or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
More Buying Choices
Backcountry Add to Cart
$71.18 + Free Shipping
Campmor Add to Cart
$79.98 + Free Shipping
FuddleBucks Add to Cart
$85.31 + Free Shipping
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

Katadyn Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter

by Katadyn
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)

List Price: $89.95
Price: $72.58 & FREE Shipping. Details
You Save: $17.37 (19%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Want it Tuesday, May 28? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
  • A simple turn engages a ceramic pre-filter for long life in dirty water or a pleated glass fiber filter in normal conditions
  • Produces up to two quarts per minute in the faster flow mode and one quart per minute in longer life mode
  • Replaceable carbon core keeps water tasting fresh; reduces chemicals, odors, and toxins throughout the life of the cartridge
  • Dual piston technology provides maximum output with minimum effort
  • Adapter base attaches directly to water bottles or an output hose can be used to fill hydration systems or larger containers
$10 off $50 Father's Day Gifts from Zippo
Get Dad something he'll really love this year with great deals on Zippo products. Shop now

Frequently Bought Together

Katadyn Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter + Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets + Magnesium Fire Starter
Price for all three: $83.15

Buy the selected items together


Product Description

Amazon.com

A member of Katadyn's Backcountry Series of water filters, the Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter is the first water filter that is adjustable for different conditions. It combines two leading technologies into one high-performance pump: ceramic for a longer life and pleated glass fiber for easy operation. The Vario offers a high output and also contains a replaceable carbon core to keep the water tasting fresh.

Key Details:

  • Output: Up to 2 quarts (2 liters) per minute
  • Cartridge Capacity: Up to 500 gallons (1875 liters)
  • Weight: 15 ounces
  • Height: 6.5 inches
  • Hose Length: 36 inches
  • Includes prefilter, cleaning pad, and deluxe carry bag

About Katadyn
Katadyn of Switzerland has been producing high quality portable water systems since 1928. Their history has been one of innovation and durability. Katadyn products are used by militaries, health organizations and outdoor adventurers world-wide. No other water system provides higher quality or longer lasting performance. Katadyn is the global leader in portable water treatment. With subsidiaries in the United States, Germany, France, and Singapore; Katadyn develops, produces, and distributes high quality products which are used whenever safe drinking water isn't available--for travel, camping and humanitarian operations.

From Backpackgeartest.org
The Katadyn Vario Microfilter is part of the backcountry series filter line. The manufacturer indicates this filter line is good for all round use. The manufacturer claims that this filter meets the industry standards for reduction of bacteria (99.9999% Klebsiella terrigena) and protozoan cysts (99.9 % Giardia and Cryptosporidium)...read the entire review

Product Description

The Vario combines individual efficiency with the simplest possible handling.
  • The technology it uses consists of three filter levels: a high-performance glass fiber filter, a ceramic pre-filter that can be adjusted individually according to the cloudiness of the water, and active charcoal for eliminating odors
  • Compatible with most standard outdoor bottles and hydration bladders

Product Details

  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 3.5 x 8.8 inches ; 1.5 pounds
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
  • Origin: Imported (USA)
  • ASIN: B000KUVVY4
  • Item model number: 8014931
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
  • Would you like to give feedback on images?


Customer Reviews

Very light and so easy to use. Norlyaced  |  22 reviewers made a similar statement
The water tasted great!!! G. Risner  |  15 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
168 of 171 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Clean Water in the Amazon December 18, 2007
By Ajulz
I recently went to the Ecuadorian Amazon and spent a week living in the rain forest with indigenous people. I went on long treks and relied on the Vario to deliver drinking water from streams I passed on the way. The fact that I never got sick is a testament to the effectiveness of the Vario.
It was easy to hook up directly to my CamelBak, so there was no chance of contamination. Whenever I used it, I had it in the "longer life" setting where you pump a little less water per minute, but it passes through both filters inside. I've used several other filters and the speed and ease which I was able to fill up my 100oz Camelbak is far superior to any of them. The pumping motion is easy to use and it pumps a lot more water even on the "Longer life" (slow) setting than other filters.
Overall I think it is a fantastic product that I would recommend to anyone traveling to locations where you don't know if you can trust the water.
Was this review helpful to you?
215 of 223 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Good overall, but slightly cumbersome to use July 17, 2008
By MC01
Amazon Verified Purchase
I agree with consensus of prior reviews that it's good all around, faster than other models, but has some issues w/back pressure & leaking if you pump too fast or while using the "faster flow" setting instead of "longer life". The faster setting bypasses the ceramic filter (your biological nasty filter) and uses only the charcoal (some bio, chemicals & taste, like your average Brita filter).

I bought this instead of Katadyn's Pocket Microfilter (found for $179 on some sites at the time) for 4 main reasons:

1) ability to attach directly to Nalgene bottle. I'll be using this primarily while living overseas in areas w/questionable tap water, so this is a nice convenience. Don't think the Pocket filter allows this.

2)2-stage filter w/activated charcoal to remove chemicals, pesticides & bad taste. This option isn't available w/the ceramic-only Pocket Microfilter, and again was something I want specifically due to where I'm going. If chemicals aren't an issue where you'll be, this aspect might not matter to you.

3) Double-piston design for faster output & ease of use compared to the Pocket Microfilter. Pumping action was simple & ergonomic.

4) Cost. $80 is great compared to $180+. I may regret that mentality if/when this breaks, but for now it's a good deal.

Three things so far that I'm not excited about:
1) Although they state that the paper carbon "cartridge" is good for 500 gallons, the instructions say that the activated charcoal INSIDE the cartridge should be replaced about every 50 gallons or every 6 months, depending on chemical content/taste of the water. I felt deceived after discovering this omission from the reviews I read. Not printed anywhere in their online documentation, but REI does mention it. Without the charcoal, I might as well have purchased the more expensive Pocket filter w/lifetime warranty & just use a separate PUR/Brita pitcher for taste & chemicals (which I'll probably do anyway)... (The pocket filter's ceramic filter has a life of 13,000 gallons, compared to the 1000 gallons of the Vario's ceramic pre-filter).

2) The back-pressure & leaking issues mentioned by people in other reviews seem to be true, but mainly occur after removing the "source" tube to flush the system. After a few pumps, handle resistance increases & it wouldn't lower fully. I have to unscrew the pump head to release the pressure, which of course splatters water everywhere. This could potentially contaminate your filtered water if you're not careful.

3) This doesn't seem like the simplest system to use, clean & maintain. Several O-rings & moving parts to deal with. Also, the plastic housing may or may not hold up over time. We'll see.

Since I need a filter for travel/living overseas where the water is allegedly contaminated both w/chemicals and biological stuff, I'll keep this around & replace the charcoal until it breaks. After I get back, I'll probably get the more expensive filter for camping/backpacking use. This one is a bit large too, but hopefully will be ok.
Was this review helpful to you?
94 of 101 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Poor durability August 21, 2007
The inlet connector broke after the first day of our 7 day canoe trip. We are not rough with our filters as we have had our other filter for several years with no issues like this. We just wanted something that wouldn't clog so quickly.

We spent the rest of the trip either floating in the water next to or leaning over the side of the canoe with the filter submerged to enable us to pump clean water. Also, there is a little plug under the ceramic filter that will stop all water flow if it gets pushed in. This seemed to happen if the pressure in the filter built up by pumping too quickly. We had to disassemble and reassemble the filter several times to correct this issue.

When the filter was working, it was fast and filtered very well. The ceramic pre-filter was great. The water was clean, clear and tasted great. If this filter was more durable I would give it 4 or 5 stars.

Hope this helps anyone in the market for a water filter.
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars glad i got it
It is a little complicated when putting it together, (YOU WILL HAVE TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS)! But once you go through all the steps it is very simple to use and maintain. Read more
Published 10 days ago by John Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Very impressive

Pros: Smaller and lighter than I thought
Cons: should have gotten one of these sooner

It works, its light, its small, ideal for... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Wammit
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product
Have not used the product yet, but Katadyn filters are great. And I have no doubt this will be a great product when needed.
Published 19 days ago by Jeff
5.0 out of 5 stars First class
This does everything it says it does, well made and very efficient at filtration. just one word of caution, when you are going to store it if only for a week or two make sure you... Read more
Published 20 days ago by Victor George
3.0 out of 5 stars not as durable as i expected.
I had a leak from inside and i even had the top pop off while pumping. Wish the tubes were longer
Published 22 days ago by Juan D. Jaramillo
5.0 out of 5 stars Quality product
Easy to use and compact. Able to filter some nasty water. I recommend buying replacement parts at
the time of purchase.
Published 28 days ago by JCraig
5.0 out of 5 stars Good product
I tried to search for an efficient water filter for a long time and initially I wanted to buy something within 30$ range. Read more
Published 1 month ago by BPG
5.0 out of 5 stars Great item!
We had one of these with us on one of our adventures, and were thankfully delighted when our hosts water purifier clogged and died, but we were still able to safely, and enjoyably,... Read more
Published 1 month ago by ERIC M JOHNSON
5.0 out of 5 stars emergency water
EVERYONE should have one of these. When and if we DO have "problems" and "things go South", water will be a very valuable comodity and it may be hard to find good... Read more
Published 1 month ago by danobro
5.0 out of 5 stars works really well
this filter works really well if you know how to use it properly. i've filtered many a gallons with it. just pump slowly and clean it properly when storing.
Published 1 month ago by James Francalangia
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customer Questions & Answers
Please make sure that your post is a question about the product. Edit your question or post anyway.





Want to discover more products? You may find many from water purification shopping guide.