"Vario review - part 2" - Review of Katadyn Vario Dual Technology MicroFilter

Well, I was on my second season this year, using the vario. I was pretty happy with it last year, up until the problems with algae growing in the filter. Turns out that was mostly my fault for not running chlorine through the filter, when I got home. I bought a new filter cartridge and replaced all the seals this year, basically making it good as new. We took it on a six day trip this summer, and it worked pretty well for the first two days. For the most part, the eight of us used it to filter over 40 L of water. Then it just stopped working, half way through another routine pump. It was not able to keep a vacuum, or pump the water through the filter. I again took it apart, and replaced the seals, applying sealant, but it didn't work. Another user had a similar problem, with theirs. Luckily, we had a backup filter, and we used that for the rest of the trip. I took it back and traded it for an MSR Sweetwater. In the end the vario let me down twice, when I have been in the backcountry, so the trade-off has been giving up the faster flow rate for something reliable. After all, if it doesn't work anyway, the extra liter per minute is not going to do me any good. I recommend filter designs that have been around for a while and proven, like the MSR Sweetwater, Katadyn Hiker, or Katadyn Explorer - which they may have discontinued.
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