Gear Review: Katadyn Combi Water Filter

Re-post courtesy of MatthiasJ from Kentucky Preppers Network


Katadyn makes some of the best backpacking filters on the market. They have a lot of different models that would fit nearly anyone's hiking or backpacking needs. These filters are well made, durable, and hold up while on the trail. With a Katadyn hiking filter, all you need is a decent water source and you can have all the clean drinking water that you can pump out. These are perfect for your Get Home Bag, Bug Out Bag, or Get Out Of Dodge Bag. They're small, lightweight, and remove the need to carry water, which is very heavy.

Out of all the models of filters Katadyn makes I wanted to choose a filter that was within my budget range and also had a filter that would last a long time. There are a lot of filters on the market that you can get for fairly cheap but most will only filter a couple hundred gallons at the most. If you're using a filter for your Get Home Bag, you want something that has a filter that will filter enough water as long as you're out with your bag. The Katadyn Combi was the filter I settled on.

The Katadyn Combi is part of Katadyn's Endurance Series of filters. The endurance series of filters are designed for 1 - 4 people to use, have an extremely long life and are for extremely dirty water. It's filter combines a silver impregnated ceramic element and a refillable, activated carbon cartridge. It is effective against bacteria and protozoa and also reduces chemicals and bad taste. The ceramic element filters down to 0.2 microns which will remove 99.9% of all bacteria. The ceramic element is washable which will prolong the life of the filter. The activated carbon isn't required for the filter to work but will make the taste and smell of the water a lot better.

The ceramic element will filter around 13,000 gallons (depending on water quality) and the activated carbon will last for 100 gallons before needing to be replaced. The unit itself is only 12" long and less than 3" in diameter. It will will filter around 1 liter of water per minute (hand pumping it) and weighing in at less than 21 ounces it is the perfect backpack filter. The housing is made of durable plastic and is built to last.

The unit comes with a quality carrying bag, 1 ceramic element, 2 packs of activated carbon, and a bottle adapter to attach the filter on top of any standard water bottle (Nalgene). There is a optional water faucet adapter that allows the Combi to be used in a camper, cottage, or a boat. This filter would also be great for a pop-up camper or a small camping setup without a filter in the camper.

The Combi comes with a 1 year warranty and the list price is $159.99 without the faucet adapter. The cheapest place to get the Combi is eBay for around $135.00. The faucet adapter is around $40.00 from Amazon, which is the cheapest. I don't have the faucet adapter but I did purchase an extra filter so I have the ability to filter around 26,000 gallons of water. I do need to get a few more packs of the activated carbon, but as stated above you can use the filter without the carbon.