PUR Pioneer Review

"I also had the problem of having the pioneer without any filter. I called Katadyn North America, who now owns PUR, and they are sending me a new hiker filter free to replace the pioneer. The number is 1-800-755-6701. Not a bad deal."

"The Pioneer is a good low-budget filter for those of us on a
shoestring budget (college students especially). The Pioneer uses a
paper-like filter that is very light and easy to replace. The only
problem I have encountered is that the seal around the filter leaks
if too much pressure is applied to the pump. The filter doesn't leak
into the drinking water, but it is messy to work with."

"This is a simple and affordable water filter. I use it to filter all sorts of questionable water on backpacking trips and it hasn't let me down yet (no trip-ending  emergency room visits!). It uses a replaceable paper fiber disk which can, and should, be replaced after each trip or if it gets clogged by sediment. I've used more expensive purifiers with permanent filters which you're supposed to be able to clean if they get clogged, but the Pioneer works just as well as those without the cleaning headache. The pumping rate is about 1 quart per minute for clear water, a little longer for cloudy or dirty water. The foam prefilter on the end of the intake hose still allows very fine sediment (i.e. glacial till) to get through, so try to let that kind of water settle a while in a seperate container or find a clear water source to pump from. The outlet nozzle can be fitted with the included hose but it works just fine held over the top of your water bottle. A Nalgene bottle can be screwed onto the threaded ring surrounding the nozzle to eliminate the risk of spillage. The pump handle works smoothly but will be hard to push if the disk gets badly clogged or really dirty. Carry a spare disk or two in case this happens. Overall, the Pur Pioneer is a good performing filter at a reasonable price."

"I bought this filter and had to return it before I even got to use it. As it turns out it is being discontinued, and given the filter like is one 50 litres or one trip, I could only get two uses out of it (two filters were included). Although the filters are inexpensive ($8 for 2) this is irrelevant if they aren't avalible. So, if you intend to use the filter for two or fewer trips, the price is right, but if you might use it more than that, try a walkabout, sweetwater, or MSR miniworks, which are only about $20 more."