Love my BeFree filter!

[Rex Sanders]

Used a Katadyn BeFree filter on a recent 5-day trip.

This filter has changed my relationship with water.

I tried several kinds of filters and mostly hated them (looking at you Sawyer Squeeze), so stuck with Aquamira drops or chlorine dioxide tablets. However, with chlorine dioxide, you should wait four hours for best results. So I carried way more water than I needed most of the time, and always had a nagging feeling that I needed to find and treat (and carry) more.

Now “scoop and squeeze” is my new mantra. The included 0.6 liter bag is quick and easy to fill from running water, standing water, and even from a water trough inlet pipe 1/2 inch above the scum – without scooping up scum.

I think the small 0.6 liter bag included with the BeFree is a feature. It’s quick and easy to scoop and squeeze, and I’m not tempted to take more water than I need.

Now I can “camel up” at a water source, and feel much better while hiking.

It’s easy to filter water into a larger, narrow-mouthed water bottle.

I don’t need to carry something else to backflush the filter – just swish the filter in the water source, or shake it in the water bag. Instructions on the bag. Very simple.

I’ve barely picked up the plastic taste others mention because the water doesn’t stay in the bag very long. If I weren’t lazy, I’d clean out the bag to remove that taste, too.

Best of all – I carried less water, confident that I could quickly get more at the next water source.

Yes, others have had problems with their BeFree. I carry a few chlorine dioxide pills as backup.

I love my BeFree filter.

— Rex

[David Thomas]

Thanks, Rex.  This wasn’t on my radar.  REI shows it as $40, 2.3 ounces in the 20-ounce / 0.6-liter version.  I’m guessing it weighs a little more once wetted out, but still.

The Steripen really helped marital relations on my hikes.  My wife doesn’t like the taste of chlorine or iodine while I think old-school filters were too bothersome and forced you to hang out for too long in a mosquito-rich spot.

A grab-and-go option is appealing.  And it’s light!  And, like any non-chemical option, by “cameling up”, you avoid excess pack weight and the pound-miles of waiting for the treatment period to elapse.

[Iago Vazquez]

My previous non-pump filter was the Swayer Squeeze. Worked fine. Used it on a few trips filtering water for two. But it god old after a couple of days… Just took a lot of time to filter water for two I thought. This was my only filter on a recent trip to Shenandoah National Park, and it worked filtering water for four. Loved the fast flow and smaller packed size. Instead of the kit, I bought the filter separately and a Hydrapak Seeker 3L bag, so I can haul water when I need to.

https://www.rei.com/product/100546/katadyn-befree-water-bottle-replacement-filter

http://hydrapak.com/shop/water-storage/

Like David, I also love the Steripen Classic 3. I just got AA rechargeable Lithium batteries from Fenix, and they worked great. I only filtered about 15 liters or so (I wish I kept an actual log), but they worked very well with the unit without needing recharging. I never got the low battery light. I will have to try them again on a longer trip.

https://www.fenixlighting.com/product/arb-l14-1600u-built-in-usb-rechargeable-battery/

 

[Greg Mihalik]

Thanks Rex.

I’ll give it a try.

[Don H]

Rex,

Agree with your comments – love mine also.  Gave my wife one for her recent overseas trip and she used it with the hotel water at locations she was not convinced about the water source – loved it.  Packed in her nurse everywhere she went.

I also have a MSR Trailshot but haven’t taken it out yet.  I like the small size and ability to either drink directly (but I have my Be Free for that) or fill my Platypus containers.

[Ken Thompson]

More reading. Nothing is perfect

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/new-katadyn-befree-filter-bottle

[J-L]

I don’t need to carry something else to backflush the filter – just swish the filter in the water source, or shake it in the water bag. Instructions on the bag. Very simple.

Unfortunately, this method of backflushing isn’t very effective. The flow rate on my BeFree filter has slowed substantially since I purchased it last year (about equal to a Sawyer Squeeze now). I’ve had a few cloudy sources of water, but most have looked pretty clear. The BeFree needs a high-pressure method of backflushing IMO. Steripen or chemicals for me now.

[Jerry Adams]

I don’t understand the hate for Sawyer Squeeze.  Other people must be doing something different.

I have used it for at least 100 nights without problem.  I backflush at home.  I don’t do trips longer than a week which might change things.  And I get water from fairly good sources.

I never squeeze more than a pint at one time, which is no big inconvenience.  Beyond that, I carry untreated water and treat when needed.

I have a one liter soda bottle.  To fill it, I squeeze it some and put opening under water.  It could be as little as a couple inches deep.  Then let it go and it sucks in some water.  Repeat maybe 6 times to fill up the one liter bottle.

But, if my Squeeze died, I might get one of those befrees, looks pretty nice.  Do you have to keep them from freezing?

[Ken Thompson]

Same issue when freezing.

[John Vance]

I really like my BeFree as well.  Picked it up while I waited for my Steripen Opti to be fixed.  I dropped it in the creek and needless to say it didn’t work.  To Steripen’s credit they replaced it with a new unit for a very reasonable cost.

 

[Scott Kilcoyne]

Been using mine for a year now and still love it. I’ve had no problems with it so far.

[Barry P]

In case of dropping or freezing, how do you know if the BeFree develops a small crack in its filter? A small crack cannot be detected by blowing through it. Is there another way? And where is scientific test data for this filter?

Thanx,

-Barry

[Jerry Adams]

that’s the same question as for Sawyer Squeeze.  No one offered anything.

anecdotally, you can put water with food color in it and the filter should remove the color, but that makes no sense, the food color particles are very small

Too bad there isn’t something you could buy that had colored particles that were 0.1 micron big or whatever.  Or even 1 micron would be useful.  No one knew about any such thing.

[David Thomas]

We love to gripe about prices and stuff but when I saw that it was made by Katadyn. . . .

My mind went back to my first Katadyn filter.  First Need and the other filters in the early- / mid-1980s were plastic, non-serviceable, and about $50-60 ($120-140 in 2017 dollars).  My ceramic-element Katadyn was field-serviceable, field-cleanable and would last forever or until you dropped it on a hard surface, whichever came first.  But it was $175 in 1984 ($420 today) although their current machined-aluminum, ceramic-element filter is $249).

Now BeFree (and the Squeeze) are options that are FAR lighter, FAR cheaper, and somewhat serviceable.

Maybe it’s not just computers, telephone calls, and airfares that get cheaper and cheaper over time.

[David Thomas]

“that makes no sense, the food color particles are very small”

Yeah, that makes absolutely no sense, since food coloring isn’t a particle but is a molecule, dissolved in the water.  It sounds like a test devised by a maker of a combo particle/carbon filter.  It would look dramatic, but adsorbing the dye would be entirely the carbon, which not only doesn’t filter out bacteria but typically increases plate counts because it is such a good media for them to grow on (I use it grow bacteria in some of my water-treatment systems).

There are particles you can use to test a filter.  They are called bacteria.  They are self-replicating and therefore essentially free.  You can test for them at the filter’s outlet by drinking the water and seeing if you get sick.  I do this* on school field trips for a decently large sample size and track absences from school the next week.

*No, not really.

[Jerry Adams]

ha, ha, ha,… good one

but, seriously, getting sick isn’t a good test because, for example, many people drink untreated water without ever getting sick.  You could do a controlled study with people randomly assigned treatment are not, and see if there were more sick people

Do they test filters with actual organisms?  Count the number in pre and post treated water?

[Jim C]

Some BPLers, myself included, are using the BeFree filter with the Hydrapak Seeker. I, like others, have experienced some taste issues, though I’ve found this mostly manageable.

Yesterday, I was in an REI store and I noticed the Seeker has a new appearance. It’s darker in color, which makes me wonder if they’ve changed the material to address the taste issue. The product page on REI shows the new appearance.

Is anyone who’s tried the new Seeker able to comment on the taste?

Regardless, count me as another who is happy with the BeFree. Combined with a smaller flask, it’s great for dip-and-go, and with a 3L Seeker, good for in-camp use as a gravity filter.

[David Thomas]

Do they test filters with actual organisms?  Count the number in pre and post treated water?”

Yup.  They run actual organisms through them.  Then they do plate counts of “colony-forming units” and compare with the untreated water.  (These tests are run on various diluted samples to have the required order-of-magnitudes in sensitivity).  To claim treatment of Giardia, Crypto, Bacteria or Viruses require filtration to smaller and smaller sizes, respectively, at a specified removal rate (many 9’s but not 100%).

[Iago Vazquez]

@ JimC I have the new seeker. I may have noticed a taste in the first quarts or so, but not after let’s say two gallons or so. I just asked my wife, and she doesn’t recall any funny taste–she’s the “particular” one of the two (pun intended :)

[Brandon Richardson]

I’ve been using the BeFree for a while now and I like it a lot as well.  Flow rate is great and backwashes easily (I haven’t experienced the slowing rate over time mentioned above).  I now use it with both the Seeker and the bottle it comes with.  I haven’t experienced any of the taste issues mentioned above with my Seeker, but I do have the occasional leak around the screw top when using with either the Hydrapak Seeker or the Hydrapak Softflask (way more on the Softflask which is why I went back to the original bottle).  The real downside to me is the screw top size which makes it only compatible with a handful of bottles.

I did a full gear review here if you’re interested (I’m not trying to get clicks, it says basically the same as above so feel free to skip):

 

[Tony Wong]

Question to everyone who has experience with the BeFree.

Have you found a way to backflush the BeFree in the field??

Given that this is using the same hollow plastic fiber material as the Sawyer and other such filters, it would seem that there should be no problem with back flushing the system and accidentally damaging it.

The increased flow rate seems to be a result of the increased surface area of the water in contact withh the hollow fiber material due to the cage design that lets water contact the material or easily vs. the Sawyer Squeeze where the surface contact is only through water funneled through the bottom input end of the filter that threads to a bottle.

I don’t care or worry about the added weight of carrying a syringe or even some sort of bottle adapter to connect a something to the clean side of the BeFree.

What I do like is the increased water flow for ease of use/efficiency of use.

Not having a means to back flush the filter in the field does concern me…..swishing the BeFree in some water sounds all and well, but back flushing would ensure that even with the worst of water sources, there would be a way to keep using the filter.

Appreciate any insights on how to back flush this filter, which I really want to get as a replacement for my Sawyer Mini.

Tony

[Jim C]

You can backflush a BeFree filter with the Sawyer plunger. Keep the flip cap on the BeFree, and push the water through the cap and filter.

How effective this is, or whether it’s a good thing to do, I don’t know. But it can be done.

[Rex Sanders]

A few more thoughts:

• The wide mouth on the BeFree is a major win over the Sawyer Squeeze. The BeFree is much easier to dunk in a lake, or lay in a trickling creek, or jam under a trickling spring pipe, and collect water, without some other gyration involved.
• The BeFree feels nice in my hands – soft, pliable plastic with rounded edges. Compared to the sharp edges and crinkly plastic of the Squeeze …
• It’s simple. I don’t like fiddling with more complex filters, or worrying about fragile electronics and dying batteries, or mixing chemicals and waiting. Plus I can operate it when I’m tired / cold / hungry / grumpy.
• I’m not terribly concerned about the longevity of inexpensive filters. Compared to chlorine dioxide tablets at ~50 cents per liter, I’m ahead if I get more than 50 liters out of a ~$25 BeFree cartridge. And the BeFree has many advantages over chlorine dioxide.

As Ken mentioned, nothing is perfect, YMMV, HYOH. I still love my BeFree.

— Rex

[two pints]

Regarding the plastic taste: From Hydrapak’s Care Page

 
<h5>TASTE</h5>
Some users may initially notice a plastic-like taste when using any of our products made with TPU. This taste typically subsides over time and can be eliminated by simply squeezing juice from a lemon into the product, filling it with water, and then freezing it. After frozen, remove, thaw, and rinse.

Bottle Bright has also been proven to resolve those having taste issues. If the problem persists, please reach out to our customer service team.

[two pints]

I’m a big fan of the BeFree filter with a hydrapak seeker.  I use the 2L seeker with the Befree filter to filter water into my 1L aquafina water bottle.  I prefer the hard sided bottle so that I can easily slip it in and out of my pack pocket without taking my pack off.

If I have a big stretch without water or am tanking up for camp, I can carry up to 3L.  And as mentioned before, the wide mouth on the seeker and the flexible plastic make it easy to get water quickly from a variety of sources.

The combined weight of the 2L seeker and BeFree filter is 2.9oz dry.

It would be easy to rig up something to backwash the BeFree since the drinking side of the filter uses standard water bottle threading.  You can unscrew the sippy cap and replace it with anything you like.  So this makes it compatible with all the fittings that you may already have from your Sawyer filters.  But I have yet to really get it clogged up to where a quick swishing doesn’t resolve it.

Lastly, I have noticed that if you let your filter sit dry for a while, it can clog up.  To resolve, just fill your water bottle/seeker and screw the BeFree in place and let it set for a while.

And yes, it does use a proprietary water bottle threading size.  But to me, that is more of a feature since the wide mouth makes filling the water bottle easier.  That was one of my annoyances with the sawyer system.

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