Katadyn BeFree SECRET HACK - filter easier and faster

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[dandeleona]

"Did it really clean my water?" That's exactly what I wondered. I worked nearly 50 years in dialysis using these filters to clean blood so the idea wasn't foreign to me when outdoor tech started using the medical technology to filter water. But the flow was SO fast, I was suspicious of construction. What concerned me is whether there was potting material under the cap. Without it, the fibers may be close enough to be crammed together but raw water would still leak around the individual fibers into drinking water. So of course, I had to dismantle it and take a closer look with a penlight to see if we were being bamboozled.

Nope. Construction fits the tech. We can indeed sleep the sleep of the reassured.

[kristymoore]

Last year my son brought one on a trip and while I was 1/4 of the way patiently filtering water through my sawyer into my smart bottle, he had filled both of his and my second bottle. I purchased one when I got home and then they were Xmas gifts for the rest of the family. CNoc now has a bag you can thread the katadyn to. Water filter/storage solved. I love that thing.

[jacoporossi]

I'm from Italy and the more i listen to you and the more i would like to keep listening to you, to your adventures and your awesome experience! Keep pushing like this man!

[jstephenf]

The blue fitting that you are screwing onto the CNOC bag will also screw onto the top of the Katadyn. Attach a short length of hose and a bite valve to that fitting and you don’t even have to remove it from your shoulder strap to drink.

[creedm]

Great video. I like my BeFree as well. I used it all last Fall and Winter with only one glitch. Between trips that were 2 or 3 weeks apart flow rate was terrible until the 2nd day. I e-mailed Katadyn and they responded within an hour. She said to fill the bag with tap water a day in advance to prime the filter. I just left it full of water in the dish drainer. When it dries out in storage the filter needs to rehydrate. It has worked wonderful since. Best!

[gravy]

I was using that setup until six months ago. Now I use the 2 liter Hydrapak bag which stands nicely in my packs side pocket. In conjunction with that I use a 700ml smart water bottle in a shoulder strap pocket. I leave the filter on the 2 liter bag and fill the 700ml bottle as needed . Not quite 3 liters of storage but it is plenty for me living and hiking in the North east. Eliminates the need for two water bottles and works great.

rt water bottle

[fastcircuit]

I've had two sawyer squeeze filters fail me on the trail, I went to the Befree year and half ago, much better. Better weight, flow rate, and no need to backflush (just shake and dump)!

[callmygolfshot]

Thanks for sharing I am a Sawyer Mini User but its bag is trash and carrying a water bottle with its screw-on is a no-go. clipping this to the front of a backpack is awesome solves so many issues.

[lilianedecoste]

Thank you! I have the Katadyne BeFree and was wondering if I would buy a water clip, not knowing if it would fit on it!!! I now have the answer.
And I am pretty sure you know that you can use the Katadyne filter on orther HydraPack soft flasks!

[sambonnecroy]

Completely agree Dan! BeFree filter is the best I've ever used, and I'm so happy I switched.

[TrojanHombre]

The BeFree works great until it doesn’t. As others have mentioned, it works great when you first get it, but it never flows the same after you store it dry. The other issue is that the bag is soft, and is prone to developing pinhole leaks. You are playing fast and dangerous if you carry that thing around on the outside of your pack, because unlike the Sawyer, it doesn’t couple with standard water bottle openings. If the bag fails on a trip, then you have no way to use it with another bottle or bag unless you buy a Hydrapack bag. I really loved the features of the BeFree when I first got it (i.e. flow rate, light weight, unclogging ease, etc.) Unfortunately, I have learned the hard way that I can’t rely on this filter for my most important trips. Even with it’s obvious flaws, I still trust the Sawyer Squeeze more when it really counts.

[christihenderson]

I have also left the sawyer squeeze behind in favor of the katadyn filter. I also bought the cnoc vecto bag that works with this filter. Game changer!

[iamrachelolsen]

I’ve had this for years as a casual camper thanks to my local outdoor shop but felt like maybe I had the wrong thing since everyone is about the Sawyer Squeeze. Thanks for the info and AquaClip tip!!

[jamesplyler]

I switched to the Katadyn this year also and am using it with the Hydrapak Seeker 2l. The flow rate is fantastic, and you don't have to put a ton of effort into filtering water, works well for me!

[blazercage]

I been taking with me dehydrated water for years on my hikes. When I need to drink my dehydrated water I just add a little bit of water and boom I have water again :).

[michaelmarziotto]

I’ve had a few of the BeFree filters.. they are prone to clogging if you store them dry. I gave up on them a few years ago.. great flow rate until it's not.

[Medickep]

But Dan, your sawyer squeeze connects directly to you CNOC bag! You can also use the included adapter to connect the filter to a smart water bottle!😊

[wackygochoco]

I filter for one to ten people. I like the Squeeze for that. I just scale up the dirty bag. With Hydrapak and MSR Dromedary, you have quite a few options for larger capacity filtering. You can thread the Sawyer hardware to the Katadyn front end and pair with a Hydrapak Seeker to run as a gravity system as well.

[justyouraveragejoe]

Hey Dan, just ordered the Katadyn filter, ( had a REI gift card). Cool clip idea. You are my go to for camping gear. All the products I have purchased using your expertise have been great. Thanks for your time Dan.

[stephen]

Thanks for the tip. I just ordered the aqua clip.