Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets Review

After reading the warnings and precautionary statements on the Micropur Tablets packaging, we were a little nervous about using them for anything other than an absolute emergency. Keeping that in mind, they are simple to use, require no maintenance, and remain one of the lightest filtration options we tested. However, another drawback is the treatment time which requires 4 hours to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, and cysts.

Water Quality

When added to water, the Micropur Tablets release chlorine dioxide in order to kill bacteria, viruses, and cysts, such as cryptosporidium and giardia. The tablets do not remove dirt or particulates from your water, but our testers found that using an old dedicated t-shirt or similar material would help as an additional filter for larger contaminants. We did not give these tablets a high rating for water quality due to the chlorine flavor and particulates still present in the drinking water after the 4-hour purification time.

Durability and Maintenance

With a shelf life of up to 5 years and a maintenance-free purification system, our testers gave the Micropur tabs high scores for this metric. Katadyn recommends storing them in a cool and dry area, like your emergency kit, away from the sun. Because these tablets can be so harmful and corrosive if improperly used, we recommend placing the foil pouches inside another plastic bag to store for emergency use.

Treatment Time

The Micropur Tablets take an extremely long time to process, up to 4 hours when the instructions are followed correctly. This extended wait time is just one reason they are not practical for an extended backpacking trip.

Weight and Packability

These weigh .45 ounces for 30 tablets, and a full pack can treat the equivalent of 30 gallons of water. They last up to 5 years before needing to be replaced, so it's a no-brainer to add them to your emergency kit. Since each tablet is individually wrapped, you can modify the number of tablets you bring based on your group's needs.

Ease of Set Up

The Katadyn Micropur Tablets are easy to use; simply fill one liter of water in a stream, remove one tablet from the individually wrapped pouch, submerge the tablet into the water, and leave the water in a dark place for 4 hours. However, despite the ease of processing, there is a great caveat worth mentioning. After carefully reading the instructions, our testers noticed warnings that the tablets were corrosive and harmful to humans, domestic animals, and aquatic life. Yikes! Furthermore, the tablets should not come into contact with your bare skin or clothing so as to avoid permanent eye damage. The manufacturer also recommends handling with rubber gloves and protective eyewear, which doesn't seem practical for backpacking trips when you're trying to keep it simple and save weight.

Ease of Filtration

Filtration is easy, if a bit time-consuming. As long as you have 4 hours to kill, a reliable water source, and a dark location (say, a backpack) for the purification tablets to filter out harmful viruses and bacteria.

Should You Buy the Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets?

If you're looking for a backup emergency use filtration system, the Micropur Tablets fit the bill. Easy to use, zero maintenance, and one of the lightest options on the market. Still, there are much better options there — chemical or mechanical — for whatever use case you need.

What Other Backpacking Water Filters Should You Consider?