Used a Katadyn Vario for years and it gave me troubles w/o end. It was constantly leaking, I went through a shitload of o-rings and two tubes of lube. Then the filter cartridges... 50 bucks a piece and they don't even fit right if you don't insert them EXACTLY like they should (which you will only notice once it's almost completely inserted and a pita to remove again).
Or that floating thingy on the inlet hose... If your stream is shallower than 3cm, just forget it. Just a trickling or tapped source w/o a basin? Tough luck...
After I got sick on a recent trip from yet another leaking o-ring (I had replaced and checked it for leaks the day before I left), I just went ahead and bought a micro squeeze mini and that water bladder Darwin uses. Wouldn't want to go back desu. It's cheaper, lighter and much less effort because it's easier to just fill the water bladder and then filter somewhere else rather than having to stand next to the water source while pumping AND trying to hold the filter + bottle.
Also, it doesn't leak and make me sick, which is exactly what I need from a filter.
I'm a bit worried about taking it out camping during winter, because they break when they freeze, but un
>>1504162Household filters "reduce" the amount of heavy metals and are only mostly intended for filtering out calcium, and even at that they're pretty bad. You might just filter your water through your shirt.
