In my opinion, a water filter is one of the most important pieces of gear you can carry. Without water, your chances of surviving for any length of time are pretty minimal. Not having enough clean drinkable water prevents your body from carry out its normal functions, and can lead to death in as little as three days (possibly much sooner in harsh desert environments).

Whether your a hiker, a prepperOne who prepares or just someone who enjoys wilderness activities, having a way to obtain clean drinkable water is essential to your survival. While there are a number of water filters on the market, there is only one that I trust enough to put in my bugout bags, and carry as my main form of filtration when hiking. That Filter is the Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter.

Over the years I have encountered a number of different types of water filters. While some of them worked for awhile, not many of them were built to last. When choosing a water filter, one thing I look at is how well it will take a beating. The last thing you want is a wimpy filter that breaks the first time it drops.

Why I prefer the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter

The Katadyn Pocket Microfilter is no skimpy water filter, thing is tough and can take a beating.

The manufacturer claims that it’s built for a lifetime of use, and they back up their claim with a lifetime warranty. From our own internal testing, I can tell you that this is one rock solid filter. In my opinion, it’s probably one of the most reliable and longest lasting filters on the market.

Through countless number of excursions into the wilderness, this filter has never once failed to deliver clean drinkable water. Its construction is top notch and feels tougher and more durable than 99% of the water filters that we’ve used over the years.

While it is one of the pricier filters on the market, its durability, ease of use and lifetime guarantee more than make up for the higher price tag. I’ve used some of the cheaper plastic filters in the past, and found that many of them failed even during controlled conditions. That’s the last thing you would ever want to happen in an emergency situation.

In a survival situation water is your number one priority, do you really want to put your life in the hands of a cheap plastic filter?  When choosing something as important as a water filter, this is one area where I refuse to settle for anything but the best.

The Dirty Details

How much water can you filter with the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter?

The internal silver impregnated ceramic cartridge is designed to filter up to 13,000 gallons of water.  The average person drinks somewhere around 1.9 Liters a day, so that averages out to roughly 71 years worth of drinking water from this one filter.

How does the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter stack up against the competition.

DURABILITY

A life saving product like this needs to be built to last and must be able to stand up to the harshest of environments. Hands down the Katadyn Microfilter has got to be the most durable, dependable and well designed filter that I’ve tested.

It’s easy to use, easy to field clean, it uses top quality materials and has a rock solid feel.

WEIGHT

One thing that you need to consider is the overall weight of the filter. Although the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter is slightly heavier then other filters of its size, it’s reliability and indestructible design make it a much better option than its plastic counterparts. While some light hikers may be a little disappointed with the filters 20oz weight, those that have never considered carrying one may find it helps them reduce their overall pack weight.

A gallon of water weighs over 8 pounds, carrying a water filter and knowing where to find water can help cut down on a significant amount of water weight. I usually carry the Katadyn filter, one full canteen and one empty one. The empty one allows me to cut down on water weight, while giving me the option of carrying extra water if I’m in an area where it’s scarce.

FILTRATION

The filter is built to eliminate micro-organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, cysts, algae, spores, viruses and sediments greater than greater than 0.2 microns( 0.0002 mm). This effectively eliminates microbiological contaminants to the U.S. EPA standards for filtrated water.

The filtration process itself was extremely easy. It worked with every commercially available canteen or bottle that we tried and even worked well to fill up our  hydration packs.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

When it comes to buying a product that your life depends on, you better be damn sure that product is built to last. In my opinion, the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter is one of the only filters on the market that can live up to that challenge.