[pct-l] Water Filtration

First of all, I always carry a 5 qt ice cream tub in my pack. It is my water bucket, sink, bath tub, storage container, ad infinitum. These little tubs are free, light and very handy. I fetch water in it, and then set up to filter. I put the water bucket on a rock or log so it is at least a foot or more higher than my canteen. This is because the Katadyn doesn't lift water very well. It works much better if the source is above the filter. The pickup tubing makes a dandy siphon. I get comfortable, seated Indian style with my canteens. I have found that pumping the Katadyn with your arms is too strenuous. Each stroke gives you one-fifth of an ounce of water. 160 strokes to the qt. After a qt or so, even Popeye's arms would get tired. I hold the Katadyn with the bottom against the rock, discharge spout in the canteen, and the plunger against my chest, held there with two fingers. Grips vary and it's easy to find at least a couple of positions that allow you to pump with your abdominal muscles, not your arms. You develop a rocking, back and forth motion, not using your arms at all. It's important to get a full-length stroke every time, and this is easily done using this method. Using the weight of your upper body to pump "downhill" works well, too.

I clean the ceramic element about every 10 qts, using the little cleaner supplied with the Katadyn. I use filtered water to wash and rinse the element, and one drop of Camp Suds in the wash water seems to help, especially if you let it soak awhile. More frequent, lighter cleaning is better than letting the elment get really dirty.

I hike with a buddy who has an MSR. He liked their stove, so he bought their filter. That gadget works okay using tap water at home. 50 or 100 strokes, no sweat. But it gets dirty on the trail and then it is another beast altogether. I know of two people who have broken their MSR's. The pump handles break due to very hard pumping. Eventually, they are all going to break (IMHO) The plunger on the Katadyn exerts is force along its length, not perpendicular to it. I haven't heard of any broken Katadyn pumps. My buddy and I have decided upon a division of labor. He sets up and takes down the tent, I filter enough water for both of us. We are both happy with that.

Last little tip. If the water looks a little dirty, I tie a coffee filter on the end of the pickup tube with some dental floss. Don't try to stretch the filter and tie it tight. Try to tie it on there like a little balloon, trying for maximum surface area through which the water must pass. A used teabag will also work. This goes a long way toward keeping the ceramic element cleaner longer. Once again, coffee filters are cheap, light, and have several uses on the trail. Emergency bandage comes to mind.