REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Inexpensive
Reliable
Reaches shallow water sources
REASONS TO AVOID
Requires energy to filter
Clogs with sediment
Katadyn Hiker Pro Review
This is a reliable hand filter that can reach shallow water sources
Katadyn Hiker Pro Transparent
Credit: Katadyn
Our Verdict
The Katadyn Hiker Pro is a classic and reliable hand pump. It filters out bacteria and protozoans like Giardia and Cryptosporidium, making it an ideal backcountry filter for North America. The ultra-long tube and smaller intake can get into nooks and crannies that other hand pumps can't get into, accessing all sorts of water source sizes from small to large. While this filter does well in clear water, it struggles in the silty stuff. It does not have an automatic backflow, which causes it to clog easily when water sources aren't completely clear. If the water sources are clear, and you're heading out into the woods by yourself or with friends, this reliable hand pump will help keep you hydrated.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Katadyn Hiker Pro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Filter for Personal Use |  Best Collapsible Bottle Filter |  Best Bang for the Buck | ||
| Price | $99.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $43.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $55.00 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $12.96 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $7.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | If you're seeking a hand pump that'll get to hard-to-reach places, this is a great option | A solid option for personal filtration usage during fast and light backcountry missions | Our favorite collapsible soft bottle filter, thanks to a durable design that's consistent and easy to use | The best chemical treatment option that will kill all pathogens when given enough time | Lightweight and easy to use, these tablets can be used as an emergency backup to regular treatment |
| Rating Categories | Katadyn Hiker Pro | LifeStraw Peak Squeeze | Hydrapak Flux 1.5L | Aquamira Water Trea... | Potable Aqua Purifi... |
| Water Quality (20%) | |||||
| Durability & Maintenance (20%) | |||||
| Treatment Time (15%) | |||||
| Weight & Packability (15%) | |||||
| Ease of Set Up (15%) | |||||
| Ease of Filtration (15%) | |||||
| Specifications | Katadyn Hiker Pro | LifeStraw Peak Squeeze | Hydrapak Flux 1.5L | Aquamira Water Trea... | Potable Aqua Purifi... |
| Measured Weight (entire kit) | 13.4 oz | 3.8 oz | 5.0 oz | 3.0 oz | 2.3 oz |
| Removes Particulates (sediment, microplastics) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Effective Against Viruses | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Effective Against Chemicals | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Effective Against Heavy Metals | No | No | No | No | No |
| Effective Against Bacteria | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Effective Against Protozoa (Giardia, Cryptosporidium) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Giardia = yes; Crypto = no) |
| Type of Filter/Purifier | Hand pump | Squeeze | Squeeze, in-line, on-the-go | Chemical treatment | Chemical treatment |
| Filter Media or Active Ingredient | Glass fiber / carbon core | Hollow-core membrane microfilter | Hollow fiber | Chlorine dioxide | Iodine and Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide |
| Filter Pore Size (Advertised) | 0.2 microns | 0.2 microns | 0.2 micron | N/A | N/A |
| Number of Liters/Gallons per Lifetime (Advertised) | 1,100 L / 291 gal | 2,000 L / 500 gal | 1,500 L / 396 gal | 114 L / 30 gal (per package) | 25 L / 6.6 gal |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Katadyn Hiker Pro is an inexpensive and reliable hand pump. It's 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.
We discovered that the Hiker Pro is a great choice when water sources are small and hard to reach.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Water Quality
This filter utilizes an anticlog pleated cartridge constructed of glass fiber and activated carbon to 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 lets you see the water you're filtering out quickly.
The filter is easy to maintain and can rid water of bacteria, particulates, and protozoa, but not viruses.
Credit: Amber King
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 it is a little awkward at first to figure out.
The filter requires regular maintenance to maintain an optimal flow rate.
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 to 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, scrub it clean, and then put it back together.
Remember that filter life is highly dependent on the quality of the water source. If clear sources are what you're taking from regularly, expect a long life. But if sandy and silty sources are a norm, expect its life to decrease significantly.
Treatment Time
Treatment is relatively fast. We averaged about 53 seconds to pump a liter during our timed trials. The flow is nice and fast, offering quick filtration.
While we think the time is decent, it's not as early as other hand pumps out there. Also, one of the issues we had with the Hiker Pro is that the handle is not 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.
Here we pump some water on-the-go, which doesn't take very long...especially to fill this personal use vessel that is just under one liter.
Credit: Amber King
Weight and Packability
Including the entire kit, this pump is pretty lightweight, weighing just 13.40 oz. For a hand pump, this is pretty light. The packed size is also pretty decent, just slightly bigger than a Nalgene bottle. While this kit comes with a few parts when not assembled, we are happy with the cute little carry case.
While this is a relatively lightweight hand pump design, other personal filtration options are much lighter in weight and require much less space in your pack.
Ease of Set Up
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.
This does have a bottle adaptor, but when the mouth is too small (or you lose the adaptor), you can just put the tube in the water for easy filtration.
Credit: Amber King
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.
Make sure to pump through a bunch of water before your first filtration you want to drink. When we did our first filtration, the water was tainted black from the activated carbon inside. After about 2L of pumping, it was nice and clear again.
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 to get 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.
During an at home test, we look at the adaptor end to see what kind of bottles or jars it fits into.
Credit: Amber King
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.
The Katadyn Hiker Pro's handle can be awkward to hold because the rounded bottom slides around.
Credit: Jessica Haist
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. Filtration is easy when you don't mind pumping for water and when clear sources are plentiful. Be sure to pre-filter if you plan on pumping from especially turbid water sources.
Dan Sandberg uses the Hiker Pro to filter water from a running stream, Rocky Mountains, Colorado.
Credit: Max Neale
Should You Buy the Katadyn Hiker Pro?
There is a reason the Katadyn Hiker Pro is one of the most utilized hand pump filtration systems: it offers a high value without costing an arm and a leg. 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. If you prefer a hand pump system, the Hiker Pro is difficult to beat.
Filtering water with the Hiker Pro on the approach up to Mount Ritter in the Easters Sierras.
Credit: Luke Lydiard
What Other Backpacking Water Filters Should You Consider?
The Katadyn Hiker Pro is a relatively lightweight and affordable hand pump filtration system. While it isn't our first choice for particularly turbid water sources, the MSR Guardian Purifier does a great job filtering silk and sand from the murky sources we tested. If you don't mind a press rather than a pump, the Grayl Geopress is another solid option for a personal filter but is better for city trails or shorter day hikes due to its stainless steel bottle construction. And if you're interested in the best option for personal filtration, check out the LifeStraw Peak Squeeze.
The Katadyn Hiker Pro is well built and reliable.
Credit: Jessica Haist
—Amber King
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