PUR Hiker Review

"I do extensive research by reading reviews (like these and many others) and by talking to my more experienced hiking colleagues. Bang for the buck, the PUR Hiker is probably the best deal going. I have had no problems with mine. One tip I learned: throw a few extra coffee filters and a few twistie-ties in the bag with your filter (weight is negligible). twist a coffee filter around the acorn, especially in high-sediment areas (I do it all the time). This will extend the life of the filter."

"My brand new Hiker died on the second day of a tree-day trip in PA (good thing it wasn't a longer trip). I had 5 other thirsty people with me. When I returned, the company promtly replaced my cartridge and I'm yet to try it. Have Plan "B"! Happy Trails"

"I just started backpacking this year. I chose the Pur Hiker and I love it. On a recent trip 5 of us hiked the Grand Canyon. My friend had choosen the MSR Water filter (I'm not sure which model) We had just the two filters for the 5 of us on this 30mi trek. The MSR clogged the first day and we all used the Pur Hiker for the entire trip. Also the MSR had to be pumped twice for every once the Pur had to be pumped. I did cut the intake tube to the Pur Hiker and inserted a Sweetwater silt stopper just for a little extra filtering before the water actually got to the Pur Hiker. If I had to do it all over again I would buy the Pur Hiker. (it was cheaper than the MSR too!) Let me say that I do think MSR makes good products. I have the MSR Superfly stove. It's great."

"I just returned from a three day trip to Southern Utah. The supposedly uncloggable filter was soundly beaten by the water flowing down The Gulch. The filter clogged by the tenth pump. Using a non-technical method, boiling, we finished the trip with safe water in this beautiful canyon. By the way, can we all get together an get a ban on cattle that are range fed?"

"This water filter is the best I have ever used. It pumps good
quantities of water with very few clogging problems. It is a little
heavier than some of the other filters, but it is worth every ounce.
While other filters tend to slow down as the trip goes along, the
Hiker stays strong."

"It is the greatest water filter I have ever used in all my years of
hiking. Although the weight might be a problem for the weak it is
definetly worth it. The Pur Hiker is also well priced for the product
you get. This water filter is also the fastest one I have used that
doesn't clog. Since I have owned this water filter it hasn't once
clogged on me which can be a major problem when you are out in
the wilderness. I have to give two thumbs up to those boys at the
Pur company, for, again they put out another great product. These
boys never cease to amaze me."

"I used the filter for 3 months straight and had no clogs.
The filter is easy to use, it has a versatile attachment which easily
fits water bottle mouths (I had the best luck with Nalgene bottles). I
never got sick from the water even when filtering out of a stagnant pool of water
in the wash of a canyon."

"This is the best filter I've ever owned. It has never clogged, and pumps easy.
I've pumped muddy water, and stagnate pools with no problems. I'd HIGHLY recommend this filter."

"I've found the hiker to be a very good filter. I have never had it clog and it pumps much better than the guardian. I broke one of the clips trying to put the hose on when I first got it. I called the company and they were very accommodating. I had a replacement part in three days at no charge, you can't beat that."

"I just returned from a wilderness canoeing trip to Oswegatchie River,Adirondacks,NY.My almost brand new PUR Hiker failed us in the middle of the wilderness. The pumping mechanism failed to provide suction to the inlet port , We were reduced to boiling and using of tablets.This was not a pleasant experience."

"This is an excellent water filter and has never let me down in any way. To remove viruses you can pruchase the replacement filter for the PUR Pioneer. This makes the PUR Hiker a purifier and safer when taking youngsters along."

"Great filter! I used the Hiker for about three years now, and have had very little trouble. It did clog one time, but only after I let a group of boys try to filter with it. No product is boy-proof. Easy to pump, fast, and reliable. I read the review from Ken Carrah where he said his failed to provide suction. I wonder if perhaps he tried to prime it. Mine has only failed to provide suction on one occaison, so I unscrewed the filter, poured some untreated water in the filter housing, screwed the filter back in, and pumped away; problem solved. In three years, I've only had to replace the filter cartridge about three times, and I've used it a lot. Good value for your buck!"

"Great filter. I've been using mine for about a year and had no dire trouble with it. Keeping the hoses in order while pumping is the only trick and one that is easy to learn. They aren't designed poorly and in fact are easy to maintain by holding the pump properly, but 2 hoses are unruly on any filter. The "acorn" prefilter doesn't like to sink in the water at first, but that's because the foam is dry and therefore floats. A couple of pumps and it stay down in the water just fine. Pumps very easy and requires virtually no maintainence. This isn't a filter that requires the filter to be brushed to keep working. the downside may be that you can't brush the filter to lengthen its use, but considering that it will last a long time, that isn't really a problem. This filter is difficult to clog, although I'm sure that some water will be too much for it or most other filters. The Hiker is virtually the same as a Voyager, but without the purifier cartridge. The Hiker can be upgraded to a Voyager by merely buying a Voayager replacement cartridge. This is convenient if you might happen to need a purifier in the future. Microfilters are enough protection for most areas, but it is nice to have the option. Too add to the appeal of a Voyager, Pur also includes a Stop-Top carbon filter to the package. An upgraded Hiker won't have this Stop-Top, but that would seem to be a small loss in comparison to the convenience of the upgrade. The Hiker cartridges have carbon cores and therefore perform both microfiltration and chem/taste filtration without add-on filters. I have heard of very few durability issues with the Hiker, whereas I've heard many stories of broken pump handles on the Sweetwater Guardians. I believe the Sweetwater filters to be very good filters, but I'd have to consider the Hiker/Voyager to beat them in simplicity and durability. The Hiker is as idiot-proof as a filter can be and is supposed to provide 200l of filtered water per cartridge. No scrubbing needed.

Rating:
5/5"

"It was the 3rd day of a 9 day backpacking trip in the Sierra's and this filter decided to take it's own vacation. This was only the third time that I had used this purifier within a year and I had only filtered about 10 gallons of water at this point. This is my second Pur water purfier (explorer was the 1st) and I am going to try another brand."

"I was excited to try this one out because i had heard good things about pur water filters, but only a day into our 10 day boundary waters trip with 6 thirsty teenage girls (i lead trips at a summer camp) we realized that it wouldn't last. but even before the cartridge clogged completely, the plastic around the pump broke, so anytime we pumped it, water squirted out. we were glad that we brought our tried and true eagle filters, which are definitely more difficult to use, but have always been reliable. i'm still searching for the perfect filter."

"I've had very good service from the pur hiker. It only seems to last about a year, heavily used or not, before replacing the cartridge. I use a platypus water bag for drinking and the hose from it fits onto the filter, eliminating the output hose."

"The 2way valve in mine broke after the first trip. It was the only part in the unit that i could not get to to replace or try to fix..."

"I have used this on several trips and had no problems! Works great! On the Swamp Fox Trail we were pumping green water out of the swamps, still no worries and no one got sick. I was using the Pur Hiker to pump water for three people including myself."

"Used my filter on one campout worked good. Took it to Philmount scout ranch. After the 3rd use it quit pumping. Contacted the company and they did not seem to be interested in fixing my problem. Would ty another filter if I purchase another. I use polar pure now for water purifing."

"I purchased my Hiker in 1996 after trying a Hiker carried by a companion on a 3-day BP trip. I thought it worked much better than my First Need filter.

This filter seemed to work great - I always used a coffee filter on the intake hose, secured with a rubber band, though, along with the Stop-Top Carbon filter.
I replaced my first filter insert in 1997 with the new-fangled fluted style that can not be brushed clean. In 1998 on an 8-day trip on the STS, the fluted filter failed. it lost all suction and pumping ability. After taking it apart and spending 2 hours playing with it, we found that some silt had gotten into the O-ring seat and caused a leak of air when pumping. That taken care of the filter worked fine again. However, I noticed the newer fluted filters do not seem to have the longevity that the old style had.

In 1999 I switched to the MSR Miniworks, though I still have 2 extra Carbon packs and filter inserts for my PUR. I find I really like the MSR much better - Especially the ability to clean it in the field.
FWIW, I now fill a gallon ziplock with water and let it settle at my campsite and pump from there. (along with using the coffe filter) it really extends the life of the filter.
Rick"

"I've used this filter several times since the fall of 2001, including a recent snowcamping trip in Yosemite. I have had no problems in using it thus far in the field. The only time the pump action appeared to fail was after I got home and was cleaning out all my hoses in the platypus and filter. It did nothing for about 2-3 pumps, but then kicked in just fine. Fills fast, convenient and hoses can be connected from my water bags straight to the pump."

"The Hiker has been great. Used the same Filter on 7 5 day trips now. No problems. Be aware on some posts I read that it stopped the 1st day. Try taking the filter out and rinsing the housing. Sand and Dirt can clog the valve I bet that was it was on a few of these posts where the filter failed.

3 friends with this filter none with problems other then it just stopped. again a little rinsing in the field did the trick."

"I have had my filter for two years with no problems. Is very reliable which is great especially when you have Boy scouts and girl scouts on the trail with you. Would recomend this filter to anyone."

"When it works its a great filter...when it works. As I write this this morning this is the 3rd time it has stopped pumping. In the past I've been able to fiddle around with the pump and reseat the seal, but today its not working, leaving me without a filter for my trip. In the past I bought a new one and PUR customer service was helpful in replacing the inactive filter, but this is just one time too many to depend on such a hit-or-miss device. I'm going to MSR."

"PRO: Light, simple design.
CON: Need to be vigilant about water sources. Clogged filters cannot be cleaned on the trail. Used it on the AT in southern VT where water was plentiful but in often silty streams. Clogged in less than a week. I should've filtered clearer water, but, then again, you take what you get. And if there's nothing but silty water all around, silty water is what you'll have to filter.
CONCLUSION: Be careful with the thing. Carry backup iodine. PUR offered to replace it, but I went back to the MSR MINIWORKS."

"As a previous reviewer noted, when these things decide to work, they're pretty good filters. Reliability has been a problem for me, however. I just returned from a week in Alaska, where my PUR Hiker failed for the second time on a backcountry trip. The darn thing simply wouldn't create a suction. Replacing the filter and checking the seals didn't help at all. If you take a PUR Hiker into the backcountry, I'd recommend a good fallback purification plan (not a bad idea with any purification system, of course). I'm going to be switching filter brands for future trips, however."

"I've owned a PUR Hiker since 1997. Although the water is always clean, it's sometimes difficult to use/maintain. Occasionally, it doesn't pump, but that's an easy fix: take the filter out, pour in an ounce of water, replace the filter, and pump away. My biggest gripe is that the filter seems to clog easily, making pumping very hard (slowing down the output to about a liter every 5 minutes). I'm thinking about buying an MSR replacement."

"I brought a new sweetwater filter on my AT thruhike. The filter became unusable after 6 weeks, first with the pump breaking, and then the seals began shooting out water and had to be resealed. Sweetwater and the local retailer refused to replace or refund my purchase. I then had my 6 year old PUR hiker sent to me and it worked great for the rest of the trip. No problems at all, just replaced the cartridge. Much more reliable and better pumping volume. Definitely a fan of PUR.Will never use sweetwater again."

"I have had my Pur filter for
5 years. Works great! Only one
time that it did not pump.Easy
to fix by priming the inside
with clean water to remove an
air pocket that had developed
inside the filter."

"I have had a PUR Hiker now for about 3 years. I have had it on a backpacking trips to the Teatons, Blanca Peak in Colorado, and Valley of Fire in Nevada, as well as several Boy Scout outings. It has always worked like a champ, and i have yet to replace the filter. It was a little hard pumping in Colorado the first day, but it loosend up, and filtered water for 7 Boy Scouts, and 3 adults for 4 days. I would never buy anything but the PUR Hiker again. It has proven its self to me!"

"Recently purchased the pur now katadyn hike. I could not justify the cost of the expensive katadyn; however, the hiker performed flawlessly I took the precaution of taking the coffee filter to add extra protection from sand in the dirty water in East Texas. The hiker is a bit hard to work by yourself but with patience and time you can make it do its job. I ended up holding the intake hose with one hand, holding the filter system between my legs and squeezing it with my thighs, and pumping with the other hand, imagine coming up the trail and seeing that site, but all in all it works well if you are cautious about sand."

"I have been using the hiker for 6 years now; I've run two filters through it and am working on the third. Other than some minor problems due to sand at Zion National Park, it has survived several treks through Europe and all over the U.S. When the pump gets gritty, just throw some olive oil in it and you're good to go.

I'd recommend this filter to anyone, though for more than two people the pump isn't very efficient (read: slow)."

"i owned a pur hiker for about 1 1/2 years, and used it maybe 15 times for a party of up to 5 people. after the first filter went bad and got changed i had problems . first the body cracked so i emailed the company to just let them know what happened and a few days latter i got a new body and pump in the mail. then after the 2nd time the check valve stopped working so i just gave up on it . however the company treated me so good i bought a pur guide model and it works great it has not missed a drop and if you have more then 2 people i think its the only one to get."

"I would not recommend the PUR Hiker water filter. It clogged within 2 uses on a backpacking trip. I ended up having to boil water for the rest of the trip. I emailed the company and they didn't do anything for me. Perhaps it was the transition of PUR being taken over by Katydyn. Nonetheless, there was no customer service to speak of. I bought a replacement filter which didn't last long. So, now I use an MSR MiniWorks. That works much better and I haven't had to replace any of its parts after several years and ample backpacking trips."

"Have had my Hiker for about 3 years, never had a problem with it... must be using clean water to start with, 'cause I often take a spare filter, and haven't had to replace the original yet. Like most filters, it needs pumping, and though it can be challenging, it does so at a pretty good rate, and has never faltered.

I'd buy it again, no doubt, but as always, there will be something new by the time I do so... if I move to it, it will be with a fond farewell to a reliable, sturdy companion whose time has gracefully come to be retired for a more youthful and vigorous performer... oops... we're not talking about sex, are we?"

"I've used my current PUR Hiker since 1998 without trouble for some dozens of days of backpack water pumping. Five years, not bad for plastic. I appreciate the prior comments of others. My check value does not seem to be opening and closing quickly enough and it is losing its pumping power. I see no way to put any chemial solvent in to clean that value so will review current options. I did re-silicon the inner pump 0-ring and slide sleeve and the vacuum all this creates could also be the problem. Funny that the filter replacement directions make no mention of these trouble-shooting actions or even what the silicon tube provided is for. They really should. Folks may often be buying the filter and may find it provides no improvement unless of issues are dealt with.
I really liked mention of coffee filters to cut down on silt intake. Thanks for that."

"I have used my Hiker about 20 times in the Adirondack Mountains with 0 problems. It does everything it says. Just use common sense; use a clear source if possible, otherwise let the water settle before pumping or use a coffee filter on the end. There is simply no better choice for the money as of right now."

"I've had mine for 7 or 8 years. Same filter! had a problem one time from the o rings not working but fixed on the spot with chapstick."

"I like this filter. It pumps at a good rate, it is lightweight, and with a little practice it is easy to use, however I have had the same problem with it that I am hearing in these reviews:"The filter seems to clog up quickly" .. my answer was to attach a sweetwater pre-filter for which the refills only cost about 9.00 for three. Problem solved. Now I love my pur hiker."

"I have owned a PUR water filter for about 5 years. I think it about the best one I have used. I used to have a problem with it getting clogged. Now I bring along some coffee filters and put one one the end of the line with a rubberband. I have never had to replace the cartridge since. It works great."

"I've used the hiker for approximately 7 years now, and it has performed extremely well! It's somewhat lightweight, simple, and reliable. The only problem I encountered is when I failed to lubricate the O-Ring on the pump handle, which made for tough pumping. Once lubricated, it worked like it was brand new! You can't go wrong with the ease of use, reliability, price and quick filtering."

"I think PUR has been bought out by someone else and not sure of its availability but I can say the "Pur Hiker" has performed very well. Maintenance(lubrication of o-rings,etc) is a must. I found by getting water from calmer pools rather than faster water made for a cleaner filter. Coffee Filters around pickup may help too. I highly recommend and it sure beats tablets. 5/5"

"I have had my pur hiker for over 4 years.I've never had a single problem with it,and its been all over the southeast.As far as pump goes,though, it can be a little hard on the hands.Other than that, it's perfect."

"We purchased a PUR Hiker in 1999 for a backpacking trip to Colorado with our Venturing Crew (Co-ed program of Boy Scouts). We normally have 6-10 people on a trip, and so use the Hiker a lot. I purchased a new core filter replacement (from the new "owners" of the old PUR brand) just before a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area/Quetico Provencial Park because, after all, we'd been using the old core for a while now. I should add that we've always pumped from the calmest water we can get to. While in BWCA/QPP, about the 3rd day of a 7-day trip, the intake port blew out - literally. We'd noticed that the Hiker was harder to pump with the new filter. We did have some backup iodine tablets, but not enough for a crew of 9 for 4 days. We boiled what we could and crossed our fingers and dipped out bottles in the middle of the lakes in QPP - which admittedly is not a great risk anyway. We had no health problems, but I'm not real happy with the new guys right now. Before this, though, we found the Hiker to be reliable, and while it might take a while to pump enough water for a larger group people there are enough hands around to share the work so that it was not a real problem for us."

"I too have owned a hiker many years with no problems, until I replaced the cartridge.You could barely pump the silly thing. turns out PUR redesigned the foot valve & filter. The new filters wont work with the old(t-handle)pump. PUR replaced the Pump & Cartridge at no charge. Don't know how the new owners will respond."