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So I purchased one of these some months ago from our friendly JRH Enterprises shop where it sat until I got in from Germany. And while I was in, I got the hankering to get out into the woods and do some hiking. Simple day hike and I figured what better opportunity to test out my brand new water filter than at Rock Creek Fall near Erwin Tennessee.
Here's the link for the item:
And the company specs:
First off, it's not a light unit...even with the "pocket" name. However, something rugged and durable will sometimes weigh more. Take the Primus Omnifuel for example. It weighs a ton, but is sturdy as all get out. But enough digressing as sturdy can be good.
Comes with a neat zippered pouch for easy carrying and organization. A little on the large size, but I was able to get it into a day pack with no problems. Weight wasn't an issue for this particular hike, but I'll expand on that later. After reaching the Falls, I put it all together very, sort of easy, but got it together and found the appropriate area to do a test. Running water from the base of the Falls worked great. The pool was about 15-20 inches deep, a perfect place to test it out.
I only managed to fill one Nalgene bottle (I had a thunderstorm riding up my behind) before having to head back down the mountainside, but I got a pretty good feel for what the device is capable of in that amount of time. I ended up drinking the water once I reached the bottom and was perfectly fine afterwards. No bugs, no sickness, perfectly fine afterwards. Worked as advertised.
Now the down and dirty:
Pros: Filters water just fine. The first 10-15 pumps gave off the chalky looking water as the filter was getting cleaned out, but that was to be expected. After that, good clean water filled up my Nalgene bottle. The pump is easy to manipulate and the whole unit is easy to handle. The hoses are longer than needs to be, but that's a good thing as one doesn't have to scrunch down and worry about the hose pulling out of a container at the worst time. The input hose has the typical Katadyn "floater" piece of styrofoam so the hose won't (shouldn't) drag the bottom. The input hose itself is large and has a good sized end end with a screen to keep out the large particles as well. The hoses stayed put on the filter itself once I got them installed.
Cons: You cannot rush this filter like you can with a Katadyn Mini. Pumping harder and faster will not work and the water comes out the top cap instead of the hose. Steady, but not forced pumps work the best. I got water coming out of the top where the cap with the output valve is located when I tried to hurry up and worked it harder. So one cannot be in a hurry when getting your water.
The hoses are the devil to get on the output valve, but I managed to get them on okay. Maybe because it's new, I don't know, but they stayed on tight once I got them on. Just getting them there was the problem.
And final con is weight. While weight sometimes isn't a big deal, say with a vehicle kit or if you are younger, this device weighs well over a pound not including the carry case. Not that the case is absolutely needed (just nice to have) but it adds up.
Not to say this filter isn't an outstanding piece of survival gear. Any water filter that can go for 13,000 gallons and be less than two pounds is outstanding in my book. It works great for the intended purpose, filtering clean water. However, several factors would preclude me putting one into my BOB.
Weight: Your typical BOB has a lot of weight and we look at shaving ounces. Additionally, a BOB is intended to get you from one place to another. When one looks at shaving weight, you can save serious ounces by going to the Katadyn Mini at less than half the weight. Sure, it doesn't filter as much, but if find the need to filter 13,000 gallons while carrying your BOB, you probably aren't heading for your retreat location lol
Bulk: Again, weight and bulk are a factor. When dealing with a BOB, space is often at a premium since we all have a tendency to overfill our BOBs. Having said that, there are smaller ones that will work just as well for BOB purposes and take up less room.
Speed: Typically when using your BOB, you are "on the go" and don't want or need to be slowed down. Since this filter cannot be rushed, it takes a little longer to get everything filled up. So again, I personally would go with a smaller filter.
Best uses: Home, vehicle, stationary positions where carrying isn't an issue.
Yes, I would recommend this filter to someone looking for a viable water filter, but not specifically for a BOB.
Here's the link for the item:
And the company specs:
First off, it's not a light unit...even with the "pocket" name. However, something rugged and durable will sometimes weigh more. Take the Primus Omnifuel for example. It weighs a ton, but is sturdy as all get out. But enough digressing as sturdy can be good.
Comes with a neat zippered pouch for easy carrying and organization. A little on the large size, but I was able to get it into a day pack with no problems. Weight wasn't an issue for this particular hike, but I'll expand on that later. After reaching the Falls, I put it all together very, sort of easy, but got it together and found the appropriate area to do a test. Running water from the base of the Falls worked great. The pool was about 15-20 inches deep, a perfect place to test it out.
I only managed to fill one Nalgene bottle (I had a thunderstorm riding up my behind) before having to head back down the mountainside, but I got a pretty good feel for what the device is capable of in that amount of time. I ended up drinking the water once I reached the bottom and was perfectly fine afterwards. No bugs, no sickness, perfectly fine afterwards. Worked as advertised.
Now the down and dirty:
Pros: Filters water just fine. The first 10-15 pumps gave off the chalky looking water as the filter was getting cleaned out, but that was to be expected. After that, good clean water filled up my Nalgene bottle. The pump is easy to manipulate and the whole unit is easy to handle. The hoses are longer than needs to be, but that's a good thing as one doesn't have to scrunch down and worry about the hose pulling out of a container at the worst time. The input hose has the typical Katadyn "floater" piece of styrofoam so the hose won't (shouldn't) drag the bottom. The input hose itself is large and has a good sized end end with a screen to keep out the large particles as well. The hoses stayed put on the filter itself once I got them installed.
Cons: You cannot rush this filter like you can with a Katadyn Mini. Pumping harder and faster will not work and the water comes out the top cap instead of the hose. Steady, but not forced pumps work the best. I got water coming out of the top where the cap with the output valve is located when I tried to hurry up and worked it harder. So one cannot be in a hurry when getting your water.
The hoses are the devil to get on the output valve, but I managed to get them on okay. Maybe because it's new, I don't know, but they stayed on tight once I got them on. Just getting them there was the problem.
And final con is weight. While weight sometimes isn't a big deal, say with a vehicle kit or if you are younger, this device weighs well over a pound not including the carry case. Not that the case is absolutely needed (just nice to have) but it adds up.
Not to say this filter isn't an outstanding piece of survival gear. Any water filter that can go for 13,000 gallons and be less than two pounds is outstanding in my book. It works great for the intended purpose, filtering clean water. However, several factors would preclude me putting one into my BOB.
Weight: Your typical BOB has a lot of weight and we look at shaving ounces. Additionally, a BOB is intended to get you from one place to another. When one looks at shaving weight, you can save serious ounces by going to the Katadyn Mini at less than half the weight. Sure, it doesn't filter as much, but if find the need to filter 13,000 gallons while carrying your BOB, you probably aren't heading for your retreat location lol
Bulk: Again, weight and bulk are a factor. When dealing with a BOB, space is often at a premium since we all have a tendency to overfill our BOBs. Having said that, there are smaller ones that will work just as well for BOB purposes and take up less room.
Speed: Typically when using your BOB, you are "on the go" and don't want or need to be slowed down. Since this filter cannot be rushed, it takes a little longer to get everything filled up. So again, I personally would go with a smaller filter.
Best uses: Home, vehicle, stationary positions where carrying isn't an issue.
Yes, I would recommend this filter to someone looking for a viable water filter, but not specifically for a BOB.
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