i have had my katadyn combi since 1995 it gives you not only safe drinking water but good tasting with the carbon filter and it''s cheaper then the katadyn pocket filter made of plastic but it''s really tough. i found if you use a coffee filter on the hose the ceramic filter lasts longer
My wife and I bought this for back-country camping in the UP of Michigan and it worked awesome. The filter is very sturdy and well built. I was not worried about "breaking it" when we were using it. It also is fairly simple design and straightforward to take apart. Plus, it provided good tasting water!!
We are looking forward to taking it to Isle Royale and giving it a good workout there!
UPDATE 6/3/10 We have used this filter multiple times now (Porkie''s SP in MI, Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks NLS, backpacking in Utah) it has stood the test of repeat use over a few years now!
Continues to work well for our backpacking trips. No issues with it, as long as you take care of it (clean it after every trip; when you put new charcoal in it, clean the ceramic filter after pumping water through it; use a coffee filter on the end to help keep the ceramic in better shape). Good product, I like the design of the pump. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good filter.
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I used the Combi for three months in Nepal. The filter allowed me to avoid polluting that beautiful country with hundreds of empty mineral water bottles. Another excellent reason to schlep your own filter is that travelers who must buy their drinking water tend on average to drink much less than the body needs. With a Combi you will spend less, pollute less, and enjoy consistently clean, good-tasting water. I do suggest traveling with a few more activated carbon refills than you anticipate you''ll need. The water quality in developing countries can be rather poor. Replacing the carbon often keeps the water tasting good and provides additional peace of mind. Be careful about taking the Combi to cold climates -the wet ceramic element will crack if allowed to freeze.
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After reading and reading some more about portable ceramic water filters I settled on the Combi by Katadyn. I was NOT disappointed when I started to use it. I bought the counter top attachment so I can use the spout to fill any container needed. The extra $ was well worth it versus trying to use a screw on bottle under the filter. I used this filter with the charcoal at home trying to filter out all the added salt that my community uses in their "water softener" system to no avail. It did not take out the salt but that''s okay. I discovered an artesian mineral spring 2 miles from my home that I use now for my drinking water. I am definitely keeping my Combi and extra ceramic filter for emergency use for times when I have to leave my home and be on the road. I know how easy it is to pump and get water and how easy it is to use with the faucet adapter. I was saddened when it wouldn''t take out the salt from my home water but it did improve the water''s taste!! I figure if I need to use this water filter in an emergency situation I won''t have to worry about nasty tasting water that has bacteria in it. This is a very lightweight system that can be easily put into a backpack. The plastic is very tough as well. I don''t feel that it will be easily damaged. With a new filter I''ll be set for years of good, clean water if need be. Trust me. I shopped long and hard before I spent my hard earned $ on just ANY water filter. I owned Brita pitcher (would not recommend), a PUR faucet model, a Dupont faucet model and a few other assorted big name brands. I found that you could not take them "with you" when you travel to get clean water like you can the Combi. I needed something for a survival or emergency kit and this little filter did the job. It also will definitely outlast a Berkey Lite filter anyday. I liked the fact that Katadyn tells you just how many gallons of fresh water you will get out of one cartridge. Other companies don''t even come close to the cartridge life expectancy. Would highly recommend getting the Combi WITH the faucet adapter because you get the outflow hook up that fits on the bottom of the unit that''s literally worth it''s weight in gold for filling up coffee pots, tea pots, cooking pots where there is no screw top attachment!! Just hold it up in the air a few inches and voila instand water fountain!! I love mine and glad I did some heavy duty research to get the best the first time out.
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Great water filter, I''d recommend it to anyone going backpacking and camping. We do use it together with a Steripen, though, just to make sure.
But the combination of the carbon filter plus the ceramic filter is great and the best choice! Water tastes fantastic! First we were worried that the "plastic" wouldn''t be too durable, but it''s very rugged and survived dropping on stone etc so I am confident it''s going to last a long time. Definitely worth the money, and although not the lightest, we carry it along for backpacking and it''s fine. Pumping only became harder after 3-4 days, so take the sponge with you to wash the filter in between.
I''m a big guy and as a result, my bikes tend to be heavy. But one look at the King Cage Titanium and I had to have it. In fact, I bought two (from BentUpCycles in North Hollywood), and if they''d had more, I probably would have bought them, as well. The design is simple, elegant, and well-executed. Then there''s the weight ... or lack thereof. There''s nothing quite like titanium. (Sigh.)
