I’d like to share some experiences on water filtration from my last trip. I’ve often recommended the Katadyn Basecamp and have some new information. I’ve also seen some posts on this, so I figured I’d put it in an actual post instead of the all the comments I’ve left.My tripping partner and I have 3 main tools for filtering water. (The backups are Aquatabs, and in freezing temps a Steripen)
- Katadyn Basecamp. This is a great filter and comes with a huge bag that is easy to fill. When the water is clear is filters fast by just gravity. This is our main filter while at camp. We recently learned that if the water is not clear it slows to a drip and is very hard to clean. I also suspect the filter is prone to hydro-lock… I think air can get stuck in the filter and it’s difficult to get going again. I do need to do more testing.
- Sawyer Squeeze/Mini. This is usually the backup because the bag is hard to fill if the water isn’t flowing or is shallow. It’s much easier to fill in deep water, so we usually fill it with a quick canoe ride. When the Basecamp stopped working we switched, and the Sawyer handled the dark dirty water very well. It back-washes quickly and easily. If the water has any color in it, the Sawyer is our primary filter now.
- Katadyn BeFree: This is great for drinking on the go. Especially in a canoe, just open, scoop, close and drink. This filter is also prone to hydro-lock. I was filtering rain water and the flow was terrible, I was squeezing the bag hard, and one liter took more than 2 minutes. When I got home I was cleaning it, and let the filter soak first, and the flow was back to normal. I would caution against filtering dirty water with this filter. The exposed filter strands concern me too, so I take very good care of it.
For future trips I’m seriously considering bringing 2 Sawyers, one for the gravity bag, and one on a Smart Water bottle. It’s the only filter that has never failed me. When low temperatures are a threat, I keep the filter(s) in a pocket close to my body, and sleep with it in my sleeping bag to prevent freezing.Disclaimer: I’m not sponsored by Sawyer or Katadyn, and I purchased all my filters.