter from Walmart over my filter with a rubber band. I have a Katadyn Base Camp Water Filter and it now works great. Before it would quite in a few days on our trip.

I would get maybe 25 gallons from my Katadyn before it got worthless in the BWCA. Tried coffee filters, and tried getting water from the middle of the lake; Nothing helped.

Switched to a Sawyer inline filter. Did surgery on my Katadyn Base Camp Kit, which uses the Hiker Pro filter, and I now have the Katadyn gravity bag inline with the Sawyer. Works great. I got the idea from these posters:

http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=703748&forumID=15&confID=1

Throw it away and get a Sawyer.

I too gave up on the Katadyn filters and have both a MSR gravity filter and a Platypus gravity filter. No more worrying about plugged filters.

quote billconner: "I have same pump and I've been doing the bucket thing - have a decent collapsible bucket that serves many purposes - and since starting that have not replaced a filter - average 2 weeks a year for 5 or 6 years now."

Same filter life here. Remember to clean the filter liner and the filter itself between trips. It makes a difference.

quote Arkansas Man: "I also clean and lube all the parts."

I was just going to add another reply about re-lubing the pump. The only time mine ever became harder to pump, a dash of lube did the trick.

quote gshaw: "I almost exclusively pump from shore (because i forget whilst in the canoe). The secondary container trick is nice, but i use the coffee filter/rubber band trick on the intake screen and have never had a problem. In your maintenance kit, put some extra coffee filters and rubber bands, and when you have some downtime at camp, change out the filter. I've found a once-a-day changeout (takes 3 minutes) has kept my filter working beautifully for at least 7 years (i've never had to replace the element)."

Another thing to remember is to adjust the float. I never pump if the intake is sitting on the bottom.