Review - Gravity Filter -  Katadyn Base Camp            

  (You need to Login or Register            
           
On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give this a six or seven.            

I'd been curious about gravity filters and did some research online, checking reviews and prices.  Settled on the Katadyn mostly because it is a single unit and uses filter cartridges same as my Hiker filter.  Generally, the reviews were a mixed bag as to efficiency and longevity.  So I bought one anyway.            

I hooked it up in the back yard and gave it a test with tap water, tested it twice actually.  I was not at all impressed with the flow rate, and wasn't sure if it was worth bringing to Quetico or not, but figured what the heck, if it worked even partially, it might be a good thing to have in camp.            
And it was a good thing to have - we travelled every day but 2, and when we got to campsite, after unloading and tieing the boat, the first thing we'd do was fill the blue bag with water and start it flowing - meanwhile, would set up the tent, hang the ropes for the food bag, gather wood, maybe set up the tarp.            
By the time we finished setting up camp, we would have about a gallon and a half of filtered water - more than enough for our dinner.  After dinner, we'd let the filter run thru the night to about fill the 2 1/2 gal container so we had water for breakfast and next day's travel.            
We wrapped a single coffee filter around the filter cartridge to help pre-filter the pollen.  Made a mistake in not changing the coffee filters every time, and in using only one filter rather than two - a single coffee filter won't completely cover the cartridge - you need two for that, and in future I will use two every time, and change them at least every two days.  Result of not doing this was a slowing of the flow rate - we got about 8 days of use from the gravity filter before the pollen clogged it enough that we needed to get the pump out to have water for dinner.  The gravity filter was still allowed to run, and would still provide enough water for us overnight for our breakfast and travel needs.            
I'm reasonably sure we would have extended the practical useful life of the filter cartridge if we had used two coffee filters early on, and changed them more frequently early on.  Only one time did we use the boat and go out from shore for water - the rest of the time we just dipped it from the shoreline.            

Pros: - simple to use once it was set up and running; it saved some time and effort that would have gone into pumping water, but for the two of us that maybe was 5 minutes a day - more on the layover days, and if you base camped, it would be a bigger savings.  When we had enough water, we shut off the flow, and could use the remainder to put out the campfire.      Reviews I'd read said that if you have a "Hiker" model pump, you can take the filter from the bag and use it in the  pump with some success, as the pump pressure will still force more water thru faster.            
Cons:  with two of us, one would hold the bag open while the other dipped water with our bailer to fill the bag - about 3 gallons - that was fine, but it      is trickier to do it yourself - much less "value" to this if you are solo I'd say.  Did not try to fill the bag directly, as you need to keep the hose out of the lake, and it was easier to ue the bailer.      
Likewise, hoisting the bag up high, about 5 feet off the ground wasn't too hard to do with two people, but you'd need to rig a haul rope if solo. For more than a short trip, not reliable enough to use by itself unless you are prepared to bring a replacement filter (at least one) with you. We carried a Pur Guide model filter as a backup, and needed it later on. Slow rate of flow didn't bother us, but with a big group and a need for many more gallons of water, you will need a lot of time to let it work.  As the name implies "base camp" use is probably best. I'd use two for a large group.            
Since we brought the usual pump filter, this was an additional item to pack and carry - mine weighed 12 ounces dry            
           
MSRP is $69, as at REI - Campmor sells for $10 less - on sale now for $53 mine cost me an additional $237 since I enforced my rule of no additional weight without reducing elsewhere - so to offset that 12 oz gain, I bought a ZRE carbon paddle to save 12 oz.            

summary: it worked well enough that I will bring it again if not going solo, making sure to use two coffee filters wrapped around the cartridge, and changing them out every couple of days.  Note that the pollen in the water was not really bad, but did get worse as the trip progessed in time - it was mostly not as thick as I have seen it at other times - so results will vary.