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  1. #1
    Registered User jdb's Avatar
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    Default Katadyn BeeFree Filter

    I just picked up the Beefree filter and this thing is great!!
    It has a wide mouth at the bladder fill (43mm) and the nozzle at the end of the filter will fit into a Smartwater bottle.
    Water comes out fast and will fill a 1 liter bottle in no time and is easy to clean.
    The bladder is 0.6 liter which means you have to filter twice for a 1 liter bottle but not a big deal and it weighs in at about 2oz.


    I have quite the collection of water treatment gear but I think this may be the one!

  2. #2
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    To bad it won't use regular water bottle.

    Thom

  3. #3

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    The section hiker recently reviewed and it's on my punch list for when I get my REI dividend. I'm going to get the filter only and pair with a 2 liter Hydrapak flask.


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  4. #4

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    I just bought the filter piece only, plus the 2 liter seeker bottle. I am going to hike grand gulch this weekend, so will need additional capacity. I am thinking a large smart water bottle. Looking forward to testing it out!


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  5. #5
    Registered User CHILL_TX's Avatar
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    Used it this weekend to filter some nasty, murky, standing green water. Filled my smartwater bottles quick. The water was tasteless and clear as can be.

  6. #6
    Registered User jdb's Avatar
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    Good to hear. Headed out the next few months for Philmont shakedowns and Philmont in July. Filter should make things easier out there!

  7. #7
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    I like the idea of no need to backflush, but it doesn't look like there's a way to make a gravity system for bigger bottles.

    From a lot of videos this year of thru hikers, looks like water is a little more scarce than in previous years.


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  8. #8
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TX Aggie View Post
    I like the idea of no need to backflush, but it doesn't look like there's a way to make a gravity system for bigger bottles.

    From a lot of videos this year of thru hikers, looks like water is a little more scarce than in previous years.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    My experience to date is strictly pumps. However, the BeFree filter is apparently much faster than the Sawyer Squeeze or Mini, why can't you just fill a 2 or 3 liter Hydrapak container and have water on demand?
    REI sells the filter alone for $25 and the 2 & 3 liter bottles for $18 & $20 respectively.
    I'm debating. I could fill one of my Platypus bottles in a minute or two for use with a drinking tube in my pack. Then fill the Hydrapak container for camp use evening & morning.
    Is this workable?
    Wayne
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    My experience to date is strictly pumps. However, the BeFree filter is apparently much faster than the Sawyer Squeeze or Mini, why can't you just fill a 2 or 3 liter Hydrapak container and have water on demand?
    REI sells the filter alone for $25 and the 2 & 3 liter bottles for $18 & $20 respectively.
    I'm debating. I could fill one of my Platypus bottles in a minute or two for use with a drinking tube in my pack. Then fill the Hydrapak container for camp use evening & morning.
    Is this workable?
    Wayne
    It could be possible, I haven't had a hands on with the BeeFree. I do have the Mini Squeeze, and it works fine for one person on shorter trips. But I took my daughters with me on an overnight last fall and the limitations quickly became apparent. I will say that the mini would work very well as an in-line filter on a bladder.

    The BeeFree I like because of the cleaning aspect, but that also means the fibers are more exposed, so I'm curious what the durability will be, and as I mentioned the gravity feed. As of now, my next one will be the regular Squeeze just simply because it comes with pretty much all the components you need in one kit.


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  10. #10

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    I used my befree filter with great success this weekend. There really isn't much of a need to set up a gravity filter. I could filter a full 2L hydrapak in a minute or so. I ended up using a couple Gatorade bottles to go along with the seeker, the wide mouth openings made filtering a cinch. I am quite happy with this product!


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  11. #11
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Thanks TX Aggie & heatherfeather.
    I can see my 2 liter Hoser becoming obsolete.
    My dilemma now is:
    Buy the filter and either the 2 or 3 liter Hydrapack bottle?
    or
    Buy the 0.6 liter bottle + filter for drinking from the ever present streams crossing the trail and one of the larger Hydrapak bottles for camp use.
    Wayne
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    Thanks TX Aggie & heatherfeather.
    I can see my 2 liter Hoser becoming obsolete.
    My dilemma now is:
    Buy the filter and either the 2 or 3 liter Hydrapack bottle?
    or
    Buy the 0.6 liter bottle + filter for drinking from the ever present streams crossing the trail and one of the larger Hydrapak bottles for camp use.
    Wayne
    Y'all have a lot more experience with multi-day trips than I do, but I have to admit the one thing I am extremely anal about is having plenty of water. I typically keep at least 2 L just as a backup to whatever I'm drinking out of, which is why I don't ever see myself being at the forefront of the ultralight movement. I think it's from growing up in West Texas and Army deployments to really big sandboxes.

    I'll be waiting to see how the new one works out with everyone before I go ahead with the Squeeze.


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  13. #13

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    I have the 3L hydrapak/befree filter hooked directly to my bite valve through a sawyer adapter. Total weight is 4.9 ounces for everything. As a trial run, used it for a week-long hike on the Florida trail that was sketchy for easy-to-filter water sources. LOVED IT! Water pulled/flowed easily, clear and with no aftertaste.

    2 things I learned though: 1) Have a ziplock bag to dip water out of source and dump into hydrapak. Wide mouth still not very efficient for dip-n-go. 2) Tube from adapter pinches much easier due to adapter now being in back mesh of pack instead of out in the open, so had to mcgyver a pinch free tube.

  14. #14
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    TX Aggie,
    You need to backpack in southern Colorado. I was there last September. Obviously a wet year. The place was soggy.
    My favorite thing to do out there is scoop up a Sierra Cup full of cold clear water from a creek crossing the trail and down it.
    I know. I'm crazy. But I've never been sick doing that.
    I was in the upper Conejos River drainage.
    Wayne


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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    TX Aggie,
    You need to backpack in southern Colorado. I was there last September. Obviously a wet year. The place was soggy.
    My favorite thing to do out there is scoop up a Sierra Cup full of cold clear water from a creek crossing the trail and down it.
    I know. I'm crazy. But I've never been sick doing that.
    I was in the upper Conejos River drainage.
    Wayne


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    I would actually love to do that. I grew up drinking water straight from underground wells on our farm, and I'm not above dipping my hand into a stream for a drink.

    Hell, I swam in the Euphrates, how much worse can you get than that!

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by pafarmboy1 View Post
    I have the 3L hydrapak/befree filter hooked directly to my bite valve through a sawyer adapter. Total weight is 4.9 ounces for everything. As a trial run, used it for a week-long hike on the Florida trail that was sketchy for easy-to-filter water sources. LOVED IT! Water pulled/flowed easily, clear and with no aftertaste.

    2 things I learned though: 1) Have a ziplock bag to dip water out of source and dump into hydrapak. Wide mouth still not very efficient for dip-n-go. 2) Tube from adapter pinches much easier due to adapter now being in back mesh of pack instead of out in the open, so had to mcgyver a pinch free tube.
    Sweet! Like I say, I'm not married to Sawyer, so if the new one works I'm willing to try it. Can you post a pic of your setup?

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    Thanks TX Aggie & heatherfeather.
    I can see my 2 liter Hoser becoming obsolete.
    My dilemma now is:
    Buy the filter and either the 2 or 3 liter Hydrapack bottle?
    or
    Buy the 0.6 liter bottle + filter for drinking from the ever present streams crossing the trail and one of the larger Hydrapak bottles for camp use.
    Wayne
    IMHO, the 0.6 l is just way too small. If they offered a 1L version that would be worth considering. Also, if you read the thread on the befree over on BPL, there have been a couple instances of failures of the 0.6L bottle. I will say that because of the fact that the befree fits only a handful of products, it might be a good idea to carry two compatible bladders, in case one fails. I may consider doing that myself.


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  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by heatherfeather View Post
    IMHO, the 0.6 l is just way too small. If they offered a 1L version that would be worth considering. Also, if you read the thread on the befree over on BPL, there have been a couple instances of failures of the 0.6L bottle. I will say that because of the fact that the befree fits only a handful of products, it might be a good idea to carry two compatible bladders, in case one fails. I may consider doing that myself.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    +1 on the 0.6 bottle. Saw it in the store and its a joke. Best to buy the filter alone and the 2 liter hydrapak bottle. It would be nice to find a 1 liter, though. I wonder if there are any with the 42mm thread cap?


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  19. #19
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    I bought the BeFree replacement filter and a 2L Hydraflask Seeker. Used it a few times and like it quite a bit.

    The flow rate is very fast, so I just fill up the seeker at a water source and filter into my 1L water bottle from it. I can carry 2L dirty in the seeker, and 1L clean in my water bottle.

    Word of warning #1. When the filter media dries out, it will not flow water through it. On the day before your trip, fill up your seeker and screw in your BeFree and let it soak overnight or you may be left without water when you need it.

    Word of warning #2. The Hydrapak seeker imparts an unpleasant plastic taste in your water. This fades with a few uses. Or you can use Hydrapak's method from their website which is to fill the bladder with water and juice from a lemon and freeze it. When thawed, the taste is gone.

    Pros
    -fast flow rate
    -easy to clean filter
    -seeker has wide mouth and is very flexible so it makes it very easy to fill at creeks and springs
    -outlet side of BeFree filter is threaded like standard water bottles so all your female sawyer adapters work with it (so you can make it a gravity filter or an inline filter if you want to)
    -the included flip cap can be replaced with a smartwater flip cap if necessary since they are threaded the same

    Cons
    -much lower life expectancy than the sawyer (1000gal befree vs 100,000gal sawyer)
    -only works with 0.6L bottle included with the filter or 1L, 2L, 3L Hydrapak Seeker. Some of the Hydrapak softflasks are the same size opening, but I got a 750ml and it leaked all over the place

  20. #20
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by madgoat View Post
    I bought the BeFree replacement filter and a 2L Hydraflask Seeker. Used it a few times and like it quite a bit.

    The flow rate is very fast, so I just fill up the seeker at a water source and filter into my 1L water bottle from it. I can carry 2L dirty in the seeker, and 1L clean in my water bottle.

    Word of warning #1. When the filter media dries out, it will not flow water through it. On the day before your trip, fill up your seeker and screw in your BeFree and let it soak overnight or you may be left without water when you need it.

    Word of warning #2. The Hydrapak seeker imparts an unpleasant plastic taste in your water. This fades with a few uses. Or you can use Hydrapak's method from their website which is to fill the bladder with water and juice from a lemon and freeze it. When thawed, the taste is gone.

    Pros
    -fast flow rate
    -easy to clean filter
    -seeker has wide mouth and is very flexible so it makes it very easy to fill at creeks and springs
    -outlet side of BeFree filter is threaded like standard water bottles so all your female sawyer adapters work with it (so you can make it a gravity filter or an inline filter if you want to)
    -the included flip cap can be replaced with a smartwater flip cap if necessary since they are threaded the same

    Cons
    -much lower life expectancy than the sawyer (1000gal befree vs 100,000gal sawyer)
    -only works with 0.6L bottle included with the filter or 1L, 2L, 3L Hydrapak Seeker. Some of the Hydrapak softflasks are the same size opening, but I got a 750ml and it leaked all over the place
    Thanks for the good information.
    I'm sorry to hear about the 750ml bottle. The Hydrapak info claims the same 42mm thread size as the Seekers. The 1 liter Seeker doesn't exist anywhere on the internet.
    So, looks like the BeFree filter and 2 liter Seeker for me.
    Goodbye 1 pound of MSR WaterWorks!
    Wayne


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