Fun fact: Everybody needs water! If you didn't know that, you've probably had a rough time in life.
Being a backpacker, and general adventure seeker, a staple in my gear garage (yes, most of my garage is filled with gear! Don't judge me...) is a water filter. Going on any sort of multi-day excursion requires clean, drinkable water. My wife and I took our first backpacking trip on our first anniversary and we packed in our water in gallon jugs! Obviously, we learned a valuable lesson in keeping our pack weight down. A year later, we took a week long, 30 mile trip through some of the Lost Creek Wilderness area around Woodland Park, Colorado, and used filter straws to get our water. Let me explain what it's like to drink for a week from a charcoal filter straw... it would be similar to sucking glue through a coffee straw... while it kept us all from getting giardia, it wasn't a fun drinking experience. On a side note; if you've never been to that area of Colorado, you are doing yourself a great disservice! It's absolutely gorgeous year round! Wonderful summertime temperatures, and nice, cold winters. Anyways, back to our review here... Here's what the website says about this nice little filter: "Stay healthy and comfortably hydrated as you hike through large patches of wilderness thanks to the pump-action Katadyn Hiker Water Microfilter. Long backpacking trips require lots of water, and carrying this Backpacker Magazine-approved, eleven-ounce microfilter works much better than carrying ten gallons of water on your back. Easy to use and clean in the field, this reliable microfilter transforms random water sources into thirst-quenching satisfaction throughout your long trek or backpacking trip." Quickly converts suspect water to safe drinking water at rate of one liter per minute, or around 48 pump strokes
a couple minutes to fill up a nalgene. The Katadyn Hiker series water filtration system is a lightweight, easy-to-use filtration system with an intake and output hose attached. It has an easy-to-change filter, and it packs into a little carry bag. This is a fairly no nonsense filter and has held up great in a number of backpacking situations. Once you get back home, all you have to do is pump some bleach water through it and take the filter out to dry. It has attachments that fit on most waterbottles (at least ones that are used for hiking/backpacking), as well as a little nozzle that hooks up to your bladder (not your real one; the hydration bladder). I got this guy for a reasonable price at backcountry.com, and I am fairly certain that you can find them on sale somewhere on the interwebs. Bottle adapter makes it easy to hook up to almost any bottle! Katadyn's website has a pro version for sale, and a different colored version than the one I bought, but really color shouldn't matter when it comes to something like this. There really isn't much more to say on this little filter. I would highly recommend it to those of you looking for an affordable water filtration system for your camping or backpacking adventure. The only downside to this filter system is the plastic ends that they cover the hose nipples with. They are small and can get lost VERY easily. Otherwise, I didn't find any other negatives. It felt well built, and sturdy! Remember that this is not a NEW product, but it is something that is affordable and reliable. That is our goal at Bob's Adventure Blog! Pick yours up here: http://www.backcountry.com/katadyn-hiker-water-microfilter?ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6a2F0YWR5bjoxOjI6a2F0YWR5bg&skid=EXT0072-ONECOL-ONESIZ or here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009T7IYIA/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944579842&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0007U012U&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0FV9TD0XAM2T53E0VQT4
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