Soldier deploying a Hydro Node HN-04 DeepSalt solar desalination unit at a salt flat brine pool

Hydro Node / DeepSalt Series

When the only water is the ocean.

The HN-04 line is solar-native reverse osmosis. Salt in, clean out, no grid required — from a chassis one operator can carry.

Market

$32B global desalination, growing 9% annually

Gap

No compact, solar-powered, man-portable RO unit at this price point

Answer

HN-04 — 99.4% salt rejection, zero fuel logistics

Section 01 / Variants

Three Configurations

HN-04-S

DeepSalt Solo

One Operator. Any Ocean.

The smallest solar-powered reverse osmosis unit built for field deployment. Same chassis footprint as the HN-03. Pulls saltwater from any ocean, sea, brackish estuary, or salt-flat runoff and delivers potable drinking water continuously — powered by the included 300W solar array.

This is the unit a special operator carries on a coastal insertion. It is also the unit a sailor keeps on a blue-water passage. Same box. Same solar. Different mission.

Seawater to potable — up to 45,000 ppm TDS intake
5-stage RO: sediment → scale inhibitor → SW30 → carbon → remineralization
1.2 GPH / ~14 gal per full sun day, 99.4% salt rejection
300W folding array, 100Ah LiFePO4, 38 lb chassis

$1,899

Input Source	Saltwater, brackish, seawater (up to 45,000 ppm TDS)
Output TDS	<50 ppm (safe drinking threshold: <500 ppm)
Flow Rate	1.2 GPH — RO is slower by design
Daily Output	~14 gallons per full sun day
Filtration Stages	5-stage: pre-sediment → scale inhibitor → RO → post-carbon → remineralization
RO Membrane	4"×21" Dow FilmTec SW30 seawater membrane
Pump Type	High-pressure diaphragm, 150–200 PSI output
Power Source	300W folding solar array
Battery Reserve	100Ah LiFePO4
Operating Voltage	24V DC
Chassis Material	Powder-coated steel, matte OD green, corrosion-inhibited
Unit Dimensions	9"D × 23"W × 17.5"H (identical to HN-03)
Dry Weight	38 lbs
Salt Rejection Rate	99.4%
Brine Discharge	Separate 3/8" brine outlet port
Membrane Life	2–3 years with proper flushing
Price	$1,899

HN-04-B

DeepSalt Base

Squad-Level. Shore or Desert.

The high-output version. Dual RO membranes in parallel running off a 400W solar array with 150Ah battery reserve. Produces enough water for a 12-person squad per day from seawater alone.

2× Dow FilmTec SW30 membranes in parallel
2.8 GPH / ~32 gal per full sun day — 12-person squad
Twin high-pressure diaphragm pumps at 200 PSI
400W folding array, 150Ah LiFePO4, 52 lb two-person carry

$2,499

Input Source	Saltwater, brackish, seawater
Output TDS	<50 ppm
Flow Rate	2.8 GPH
Daily Output	~32 gallons per full sun day
Filtration Stages	5-stage dual-membrane
RO Configuration	2× Dow FilmTec SW30 membranes in parallel
Pump Type	Twin high-pressure diaphragm, 200 PSI
Power Source	400W folding solar array
Battery Reserve	150Ah LiFePO4
Chassis	Wider format: 12"D × 28"W × 19"H
Dry Weight	52 lbs (two-person carry)
Price	$2,499

HN-04-X

Hero Unit

DeepSalt Universal

Freshwater or Salt. One Unit. Any Planet.

The HN-04-X ships with two interchangeable filter module cassettes — one freshwater 4-stage cassette (identical to the HN-03) and one saltwater 5-stage RO cassette. The operator swaps cassettes in under 3 minutes with no tools. The chassis, pump, solar array, and battery are shared between both modes.

River in the jungle? Freshwater cassette. Beach extraction? Salt cassette. One unit. One solar panel. Two completely different water acquisition missions.

Ships with both freshwater 4-stage and saltwater 5-stage RO cassettes
Tool-free cassette swap in under 3 minutes
4.9 GPM freshwater mode / 1.5 GPH RO mode
400W array, 150Ah LiFePO4, auto-switching 12V/24V

$3,299

Modes	Freshwater mode + saltwater/RO mode
Cassette Swap Time	Under 3 minutes, no tools
Freshwater Output	4.9 GPM (same as HN-03)
Saltwater Output	1.5 GPH (RO mode)
Solar Array	400W folding monocrystalline
Battery Reserve	150Ah LiFePO4
Operating Voltage	Dual-voltage: 12V freshwater / 24V RO, auto-switching
Chassis Dimensions	10"D × 24"W × 18"H
Dry Weight	42 lbs
Price	$3,299 (includes both cassettes)
Replacement Freshwater Cassette	$149
Replacement Saltwater Cassette	$249

Section 02 / Filtration

Five Stages, Seawater to Potable

Stage 1

Sediment Pre-Filter (5 micron)

Removes sand, silt, shells, and biological debris from the seawater intake.

Stage 2

Scale Inhibitor Cartridge

Prevents calcium and magnesium scaling on the RO membrane — critical for longevity.

Stage 3

High-Pressure RO Membrane

Dow FilmTec SW30, 99.4% salt rejection, 150 PSI operating pressure.

Stage 4

Post-Carbon Polish

Removes residual taste, odor, and chlorine from the permeate.

Stage 5

Remineralization Cartridge

Adds back calcium and magnesium — pure RO water tastes flat and lacks minerals the body needs.

Most portable RO units are hand-pump operated — exhausting for sustained use. The HN-04 runs automatically and continuously on solar with zero operator effort after setup. Remineralization is usually skipped on military and survival units; we include it because dehydration from mineral-deficient water is a real field risk.

Section 03 / Positioning

The Only Solar-Native Option

System	Price	Flow Rate	Power Autonomy
Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E	$1,800	1.5 GPH	Requires 12V shore power
Spectra Newport 400	$3,200	1.7 GPH	No solar integration
Rainman RS12V	$2,900	3.0 GPH	No solar
Hydro Node HN-04-S	$1,899	1.2 GPH	Fully solar autonomous, military chassis

Section 04 / Deployment Profiles

Who Runs DeepSalt

Maritime SOF

Coastal insertions, island operations, ship-to-shore. Performance and reliability over price.

Blue-water sailors & liveaboards

Competes head-on with Katadyn, Spectra, and Rainman — and beats them on solar autonomy.

Island & coastal disaster relief

Post-hurricane Caribbean and Pacific aid operations where fuel logistics fail first.

Coastal preppers

Anyone within 100 miles of an ocean planning for a grid-down scenario.

NGO & international aid

Africa, Middle East, Pacific — deployable units with zero fuel dependency.

Section 05 / RO Support

DeepSalt Accessories

ACC-09

Saltwater Intake Strainer Kit

Ocean-rated intake screening for surf, surge, and jellyfish-heavy water.

$49

ACC-10

RO Membrane Flush Kit

Post-saltwater flush cycle — salt crystallization destroys standing membranes.

$69

ACC-11

TDS / Salinity Field Tester

Real-time verification that output water is inside the potable threshold.

$59

ACC-12

Brine Management Bag

Contains RO brine discharge for responsible disposal away from the source.

$79

View All Accessories