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Another ticked off Base Camp user

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Last Visit: 06/18/2013 12:55AM
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fitgers1

08/15/2012 09:15PM

Brought my new Katadyn P.O.S base camp up to Shell and Lynx the last several days. I had mine and another guy had a used one with a new filter. I also had a spare new filter for my PUR Hiker (same filter). We used his first. One bag flowed through perfectly. After that it was very slow, pretty much a drip. Did that for a day filling our collapsible jug a couple times. The next day we tried my new one, same thing. Then we put the new filter in my bag and again, the same thing. At times it would flow very slowly if we sucked on it like siphoning a tank. All in all, two bags and three filters and we filled that 2 1/2 gallon jug about 6 times. That doesn't sound very efficient to me. I have loved my Hiker for 20 years and it still works well but I think I will be following everyones advice about putting in the Sawyer filter. I was pretty happy with my bag after the at home operational test but in the field I was disappointed. I'll be writing Katadyn a Dear John letter over this one.
Please welcome me to the other filter convert camp!

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson...and...“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".

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KevinL

08/15/2012 09:37PM

Welcome to the Sawyer convert club.................Katadyn did give me a Vario when I sent my email to them, but I was not happy with that one either.

Sawyer system WORKS GREAT!!!!!

KevinL

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kanoes

08/15/2012 09:46PM

i still dont mind pumping water. this and a camp stool. comfortable.

i think bigfoot is blurry. (mitch hedberg...youtube it))

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Royce

08/15/2012 09:59PM

I recently bought the Sawyer SP140 filter.
Picked up some vinyl tubing with 7/16 outside diameter and 5/16 inside. Tubing fits nicely into nozzle of 2.5 gal collapsible container.

Something about the flow rate I found interesting... and thought of it after seeing the above picture with the relatively short tube going from the dirty water to the filter... and the long tube for the filtered water...

According to Sawyers flow rate report, the flow rate is determined by Head pressure, Altitude and the cleanliness of the filter.

The head pressure is the distance from the top of the water to the filter.

For example, if your head pressure is 14 inches the flow rate would be an estimated 10 gallons per hour. If the head pressure is tripled to 42 inches, the flow rate would nearly double to 19 gallons per hour.

.

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timatkn

08/15/2012 10:34PM

What's this water filter thing you speak of?

T

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hopalonghowie

08/15/2012 11:11PM

quote timatkn: "What's this water filter thing you speak of?
T"
Who needs a filter

Bad days fishing are still better than good days working -h

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JoeWilderness

08/16/2012 12:21AM

quote hopalonghowie: "quote timatkn: "What's this water filter thing you speak of?
T"
Who needs a filter

"

Now, that is funny!

"You only have one chance at life, so make it an adventure!"

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timatkn

08/16/2012 07:41AM

quote hopalonghowie: "quote timatkn: "What's this water filter thing you speak of?
T"
Who needs a filter

"

You don't know how happy you just made my wife for using that picture. She was so proud of it last year.

Hilarious, except I am disappointed I didn't think of it first ;)

T

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RainGearRight

08/16/2012 08:25AM

quote timatkn: "quote hopalonghowie: "quote timatkn: "What's this water filter thing you speak of?
T"
Who needs a filter

"

You don't know how happy you just made my wife for using that picture. She was so proud of it last year.

Hilarious, except I am disappointed I didn't think of it first ;)

hahahah I thought of this pic for the "best tasting lake" thread. Great photo.

T"

There's always money in the banana stand.

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fitgers1

08/16/2012 09:45AM

quote kanoes: "i still dont mind pumping water. this and a camp stool. comfortable."

I don't get it. You pump your water into a sink?
I still have and will always use my old Hiker pump as well. I am happy with that. The flawless operation of the Hiker over the last two decades helps leave me a bit befuddled concerning this piece of crap base camp. Just can't figure out why it doesn't flow. Does it need a FloMax pill dropped in the bag with it?

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Savage Voyageur

08/16/2012 09:52AM

quote fitgers1: "quote kanoes: "i still dont mind pumping water. this and a camp stool. comfortable."

I don't get it. You pump your water into a sink?
I still have and will always use my old Hiker pump as well. I am happy with that. The flawless operation of the Hiker over the last two decades helps leave me a bit befuddled concerning this piece of crap base camp. Just can't figure out why it doesn't flow. Does it need a FloMax pill dropped in the bag with it?"

I have done the same thing with my sink. You get water from the lake in the sink and pump into Nalgeen bottles.

"So many lakes, so little time."

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Ragged

08/16/2012 09:54AM

quote fitgers1:

I don't get it. You pump your water into a sink?
I still have and will always use my old Hiker pump as well. I am happy with that. The flawless operation of the Hiker over the last two decades helps leave me a bit befuddled concerning this piece of crap base camp. Just can't figure out why it doesn't flow. Does it need a FloMax pill dropped in the bag with it?"

If I had to guess I would think he draws water from the lake then brings the tub of water up to camp and sits in a chair pumping away while watching the fire or birds or sky ect, no leaning over jagged rocks awkwardly pumping for 5 mins at a time.

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LuvMyBell

08/16/2012 10:07AM

This is one of many recent threads regarding dissatisfaction with Katadyn's Base Camp.

I've been using mine for years with no issues. Because of the problems I've read about clogging, I always draw my water well away from shore where the water is cleaner and less likely to have particulates in it which can clog the filter and cause many of these issues.

I agree that having a means of back flushing would be a great improvement. But without making modifications as explained by others, I just use the cleanest water source I can find in the field and thoroughly clean the filter when I get back home.

I also bring a Pro Hike pump as a backup in camp and as our primary water source on day trips away from camp.

Paddle Faster....I hear banjo music

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TeamTuna06

08/16/2012 10:50AM

Have had no problems with this one...

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles." -Doug Larson

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cowdoc

08/16/2012 10:56AM

quote LuvMyBell: "This is one of many recent threads regarding dissatisfaction with Katadyn's Base Camp.

I've been using mine for years with no issues. Because of the problems I've read about clogging, I always draw my water well away from shore where the water is cleaner and less likely to have particulates in it which can clog the filter and cause many of these issues.

I agree that having a means of back flushing would be a great improvement. But without making modifications as explained by others, I just use the cleanest water source I can find in the field and thoroughly clean the filter when I get back home.

I also bring a Pro Hike pump as a backup in camp and as our primary water source on day trips away from camp."

There are recent threads, but there have also been older threads about this problem with the Basecamp. It's a problem Katadyn is aware of and many times it is not a problem due to "dirty water" with particulates but instead due to fine types of algae, in clean looking water, that clog the filter. I used one for a few years with no problems and like you, collected "clean" water and did diligent filter upkeep but started to have problems 2 years ago and last year. I believe your luck, as mine early on, has to do with time of year and type of lakes you are on. Eventually, the clogging issue is going to catch up with you. It seems to be well documented. I got out the hacksaw, bought a Sawyer inline filter and made the switch.

"What could happen?"

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pamonster

08/16/2012 11:04AM

I'd had zero problems with Katadyn, specifically the Vario until my last trip. My wife did drop it and it landed on a rock upside-down, from that point it would leak a small amount of water around the top and from the side where the top is screwed on. Not sure if it was the fall or not but it was much less efficient. I had to change it to "faster flow" mode and bypass the clay tablet to have any sort of respectable output

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fitgers1

08/16/2012 11:22AM

@ SV and Ragged - Ah, I see what you mean. When I pump, I do it in the lake or near shore. I like to sit at the edge of the lake and pump - especially on a rock wall that goes down several feet. It's a peaceful camp chore. I did for the first time bring a GG camp sink. Wasn't impressed with it either. It's easier to put soapy water into the largest pot used for a meal and use that as the kitchen sink. I can see using the sink to pump the water though while on shore. Makes sense.

@LMB - I didn't write that we took the water for the base camp right from shore. We went out about 50 yards from shore in about 10 feet of water to fill the bags. This was pretty much out in the middle of the lake as we were on an island. We weren't going to fill the bags right from shore with all that crap on the rocks. I don't mind and do pump from shore though because of the acorn pre-filter on the Hiker which is also covered with a coffee filter. I also put a coffee filter on the cartridge in my bag but didn't seem to help much with the problem.

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cinna

08/16/2012 11:46AM

The coffee filter works effectively only if you make sure that it is tightly sealed around the microbial filter with big fat rubber bands. Otherwise water will find the easiest path and go around it. Also, it helps to prefilter the water before it goes into the bag. If this sounds like a lot of trouble, your right, it is. It's stupid we have to do this. So I plan on making the switch to Saywer but want to get my money's worth out of Katadyn first. So far, the double pre-filtering with coffee filters is working.

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Merganser

08/16/2012 12:29PM

quote Royce: "I recently bought the Sawyer SP140 filter.
Picked up some vinyl tubing with 7/16 outside diameter and 5/16 inside. Tubing fits nicely into nozzle of 2.5 gal collapsible container.

Something about the flow rate I found interesting... and thought of it after seeing the above picture with the relatively short tube going from the dirty water to the filter... and the long tube for the filtered water...

According to Sawyers flow rate report, the flow rate is determined by Head pressure, Altitude and the cleanliness of the filter.

The head pressure is the distance from the top of the water to the filter.

For example, if your head pressure is 14 inches the flow rate would be an estimated 10 gallons per hour. If the head pressure is tripled to 42 inches, the flow rate would nearly double to 19 gallons per hour.

"

Oh, no.... that actually makes sense. Its also consistent with them hooking the filter straight to the clean bag. I think I have some reconfiguring to do....

"That sort of thing is my bag baby."

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ThErik

08/16/2012 02:20PM

After reading all the reviews and comments on this site, I went with the Sawyer filter straight away. Love it, guaranteed for 1 million gallons...for me, I would have to filter more than 47 gallons a day for the rest of my life to reach 1 million gallons.

Also, I picked up a 200 cc plastic syringe to back flush in the field and it works like a charm. Water flow gets slow, back flush, and it's as good as new.

Sawyer rules.

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overthehill

08/16/2012 03:14PM

Yep. Sawyer for 5 years now and NO PROBLEMS. (The little black one like an in-line fuel filter) Yes, uh uh, yes.

Not to Hurry-Not to Worry

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cinna

08/16/2012 04:40PM

quote Merganser: "quote Royce: "I recently bought the Sawyer SP140 filter.
Picked up some vinyl tubing with 7/16 outside diameter and 5/16 inside. Tubing fits nicely into nozzle of 2.5 gal collapsible container.

Something about the flow rate I found interesting... and thought of it after seeing the above picture with the relatively short tube going from the dirty water to the filter... and the long tube for the filtered water...

According to Sawyers flow rate report, the flow rate is determined by Head pressure, Altitude and the cleanliness of the filter.

The head pressure is the distance from the top of the water to the filter.

For example, if your head pressure is 14 inches the flow rate would be an estimated 10 gallons per hour. If the head pressure is tripled to 42 inches, the flow rate would nearly double to 19 gallons per hour.

"

Oh, no.... that actually makes sense. Its also consistent with them hooking the filter straight to the clean bag. I think I have some reconfiguring to do...."

I agree with all the above and that's why the Katadyn is such a stinky design, there's no head pressure. Also, the Katadyn filter is a pleated 0.3 micron - older technology. Sawyer is a hollow fiber 0.1 micron filter. So the Sawyer has a smaller pore and still kicks Katadyn's butt. All signs point to Sawyer.

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maxxbhp

08/16/2012 05:11PM

Last year my Katadyn did great on the border route from Sag. 7 days, water every day, barely showed signs of slowing at all. This year I clogged a new filter in 2 days, used the old one for 3 more days, and at the end it was close to becoming a real problem. Different area but I collected water exactly the same way, I don't know, but I know I'll do something different next time.

"Old Nashville still has a song and dance, and the Florida girls still wear no underpants. And we all get drunk at the football game, yeh the new south, thank God is still the same" Hank Williams, jr

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OldGreyGoose

08/16/2012 05:24PM

I am a "satisfied" KBC user of about 3 years. I have grumbled a few times about having to clean the "sleeve" and having to replace the filters. I always use the cleanest water I can find, usually away from camp over deep water and I have LEARNED a thing or two about its use: 1) you MUST hang the bag as high as possible above the collection vessel AND, 2) you should fill the bag as full as you can AND, 3) you should roll the top down tight. If you don't do these things your results will suffer GREATLY. That said, I recently spent 5 days with a group who used the Platypus 2-bag system that can be back-flushed and was very impressed. I will probably go that way at some point in the future. --Goose

Soloing is sweet, but a good partner is "priceless."

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Scout64

08/16/2012 05:33PM

I too have been disappointed in my Katadyn filter. My experience is I get about 25 gallons out of a filter. So, $2/gallon. I now use my Katadyn as a back up and my Sawyer as my primary. Too Bad, I really liked my Katadyn the first couple of times I used it.

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit."

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jb in the wild

08/16/2012 07:26PM

Jeff I'll never pump for water again. You've probably seen this a hundred times before. Fill the bag set up the tent and tarp 5 gals of water filtered. If it slows back flush and I'm ready to rock.
I wont get into the million gal debate again but Diva and I have filtered hundreds of gals without a hitch. $50- $60 bucks.

You can't explain the obvious to the ignorant.

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kanoes

08/16/2012 07:40PM

quote fitgers1: "quote kanoes: "i still dont mind pumping water. this and a camp stool. comfortable."

I don't get it. You pump your water into a sink?
I still have and will always use my old Hiker pump as well. I am happy with that. The flawless operation of the Hiker over the last two decades helps leave me a bit befuddled concerning this piece of crap base camp. Just can't figure out why it doesn't flow. Does it need a FloMax pill dropped in the bag with it?"
i fill the sink way off shore before i land. then i pump that water in camp.

i think bigfoot is blurry. (mitch hedberg...youtube it))

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LuvMyBell

08/16/2012 08:27PM

At the start of this thread I was a Katadyn Base Camp (KBC) supporter as I've not had issues in 4 years I've owned it.

However, after reading threads that indicated that eventually I'd experience the same problems, I am convinced that a Sawyer will be my next purchase.

I'm not going to modify the KBR, rather I'll keep it as a backup.

Paddle Faster....I hear banjo music

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Diego

08/17/2012 04:39AM

I use the sawyer filter hooked inline with MSR Dromedary 10 liter bags. It will fill a 10l bag in 7-10 minutes and thats with my current configuration having the filter closer to the dirty bag on top. The pressure head idea makes sence and i too will need to move the filter closer to the clean bag on the bottom bag. If i thought the flow was good before, cant wait to see what this does!

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bwcadan

08/19/2012 05:48PM

Highwater filters of Washington state claim the lowest prices. Was so for my Sawyer in July and their customer service was great. I had a problem and it may have been user error. They gave full credit and helped me with learning how to use my second Sawyer. No ifs, ands, or butt about it.

the greatest come backs are reserved for those with the greatest deficits.

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schweady

08/23/2012 05:23PM

Filtered another 30 gallons closer to the 1,000,000 mark last week... Didn't even need any back flushing this trip, either. Dump in water collected from mid-lake, walk away, enjoy doing the things that you actually came up to do.

(Oh, and I duct tape wrapped a bit of bicycle inner tube around the bag handles this year; helped with the strap stress...)

"You can observe a lot by watching." -- Yogi Berra

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BWPaddler

08/23/2012 05:59PM

Used my Sawyer filter from my squeeze bottle this last trip to gravity filter for four. Awesome! So far the filter has been used for 13 days of paddling as a squeeze bottle and 4 days of base camping gravity filter for a small group. NO back flushing yet and it's working great.

NOW - why didn't someone post about head pressure BEFORE I cut that tubing???? sheesh!

Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe. -Thoreau

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mjmkjun

08/24/2012 08:23AM

quote KevinL:

"Sawyer system WORKS GREAT!!!!!"

Like this set-up.

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