Katadyn BeFree 1.0L Ultralight Collapsible Water Filter Bottle for Hiking, Camping, Backpacking

If you are going on a hike and may need water, this is the best water filter I have seen on the market. Super simple to use and clean. Light and durable. My thru hiker son bought one for me and I bought another one as a back up.

This is by far this Superior Water Filter in my opinion. Great quality last for a long time. The poor rate is so awesome! When your Backcountry and out for a couple weeks this is the water filter to go with in my opinion. Quick and fast filling, packs up nice and small. This one is great The filter self takes a bit of getting used to and after a year it can get a little slowed down so just invest in a new filter top. But overall I have been so impressed with this and am an avid user for the last 5 Years

I bought this for a hiking trip to Yosemite, but, to be honest, I never actually used it on the trail because I always packed enough water. However, I’ve used it a few times to purify and filter hotel sink water, and it works great. The bottle is made of malleable but fairly rugged rubber that rolls up and packs into a very small size that fits in my backpack. Therefore, I carry it everywhere with me, which makes it very practical. The ability to filter water in virtually any situation that life brings is comforting. Knowing that if my car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and I can find any body of water and be able to quench my thirst safely is sort of cool.

When the wild calls and the trail stretches endlessly ahead, the Katadyn BeFree is the silent guardian every adventurer dreams of. Featherlight, blisteringly fast, and equipped with a 0.1 micron EZ Clean Membrane, this bottle doesn’t just hold water—it purifies destiny. From glacier streams to sketchy backwoods trickles, it transforms the questionable into the drinkable with a squeeze and a swagger. No pumps. No hassles. Just freedom in liquid form. Whether you're running ultramarathons or conquering the backcountry, the BeFree doesn’t blink. It flows, it filters, it frees. 🏔️🚶‍♂️💦

The BeFree filter was recommended by a friend. I was a bit dubious based on its weight. I'm a long-time Katadyn Hiker Pro user and was interested in a lighter alternative. I decided to use it on a 7 day backpack in the Grand Canyon where the water sources would be relatively clear feeder streams to the Colorado River - which is heavily sedimented and presents special challenges to *any* filter. The BeFree worked well and it survived (as expected) its days in the Canyon. The good news: > it's light and folds easily into a small space in your pack; > it's easy to use - just dunk the 1L flexible plastic sack into the water source; > it seems easy to clean - just swish in the water source (I did not have to clean the filter as the water sources were relatively clear of sediment & 'gunk'); > replacement cartridges are less expensive than the Hiker Pro cartridges (but I'm not sure how long the BeFree filter will last vs the Hiker Pro's) The not so good news: > the flexible plastic sack had a pinhole leak on its first use (apparently not uncommon) but did not affect performance; > since you submerge the plastic sack into the water source, shallow sources could slow the filling of the sack or preclude water collection entirely; > since you collect 1L at a time and then transfer it to a lager 'clean water' container (I use 2L Platypus plastic containers), it's a slower process with more actions than with the Hiker Pro. None of the 'not so good' items were deal-breakers and I would have given the BeFree 1L 5-stars had there not been a pin-hole leak. I'm not sending it back, it's an easy repair. This is a great piece of gear to add to my collection and to lighten my backpack for those longer adventures.

Ditch your Sawyer and Be Free!. The large opening makes filling a breeze and MUCH better than filling a sawyer squeeze pouch or a smart water bottle. I only needed a scoop on the very shallowest of water sources. I tested this over a couple week section hike on the AT. I had a Sawyer squeeze set up for gravity feed with a CNOC bladder (My old go-to) and this Katadyn BeFree that I was deciding on. Since I was starting at Amicalola, I knew I would be at Mountain Crossing in a few days, so I left the Sawyer at home and just brought the BeFree. I figured I could replace it at Neil's Gap if it sucked. It does not suck. I could gather from 99% of water sources without scooping, and filter directly into my smart water bottles from the BeFree. The flow rate is incredible. I would be done filtering 2 liters and cameling up on the 3rd before folks with Sawyers were done filtering their first liter. The flow rate is high enough to drink directly from the BeFree if that's your style. I have tried this previously with the Sawyer filters and found it to be a less than satisfactory process. The mini has too little flow and, even when used in-line with a bladder, the flow rate is terrible and will leave you sy=ucking hard on your bite valve to just get something to drink. The Squeeze is also difficult to drink directly from for a couple reasons: You have to squeeze the bottle hard to get water into your mouth and the bottle crushes, leaving low pressure in the bottle forcing you to break the seal to allow the pressure to rebalance. Since the BeFree is collapsible, you don't have the same problem with the difference in pressure, should you choose to drink directly from it. I hike with 2 1L water bottles. I can fill 2 of these very quickly. I also usually will chug a 3rd liter at the water source AKA "Camel up", and if I knew I was going to be dry camping that night, I would fill the BeFree 1L bladder with an extra liter, so I would have extra water for cooking and in the AM. With a sawyer, you don't really have that option unless you carry an additional bladder. Bottom line: I could not recommend this more. I was a long time sawyer user, and still have them in my spare gear box for emergencies, but the BeFree, stays in my pack.

I absolutely love this filter. I've used it for 2 years now and have zero regrets. I have hiked with 2 people who use another popular brand filter and this one gets the job done much quicker and is more versatile to be used as a water bottle itself or dump into any water bottle you own. One of my hiking buddies has to bring along smart water bottles for their filter, another carries a cheepy plastic bottle with the top cut off to help with filling. The Katadyn crumples up into my side pocket when not in use and has a wide enough opening to just dump in any water source I need. I didn't take any precautions of care - stuffing it in outside pockets and not considering where or how my bag may be dropped, setting it on the ground without thinking of the area, dropping it on rocks, etc and it FINALLY got a tiny pin prick on my last hike this year. It was still completely usable, I just had to be sure to have the hole away from my water bottle opening to ensure nothing dripped in. I'll put a patch on it and use it again next year, though also purchase another for a backup and probably take better care of it :) Considering purchasing the 3L for in camp use, but not sure it's worth it because the 1L goes so quick it's not a pain to fill multiple bottles!

Having backpacked over 1,000 miles on the AT, I mostly love the BeFree. Flow is good but can get slower over time. Cleaning is easy. It fits in my backpack hip pocket. Unlike similar filters like the Sawyer Squeeze, if it freezes it is not ruined. That's a huge plus. One downside is that the bladder portion tends to develop tiny holes. That's not a deal breaker, but it's annoying.

Arrived quickly, and works great. - Good size - Folds up small while empty - good flow rate - Can be squeezed to fill other bottles

fantastic - did the job for a 4 day bike packing trip in scotland. Water is pretty clean here anyway but always better to be on the safe side.

It does exactly what it says. I've used it for filtering about 30L of water so far (not particularly dirty) but it's been working great. Flow rate is really fast still, and I like the collapsible bottle design - great to travel with.

Utilizzato per una uscita .. ha fatto il suo lavoro.

Leve compacto e com boa vazão, realmente bom para Trekking, a bolsa de água parece frágil mas é bem resistente, claro que requer cuidados.