Katadyn Hiker Pro Review
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Lightweight, inexpensive, reliable, reaches shallow water sources
Cons: Requires energy to filter, clogs with sediment
Manufacturer: Katadyn
Our Verdict
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Katadyn Hiker Pro | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Price | $73.49 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $34.96 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $80.96 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $29.97 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $14.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Lightweight, inexpensive, reliable, reaches shallow water sources | Easy to use, fast flow rate, collapsible, lightweight | Lightweight, great price, durable design, fast flow, high volume filtration, use for cold weather | Lightweight, adaptable, easy to use, lifetime guarantee | Lightweight, inexpensive, kills all pathogens (including crypto), reliable |
Cons | Requires energy to filter, clogs with sediment | Lacks durability and reliability | Doesn't filter out viruses, no additional storage reservoir | Not great for group use, better if you replace the bags | Takes a long time to kill crypto, slight taste to the water, chemical treatment |
Bottom Line | If you're seeking a hand pump that'll get too hard to reach places, this is a great option | A soft bottle filtration system designed for lightweight travel | The best value gravity filter on the market | This lifetime guaranteed product is easy to use on the trail | The best chemical treatment option that will kill all pathogens when given enough time |
Rating Categories | Katadyn Hiker Pro | Katadyn BeFree | Katadyn Gravity Camp 6L | Sawyer Squeeze | Water Treatment Drops |
Water Quality (20%) | |||||
Durability & Maintenance (20%) | |||||
Treatment Time (15%) | |||||
Weight & Packability (15%) | |||||
Ease Of Set Up (15%) | |||||
Ease Of Filtration (15%) | |||||
Specs | Katadyn Hiker Pro | Katadyn BeFree | Katadyn Gravity... | Sawyer Squeeze | Water Treatment... |
Type of Filter/Purifier | Hand pump | Squeeze & on-the-go | Gravity filter | Squeeze, in-line, on-the-go | Chemical treatment |
Time to Treat One Liter (Timed Test) | 53 seconds | immediate | 64 seconds | 40 seconds | Clear Water - 20 min Turbid Water - 35 min |
Measured Weight (entire kit -- oz) | 13.4 oz | 2.1 oz | 11.7 oz | 5.7 oz | 3.0 oz |
Total cost per 100 L ($) | $7.73 | $4.00 | $6.00 | $0.01 | $13.16 |
Replacement cartridge cost per 100 L ($) | $4.55 | $2.50 | $2.67 | $0.01 | $13.16 |
# of Liters (L)/gallons (gal) per lifetime | 1,100 L/291 gal | 1000 L/264 gal | 1,500 L/396 gal | 378,541 L/100,000 gal | 114 L/30 gal per package |
Filter Media or Active Ingredient | Glass fiber/ carbon core | Hollow Fiber | Pleated glassfiber | Hollow Fiber | Chlorine Dioxide |
Removes Bacteria? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Removes Protozoa? (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Removes Viruses'? | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Removes Chemicals? | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Removes Heavy Metals? | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Removes Particulates (sediment, microplastics)? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Filter Pore Size | 0.2 microns | 0.1 micron | 0.2 microns | 0.1 micron | N/A |
Advertised Flow Rate | 1L/min | 2.11 L per min | 2 L/min | 1.7L/min | N/A |
Dimensions | 6.5 x 3 x 2.4 in | 9.05 in x 2.73 in | 10 x 6 x 2.4 in | 11 x 6 | N/A |
Storage Capacity (L) | 0 | 0.6 L | 6 L | 0 | 0 |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Katadyn Hiker Pro is an inexpensive and reliable handpump. Its perfectly happy providing clean and fresh water for small groups and solo hikers. While it does require some muscle to get a liter of water, it's one of our favorite hand pumps on the market.
Performance Comparison
Water Quality
This filter utilizes an anticlog pleated cartridge constructed of glass fiber and activated carbon that can filter out standard bacteria and protozoans (Giardia and Cryptosporidium) with 0.2-micron pore size. The activated carbon does a fantastic job cleaning the water of any nasty smells or stenches, leaving you with fresh, clean water to drink on the trail. We also like the clear overcoat that allows you to see the water that you're filtering out quickly.
Durability and Maintenance
Overall, this filter performed fine for us in the field but did require maintenance. The construction seems to be prime time with a pumping hand but is a little awkward at first to figure out.
While this filter isn't self-cleaning, it's certainly low maintenance unless you hit super silty or murky water. Make sure to clean it regularly so it can last you its rated 1,100 liters (~300 gallons). Some online users reported this filter cracking when they tried to force water through it when it was clogged. To avoid this catastrophe in the field, unscrew the bottom, remove the filter, and scrub it clean, then put it back together.
Treatment Time
Treatment is relatively fast. During our timed trials, we averaged about 53 seconds to pump a liter. The flow is nice and fast, offering quick filtration.
While we do think that the time is decent, it's not early as other hand pumps out there. Also, one of the issues we had with the Hiker Pro is that the handle is not super easy to grab. After a few pumping sessions, we also noticed that it got harder to pump the water through the filter. While these issues did occur, we are still happy with the overall treatment time.
Weight and Packability
Including the entire kit, this pump is pretty lightweight, weighing just 13.40 oz. For a handpump, this is pretty light. The packed size is also pretty decent, being just a little bit bigger than a Nalgene bottle. While this kit does come with a few parts when not assembled, we are happy with the cute little carry case included.
Ease of Setup
After the initial assembly, setup is pretty darn easy. Click everything into place and get on the go. When you're ready to pull the filter out on the trail, unload the bag, unzip, and get pumping.
The hose that comes with the setup has a well-designed little float that keeps the tube from hitting the bottom of the puddle and sucking up muck. Because of the longer tube length, it has a nice niche where this filter can take water from even the smallest sources. On a trip to Death Valley, we found it was easy to get water from tiny puddles without much effort. Overall, setup and water sourcing are easy. Get water from anywhere.
Ease of Filtration
After you've found a nice cozy place to start the pumping process, you've got to get to work. All the hand pump filters earned low points in this category simply because you have to pump it using a little muscle. The handle on this pump is a little small, and the top is curved, making it hard to hold the filter. Holding the pump took some time getting used to, but filtration isn't bad for a pump filter.
The hose has a pre-filtration system affixed to the end to filter out larger debris when sucking in water from shallow sources. The water bottle adaptor fits easily onto a Nalgene, but won't fit inside of more narrow-mouthed bottles.
That said, you don't need to use the adaptor if you don't want to. We also love that it comes with several adaptors so you can plug this into a hydration pack if needed. The adaptors seem to cover a wide range of hydration bladders out there.
One caveat is its performance in silty water. It doesn't have a natural backwash system that continually cleans the filter. Thus, you need to be careful. If pumping gets hard, backwash the system manually; otherwise, you can crack the plastic housing while trying to push water through the pump. While this wasn't our experience, other online users report having had this issue. Overall, filtration is easy when you don't mind pumping for water and when clear sources are plentiful. Be sure to prefilter if you plan on pumping from especially turbid water sources.
Value
This is one of the highest value pumps in this review. It performs well, is quite versatile, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. That's the exact reason we made this one of our Best Buy award winners. If a handpump is what you seek, the Hiker Pro won't disappoint.
Conclusion
The Katadyn Hiker Pro is a lightweight and affordable handpump. It can treat a moderate volume of water in its filter's lifetime. While it's a little awkward at first, you'll find that you can access any water source easily, with the option to filter right into any storage reservoir you might carry with you.
— Amber King