Tag Archives: Katadyn Desalinator Review

In this Katadyn Survivor 06 Desalinator review, you will learn what makes this amazing water filtering device so special. But nothing is perfect and this is true for the Katadyn Survivor.  We’ll take a look at the negatives as well and you can decide if the cons are too great to overcome.

While death by misadventure is always a tragedy, this is never so true as those lost at sea suffering a lingering death by dehydration while floating on billions of gallons of unpotable salt water. While it is possible to create a desalination still with low tech and inexpensive materials, such a still operates incredibly slowly and relies on calm, sunny weather to function and avoid having the entire contraption blow away. In other words, relying on such a setup is not planning to survive, it is hoping to do so.

Just as someone would not rely on life support machinery powered by a windmill, a wise person would not count on having the space required and cooperative weather to make a solar still work. Anyone wise enough to plan for being suddenly adrift should get a Katadyn Survivor 06 Desalinator and take survival into their own hands. Every boat that will see salt water contains an emergency kit, and any salt water emergency kit should contain one of these units. Beyond those of a nautical bent, everyone who lives on the coast should have a quality desalinator in the home. Coastal areas are more at the mercy of imported water than the rest of the world because local water tends to be brackish and undrinkable. In a situation where water service is cut off due to natural or other disasters, having the ability to convert readily available salt water into clean potable water can turn a crisis into a minor inconvenience.

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Specifications

Size: 5″ x 8″ x 2.5″ (12.7 x 20.3 x 6.4 cm)

While certainly not a device you are going to throw into your shirt pocket, the Katadyn Survivor is definitely small enough to store in a compact emergency kit.

Weight: 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg)

Water Production (+/- 15 percent): 1 oz/2 min (890 ml/hour)

For the average adult stuck in a life raft, the required amount of drinking water is about 4 liters per day. The Survivor’s water desalination rate means a single unit could process enough drinking water to keep six people alive indefinitely. In shifts, each individual can desalinate a full day’s supply of water for him or herself in under 4 hours.

Salt Rejection: 98.4 percent average (95.3 percent minimum)

Some salt in water is actually beneficial to someone stranded since humans lose salt through perspiration and urination. Salt is a necessary part of the body’s ability to utilize water. The nearly pure output of the Survivor is well beyond the threshold of potable water while still introducing this essential mineral into the body, turning the disadvantage of salt water into an advantage.

Desalination Technology: Reverse Osmosis

By filtering water as opposed to distillation, the Survivor allows faster processing of salt water with no power source beyond the human hand. The human power is essential as relying on being lucky enough to find favorable conditions is somewhat foolish for someone who is already in the midst of a calamity. Even in situations where the boat is intact, having the ability to process salt water into drinking water without relying on the power of the boat’s engine is a serious consideration.

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What makes the Katadyn Survivor 06 Desalinator special?

Those looking for a desalination method that is highly respected need look no farther than the Katadyn Survivor 06. The fact that the US Navy, US Coast Guard, and US Air Force all rely on the Survivor line as part of their salt water emergency preparations shows that the Survivor is not a cool gadget – it is a serious survival tool chosen by those for whom survival is an occupation. (US Coast Guard Approval Number: 160.058/7/0)

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What are the “Cons” of the product?

If there is any drawback to the Katadyn Survivor 06, it is the simple fact that it is an active desalination solution. Because of this, it requires a person pumping it for nearly 4 hours to treat enough drinking water for a single person for a 24 hour period. A large solar still in ideal circumstances can produce enough water for a person with no effort after setup. The real question is whether a person wants to place his or her odds of survival on having ideal weather conditions.

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What do existing owners of the Survivor say?

“I tested one once drinking the water after desalinating ocean water. Works fine by my test, but also by many tests from the Coast Guard and Navy, etc.This is the device for lifeboat survival for 1-2 people. Probably would work fine for a larger number, and the advertising copy does mention 6 or even 8 people in various places. Though it’s expensive, drinking water is the big limiting factor in lifeboat survival… “

“I know the idea of taking your watermaker  with you in such a serious situation is tempting, but it’s not very practical. I strongly recommend having a separate small hand-operated watermaker as a permanent part of your abandon ship gear. That’s what the Katadyn model 06 and model 35 are for. “

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An inescapable truth of life is that an adult must be responsible for the protection of himself and his loved ones in the areas they choose to live or play. For those who choose to live or play on or near salt water, ensuring fresh drinking water is a large consideration.

In a perfect world, nothing would ever go wrong – this is not a perfect world though. Things do go wrong and the people who weather the storms are those who cared enough to plan for emergencies. While some consider themselves clever to pack a few sheets of plastic to rig solar stills in the event of a water shortage, they could easily find themselves feeling far less clever should this emergency strike on cloudy days, or even worse, windy days when they watch the contraption that is supposed to keep their family alive turn into a kite and fly away. Anyone serious about survival in the midst of catastrophe chooses tools that provide complete control over their use in any conditions. For converting salt water to drinking water, there is no more serous tool than the Katadyn Survivor.

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To view additional information about this water filter and pricing, click the following link: View Katadyn Survivor 06 Desalinator

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