The soft bottle it comes with is notorious for splitting. Anyone know what plastic bottle(s) we have in the UK that fit it? Thanks.
[SOLD] [SOLD] [SOLD]
Hi all, I used this filter a handful of times on local hikes to see if I liked it more than my Sawyer, but I’m going to stick with my Sawyer.
Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/Dlrjg4w
$30 shipped to lower 48, PayPal FF or add 3% for GS
We were talking the other day again about BeFree vs Quickdraw vs Sawyer Squeeze.
While the BeFree is my undisputed winner for most trips, the recommended cleaning procedure for the BeFree is laughable. “Just put some water in it and giv’a lil swish… there ya go, swish away…. yeh, put your wrist into it… maybe give a cute little swush too?!”
Isn’t water always swishing in it?
I was skeptical, because while there are different physical designs and adhesives used on these filters, the core technology is hollow fill fiber. Fiber that acts like a sieve to filter water at a certain micron size. So, I reached out to Katadyn and asked for clarification about what we can do to clean these things more aggressively.
Their response
>I spoke with the team and they said a solution is you can soak the filter cartridge overnight in a liter of water with either a teaspoon of regular bleach or white vinegar. That will help dissolve and mineral deposits that might be prematurely clogging the cartridge and restore the flow rate. The BeFree’s are made to last about two years as well.
They ended with an offer of cartridge replacement because they thought I was having a current issue.
So there you go. Not very aggressive ratios, but at least it's something.
I’m more and more interested in wet storing (distilled water) all of these filters, so I am especially glad to see the part about bleach. I’ve only ever had Sawyers fail after being dry for the winter, but it can happen to ANY of these filters. I have always vinegar cleaned my BeFree, so I was glad to see that too.
Katadyn also did not speak; they didn’t say you can backflush. I’ve actually backflushed a few times on the same BeFree even though they don’t explicitly recommend it. Yes, companies are accurate about what their products can handle, but they’re also conservative as well. Backflushing is something I will continue to do, followed with blow back test. Again, not recommended by the company.
Bye!
Has someone found a solid waterbottle that is compatible (42mm) with the BeFree filter?
I only find water bladders or collapsible bottles that are compatible.
I also found a 3D printed adapter but thats extra weight and I wouldnt fully trust the durability.
So here it is. I recently finished up a week long trip on the vermont long trail. I used a befree water filter but like an idiot I got sediment and algae and god knows what else stuck in the filter. Thankfully it was at the end. Ive tried cleaning it multiple ways no luck, im getting a new one. Anyways the flow is bad, I saw that you can get a sediment prefilter for the Befree but it basically doesnt allow the filter to fit on most water storage that you can use, what I use ( 2l hydrpak seeker) The question. What can I use that does close to the same thing, keeping sediment and whatever larger debris from clogging the filter? My first thought was to cut up some pantyhose to use but I'm not sure. Anybody got a better idea?
I dont like the sawyer that much and dont plan on getting one. My understanding, it can have the same problems, yes i know about the plunger and backwashing it. I dont like it for other reasons.
Thanks for your input!
Both the Sawyer system and JoyPur haven't touched water at all yet. I used the BeFree for about a hundred miles and it seems to still have a great flow
Would prefer to sell all together for $70 with. PayPal http://imgur.com/a/HlkpTez
Im thinking about getting a new tripod, but im not sure which one i should buy.... im into wildlife photography and my 2 options are: Manfrotto Befree advance ($189) and the K&F Concept ($89)... is it worth it to pay the extra $100 for the manfrotto?
I got the Katadyn Befree filter and used it on a 3 day backpacking trip through the Ozark Mountains in early July and it worked fantastically the entire time with no signs of clogging through the whole trip. I packed it away when I got back home very satisfied with it's performance. Yesterday I took it out for the first time since that trip and it was completely clogged when I tried to use it. Luckily I was just on a short picnic hike so it wasn't too big of a deal. So my question is do they really go from flowing like crazy to completely useless with no warning like that or was it because I let it sit dry for the better part of 2 months? I've let it soak in distilled water for about 30 minutes and I can now get an extremely slow trickle out of it. Any input is really appreciated! this is my first experience with water filtration so I want to be sure to avoid doing anything that might kill my gear early.
I used my brand new befree one time and the flow rate was obviously quite good. Then when I peaked the mountain it was sub zero. I remember reading that it might damage the filter.
Then when I get back home I tried to blow back into the bottle through the filter and it was not possible. Then I dried it and stored. Now after a few months I wanted to test it before a hike, and I was able to easily blow air through the filter. Then I tried to filter some water, and the flow rate was terrible, barely squeezed any water. Then I tried to blow back again, and it wasn't possible.
So, I am a bit confused there. Is it intact or damaged?
Hey all,
I read a tip somewhere that to improve the flow rate of the Katadyn Befree Filter, pouring just hot tap water or boiling water through the filter pretty much solves the issue.
I can seem to find that tip again, nor have I been able to confirm it. Anyone have experience with this? I did a deep dive reading other threads about cleaning with bleach or vinegar.
My partner and I are having a difference of opinion on which tripod to get. My thoughts are that the Manfrotto is cheaper but also better construction and quality. Aluminum version is slightly heavier at around 3.9 lbs I believe.
Peak Design is more expensive but slightly lighter around 3.5 lbs for the aluminum. I’ve read many complaints about the quality though and too much hype about the product.
What are your thoughts? Anyone with experience using both tripods (or at least 1 or the other)?
After about 1Y of consistent and great performance from my BeFree filter, it slowed to abysmal flow rates (20+ min / L of water). No amount of shaking, swishing, or soaking seemed to solve the issue. 24 hour vinegar soak did not help.
Katadyn helped with the following solution:
Soak the filter overnight in 1L of clean tap water with 1tsp of bleach.
I opted to 1 Pint of H2O and 1/2 tsp of bleach and let it soak overnight. The flow has been restored to new!
According to Katadyn, mineral deposits from source water (on trail) and tap water (while cleaning at home) can clog the filter. The bleach helps dissolve said deposits.
They advised this isn’t necessarily a routine cleaning method, but only when swishing / shaking is not effective.
They advised the filter should be stored dry to avoid mold growth. And, before use, approx 30 minute soak to saturate the filter after storage.
Hope this helps!
Ciao everyone. I've lately purchased a new travel tripod, the Manfrotto BeFree Advanced.
As I've seen a lot of people looking for it, I though I'd make a review video. We’ll go through the specs and set up to understand if this is the best travel tripod you’re looking for too.
Hope it helps.
https://preview.redd.it/e1r65me5bs971.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=e3c6d6bfcd117ea27f0194a6e95832f892fea6b2
Hi, I’m hoping someone more experienced than me can help me understand the difference between the BeFree 2N1 and Advanced tripods.
As far as I can tell, the only difference is that the 2N1 can be converted into a monopod. The monopod feature is nice but I’d rather a more sophisticated camera mount area, I just can’t tell if the “Advanced” model actually has a better one. It’s just that “advanced” would suggest to me that it’s better.
Can anyone please help shed some light on this? I’m quite new to photography but I will be doing a little filming with my D3100 soon and smooth pans would be nice to be able to achieve.
Thanks.
Sawyer Squeeze vs Katadyn BeFree, which do you all prefer? I’ve had the chance to use both and it’s close. Both have pros and cons about them but I think It’s going to be the katadyn for me. Biggest issue is the life expectancy though.
I've switched to a Katadyn for fastpacking trips with my palante joey. Smartwater bottles with a sawyer squeeze are to bulky, and the soft flask that comes with the katadyn actually measures to be 0.7L not 0.6L so it doesn't sit well in the front bottle pouches and bounces around.
I'm looking for trail running style 500ml soft flasks that have a 42mm thread that fit a katadyn befree on it without leaking. Have you had any luck with finding a flask like this? I've tried an Ultimate Direction body bottle but the threading is wrong.
So it says on the websites that the BeFree removes 99.9% protozoa but the Sawyer removes 99.9999%. Is this true and is this a concern? I can't find anybody else discussing this.
If it only removes 99.9%, it means in every 1000 mL or filtered water, there's 1 mL equivalent of unfiltered water (in terms of protozoa). Would that still be safe to drink?
Its on sale for 150 € , the gear I use weights around 700g including the lens
A few months ago I bought a katadyn befree 1 litre water filter. I tested it out at home with tap water and a couple of streams seemed all good. I tried the test it said on the instructions to see if the filter was intact by blowing back through the water exit and couldn't which means it's all good.
I took it out on a 10 day cycling trip through Central Australia where I really had to rely on this product. I stored it carefully wrapped in another bladder in a secure place for the trip. The first time I went to use a few days in I blew back through the mouth piece and I could blow air back through it meaning that the filter no longer worked. I decided to use some back up chlorine tablets instead.
Katadyn have now replaced it but has anyone else had a similar experiences to this? Or is it a trustworthy and robust product? Maybe I should change over to a sawyer which I have heard much better things?
Alright, so I'm on my third one (this was a free replacement for my last one that developed pin holes).
I gotta say--I have a love/hate relationship with this filter. But I keep coming back for more because the ease of use and initial flow rate is so awesome.
I know this has been asked before but I couldnt find the thread.
Anyone have a link to a 1L compatible with the BeFree PreFilter sold on Amazon?
It's an unpopular opinion but the Katadyn BeFree beats Sawyer squeeze in almost every way.
Sure, Sawyer is the OG of squeeze systems. People have trusted the products they make. Im not here to convince everyone that Sawyer is a bad product, because it's not.
However, it seems early Katadyn BeFree reviews almost unanimously conclude that although good, Sawyer is better. Now that the product has been out for a while, I believe that Katadyn is superior in almost every way. Here's why.
1 The katadyn BeFree thread size is now a non-issue: Both hydrapak and CNOC make bags specifically for this filter. The filter alone can be purchased separately from Amazon for $25 and paired with a third party bag. Also, the stock BeFree bag isn't bad. I'm not saying it's great, just that its not terrable. To be honest, it's worlds better than a Sawyer stock bag, can anyone really disagree?
2 Flow rate: the BeFree has a better flow rate, nuff said.
3 It's lighter: mine only weighs 4oz when paired to the CNOC 2L.
4 It's less expensive: The CNOC Vecto 2L + BeFree filter was only $45. Sure, the Sawyer can be had for less, but those bags suck and I don't think any serious hikers use them for very long. What I'm saying is that weather you pair a the BeFree a third party or just use the OEM, your getting out cheaper than pairing a Sawyer with a proper bag.
5 Backflushing:No syringe needed! The BeFree has an open filter "chasis" that is easily cleaned simply by shaking the bottle or even dipping the filter in the river(cap closed)
6 threads: remember when I said that thread size is a non-issue above? Many argue that the fact that Katadyn doesent work with smart water bottles is a reason to go sawyer. Since Backflushing isn't a thing, no need to attach a smartwater bottle.
7 gravity: yes, the BeFree can be used as a gravity filter. As an option, a screw on tube can be purchased that fits, you guessed it it, a smartwater bottle.
8 Size: The filter part of the BeFree fits mostly inside of the dirty water bag. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning
NOW, THERE IS ONE, AND ONLY one argument against Katadyn that holds water
1 replace after 1000 Liters: But please, Honestly after 1000L I'll probably be begging for a fresh one anyways. And for only $25 it no biggie.
Both are good, but I'm on team Katadyn!
