Introduction
I spent many years as an engineering research scientist in a university environment. One of my favorite research programs that I managed included a number of multi-year portable water treatment technology and water quality studies, in the context of backcountry recreation, military deployment, and disaster relief.
It was during these years where I learned to despise portable water filters for their weight, slow treatment times, effort (arg, the pumps!), ease of clogging, and difficulty of cleaning.
It is because of these disadvantages that I’ve learned to love ultralight treatment technologies like tablets and chemical kits.
Filters of course have evolved through the years. We’ve seen lighter pump filters, gravity filters, inline filters, and filter bottles.
But not until the introduction of the new Katadyn BeFree Water Bottle Filter have I experienced a (truly) lightweight filter option that treats water as fast, in a package so compact. The 0.6L bottle is about a 2-oz package (2.5 oz is the approximate wet weight that I measured, which includes residual water from a treatment cycle), and it comes in a larger 1.0L size and a gravity filter model as well.
Watch the video to see my brief commentary about the filter and what I think about its throughput using clean water. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive review – I’m using this as my primary water treatment technology this summer and fall.
The Katadyn BeFree Filter Product Line
Specifications
- Filter medium: Hollow fiber membrane with 0.1 micron effective pore diameter;
- Filters bacteria: yes (99.9999%) | protozoa: yes (99.99%) | viruses: no
- Flow rate: 2 L/min
- Bottle opening: 43mm
- Longevity of filter cartridge: 1,000 liters
Compared To…
As I mentioned in the video, I’ve been partial to a chemical kit (Aquamira) for many years. Its “durable” (no mechanisms to fail), imparts minimal taste (and actually improves the taste of nasty water sources), is light, doesn’t fail when freezing (filters can crack), and is simple to use. There’s still a wait time with Aquamira (on the order of 15-30 minutes depending on the quality and temperature of your water source).
I’ve also used Steripens and gravity filters in various contexts. There are a lot of different ways to treat water in the backcountry!
Related Links / Mentions:
- Katadyn BeFree Water Bottle
- Ultraviolet Treatment Pen
- Chlorine Dioxide Chemical Kit
- ClO2 Tablets: here and here
- End of the World Filter
- Ultralight Filter Straw
- Ultralight Inline Filter
Also check out this forum topic at Backpacking Light discussing other user’s experiences with the Katadyn BeFree!
Discussion
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Companion forum thread to: Katadyn BeFree Review: The Light and Fast Water Bottle Filter (First Looks)
This Katadyn BeFree Review features a video discussing the highlights of this water bottle filter technology that’s both ultralight and fast.
Forum thread started last year, It’s a good one with long term usage and plenty of questions answered.
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/new-katadyn-befree-filter-bottle/#comment
Nice to see Ryan posting video up of this filter that has gotten a lot of people on BPL excited.
Looking forward to the follow up video.
As for the video being “late to the show” as this filter has a lot of discussion going back months on the forums….that can be forgiven.
The BPL community is pretty quick to find the latest news on anything lightweight that comes out….so hard to fault BPL for not coming out with information as fast as the forum.
Either way, exciting product….I just purchased mine a day or two before this video came out.
Looking forward to getting out on the trail with it next month.
Tony
Great filter! Â This now accompanies me on all my distance runs in the mountains, fitting perfectly on the Ultimate Direction Body Pottle Plus. Â For backpacking or fastpacking, this filter also fits any of the Hydropak Seeker series bottles.
I love this filter. I also use w/ a 2ltr Hydropak Seeker that is light, easy to use, fits in my old Mariposa and as you’ve said has great flow characteristics! I understand it won’t last as long as a Sawyer Mini, but I will probably drop or loose it before I’ve run 1000 liters through it! Keeper!
Thanks Ryan for the video
it will be interesting to see  how the filter performs – I was interested in the high flow rate which is obviously a big positive …. but not if it comes at the cost of less than promoted filtration over time.  Let us know how you get on.
Can anyone post a report of how it handles repeated use with non-translucent (cloudy) Â water sources like cow tanks, spring run-off in, glacial silt.
Sounds great but can’t understand how it gets around the situations that require the efficient back-flush of a Sawyer squeeze (bigger one) syringe.
Overall, i’m basically asking, is it sample bias that most early users are getting great early results on water sources that were very pure.
Can someone use this filter on a cloudy water source until it does not work efficiently?
<p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>I mean when I say, ” can someone use this filter on a cloudy water source until it does not work efficiently?” (Of course you can), But can anyone please post the anecdotal experience of levels of cloudy water that led to the filters failure?</p>
It sounds great, but it seems we’re dancing around the scenarios/use level that would be be considered failure or ineefficient to continue use without replacement. Â Anybody find it’s limits yet??
some clogging and other issues discussed in the thread I linked at the top.
Not sure that I understand Ryan hating so strongly on older bottle filters.
For the last few years I’ve used the Seychelle filter bottle (known as the TravelTap in the UK).
It’s based on a squeezable, wide-mouthed bottle. Through-flow is fine (only a gentle squeeze required). It’s been tested in great depth by the UK army and a number of other agencies and always gets a high score. No need for backflushing, and I’ve had no problems with clogging. Reasonable price and long filter life, with gradual automatic shutoff at end of life.
The flow on the new Katadyn looks a bit better, but it only works with a small range of narrow-mouthed soft bottles.
The Seychelle is easy to fill from pretty much any source |(and I can hang it from my walking pole to reach down steep banks). I don’t need to worry about dirty and clean storage. If water is plentiful I just fill the bottle directly and drink from it. If i have to carry extra, I decant it from the bladder into the filter and drink. Ditto for cooking water.
It’s acceptably light, with no waiting around, no pumping, no ingestion of chemicals, no electronics to fail. An excellent solution for a solo walker. The Katadyn looks to have somewhat better flow. But although the bottle is lighter the narrow mouth makes it harder to use. If it’s an improvement it’s fairly marginal – so what’s with all the excitement? Am I missing something?
Will R’s take,
http://ultralightinsights.blogspot.com/2017/09/gear-review-katadyn-befree-collapsible.html
I’ve had a Sawyer Mini until I accidently froze it. Got the Katadyn BeFree at a local store.
Flow is awesome compared to Sawyer Mini. The only problem I had with it was deglueing of the water container where its body meets the upper part after a couple of hiking days. Had to hold it together with my fingers while in backcountry. Got it replaced for a new one. No problem yet.
Like the Sawyer, the supplied bottles are the weak link.
And the cap.
Honeymoon over?
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/befree-filter-update-bad-news-3-days-on-the-trail-with-5-people/
Hey Ryan. I’ve noticed you use the BeFree on some trips below freezing. Do you put it in your sleeping bag overnight or do you not worry too much about the fibers cracking?
I noticed that Sawyer disses the befree in their faqs…stating that the sawyer filter components are tougher (not exact wording)
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