Katadyn BeFree

[Barry K]

Have not seen any Katadyn BeFree bottles out on the JMT this Summer and early Fall so wanted to share my experience with it.  Awesome for trail running and back packing in the Eastern Sierra. Filter is built into the cap. No more carrying the Mini Sawyer to filter water.  The stock 0.6L soft flask is too large for our Salomon running vest (or UD) pockets. Same with the bottle pockets I had made for our Zimmerbuilt back packs.  Thankfully Katadyn sells the filter cap separately for $25 (REI). Hydrapak sells a 600 ml soft flask (back packs) for $21 and a 450 ml soft flask (running vests) for $19 (REI). The filter cap mates to the soft flasks perfectly. No more delay in filtering water. Scoop and go within seconds = more time moving on the trails. Enjoy!

[Ken Thompson]

See linked threads included in this thread,

https://backpackinglight.com/katadyn-befree-review-water-filter-bottle-first-looks/

[Marcello]

Hello,I also used the Be Free just last weekend for the first time. I love it !

I usually use their Pro Hiker model. It’s great ,but very heavy and  bulky and high maintenance. Wish It was available before I bought the Pro Hiker . Thsnks for your post

[Nathan Watts]

I use a pair of Inov-8 500ml soft flasks with long straws in a Solomon running vest.   I cut the straws and inserted sawyer quick disconnects in-line (female side attached to the flask side and male end attached to the bite valve end).

I installed a sawyer thread-to-barb adapter onto a befree filter. To the barb I attached a short piece of tubing with the male end of a sawyer QD.

When I need to refill, I simply scoop with the BeFree flask, detach the bite valve from the flask in my running pack and connect the befree hose stub.  I squeeze water from the befree flask into the running pack flask and then replace the bite valve section when it’s full.

This way I never have to remove a soft flask from my chest pockets and then try to fight to get it stuffed back in.  All this can be done on the move without ever stopping.

Drinking from a separate flask than the befree also allows me to mix powders etc.

 

[Joe Hollowed]

Nathan, almost six years later and this post has helped me out a lot. I’ve been searching for the perfect combination of caps to be able to rock the BeFree in a fastpacking kit that would allow a direct connection from the clean side to a soft flask. I didn’t know about this Sawyer adapter going from a QD male tip to female 28mm threading. Perfect

I’m hoping to combine it with the new soft flasks from CNOC, which have a quick release mechanism built right into the cap. Hopefully they accept the Sawyer QD make ends.

The plan would be to mount the BeFree to a 750 ml soft flask with 42mm threading in one chest pocket, and have another 750ml soft flask in the other, for drinking out of. With the new CNOC products, this clean bottle could have either 28mm or 42mm threading, as they offer the QD cap in both sizes. The 28mm option is lighter, while the 42mm option would provide a redundancy for continuing to filter in the event that the other bottle develops a leak.

[Brad W]

Filtering with Cnoc soft(hard top and bottom) bottles isn’t as nice as the original .6l and 1l Befree bottles as you can’t get squeeze 100% of the dirty water due to the hard top and bottom. 70% or so is what you get-which doesn’t work for me.

 

[Joe Hollowed]

I assume you’re talking about the Cnoc Vesica? I agree with you there. But Cnoc has a new line of running soft flasks which do not have a hard top or bottom.

[Brad W]

Oh wow, I didn’t know that. Interesting. I always wanted a small soft bottle for my Squeeze.

[Joe Hollowed]

Unfortunately the largest bottle in that line is 750 ml. If you want a very light 1L soft flask with 28mm threading, Evernew is highly regarded.

[Brad W]

Hmm. I don’t particularly like the feel of Evernew as much for squeezing. Less pliable than the Cnoc or Befree material.

[Nathan Watts]

Joe,

Was surprised to see a follow up on this.  Awesome to hear that some of my setup has been useful for you.

I’ve since revised my system a little bit.  I now use a 42mm cap that has a twist-lock, check valve type design.  The cap itself has the disconnect in it, so I twist and unplug my drinking hose, then just plug in the male end attached to the BeFree, squeeze, and fill.  I put magnets on my hoses to keep them attached to my vest while they’re disconnected from the bottles. (Helpful while running too)

The check valve in these caps flows even better than the original quick connects I had mid-hose too, which makes it easier to drink from.
The 42mm cap makes it easier to add electrolytes into my bottles too.

 

[Joe Hollowed]

Hey Nathan,

Thanks for the reply! Nice to see your revised system. Is this the cap you’re taking about (or similar)?

https://hydrapak.com/products/plug-n-play-42mm-cap?variant=31642503675994

It seems that the 42mm Cnoc QuickCap gives the same functionality, and at a lighter weight. Unless I’m misunderstanding how exactly you’re using these. What do you think?

https://cnocoutdoors.com/products/threaded-quickconnect-adapter?variant=40687773352025

[Nathan Watts]

Joe,

That looks like the right cap.
And assuming the CNOC one doesn’t allow water to pass through when the hose is unplugged, then yes, they’re similar in function.

The CNOC looks to use a valve similar to my old in-line hose setup.  See my comment above that valve in the new cap flows a lot better than the old in-line valve.  Might not be an issue for you, but I appreciated how much easier it was to drink from.

[Author]

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