BeFree

Fills their BeFree and leaves it upside down the night before a trip and gets perfect flow every time.

Likes the 2.3 oz BeFree 1 L because it doubles as an extra vessel, giving 3 L for camp with two Smartwater bottles.

Keeps their BeFree with its 0.6 L bag in a shoulder pocket and drinks from it without removing it.

Their BeFree is fully compatible with two 750 ml Hydrapak soft flasks on their shoulder straps, letting them switch it between flasks.

Has used their BeFree on beaver-pond water and never been sick.

Stores their BeFree with water in the bottle and finds it runs faster on trail than their wife's, which she dries out.

Likes their BeFree with a 2 L Hydrapak; it clogged once, which they attribute to improper storage.

Finds their BeFree pretty good with pre-filtering and maintenance, replacing the cartridge about once a year since it never survives winter storage.

A big fan of the BeFree backpacking in Arizona and Utah; with flocculation and proper care their current filter still has a great flow rate.

Their BeFree has been great for relatively clean sources.

Their BeFree works fine after a couple of years, though after a long break it needs an overnight soak.

Finds the BeFree fine as long as they strain debris through a buff first.

Their original BeFree bag and a replacement Seeker both developed pinhole leaks after about 21 days and 100 L each.

Prefers the BeFree for its large bag mouth, short stem and easy cleaning; they punctured the bag only once and fixed it with super glue.

Their BeFree bag got a couple of holes on its first trip.

Their BeFree slowed after terrible water, but overnight bleach then vinegar soaks, as Katadyn advised, made it as good as new.

Used a prefilter on their 1 L BeFree; the fit is tight, and they had flow issues after about a week on trail.

Their year-old BeFree, used regularly, still flows as well as on day one.

Every BeFree cartridge they have had fails the blow-back test after about 30 days of solo use, but their original 1 L bag has no leaks after three or four years.

In two years with their BeFree they always pre-soak, shake-clean on the go and dry it for storage; forgetting the pre-soak once left it barely working.

Still on the same BeFree in its third season; it only slowed with fine glacial debris and a shake cleared it.

Ditched their Sawyer for the BeFree two years ago and never looked back, accepting periodic cartridge replacement.

Using the BeFree with Hydrapak soft flasks while running has been amazing with frequent water.

Their BeFree bladder sprang multiple pinhole leaks and seam leaks on the JMT, so they switched to the Squeeze.

Has two BeFrees, a 750 ml and a 1 L, that have lasted for a lot of water filtering.

On a 100-mile hike their companion's Sawyer Mini failed on day two and three of them shared their BeFree for the rest of the hike without issue.

On a thru-hike, swishing and shaking their BeFree isn't restoring the original flow, but they'd rather replace cartridges than carry a Sawyer.

Finds shaking their BeFree with clear water restores flow better than swishing in a source.

Takes their Katadyn BeFree on every trip without farm-runoff risk, and as a light backup to their Grayl.

Has used the BeFree for years, but its bottle has developed pinpoint holes twice.

Has had fewer issues with the BeFree in questionable water than with Sawyer or MSR, holding up in horrid ponds on the Superior Hiking Trail.

Loves their BeFree with a Hydrapak bag and it has worked well, though the flip cap gets in the way.

Their BeFree with a CNOC 2 L bag is a great setup.

Never had any problems with their BeFree bag in a year of weekend trips.

Their 600 ml BeFree bag got a pinhole they sealed with superglue and also leaks a little at the thread.

On a Lost Coast thru-hike their BeFree showed no slowdown after two days while the Sawyer Mini was as slow as ever, and they love it.

On a long section hike they wish they had brought their Sawyer instead of the BeFree to filter straight from Smartwater bottles.

It usually takes 6-12 hours of soaking for their BeFree to run smoothly again after long-term storage.

Restored their BeFree to normal flow after dry storage by soaking it in a 5% citric acid solution.

Got stuck on trail once with their BeFree not working; now they wash it thoroughly after trips and pre-soak it for 24 hours.

Has had a few pinhole leaks in their BeFrees and patches them with Aquaseal or Tenacious Tape.

Found a pinhole in their BeFree bottle; duct tape didn't work in the field but Aquaseal repaired it well.

Their BeFree bottle failed, and Katadyn sent them a new one for free, no questions asked.

Has had no issues with the BeFree's own bottles and finds the filter seriously great.

Loves their BeFree with a 2 L Seeker and finds it much better than the Sawyer Squeeze.

Has been using the BeFree with a 2 L Seeker since the start of the year; it works great and filters fairly quickly.

Used the BeFree as their primary filter on a five-day solo trip and it worked fine; the backup tablets weren't needed.

Has filtered 6-7 L with their BeFree for a dry camp and found it tedious but bearable.

Loves their BeFree; a pinhole a month ago was fixed with one drop of super glue.

After 3+ months unused their BeFree won't flow immediately, but after sitting filled for about 20 minutes it flows like new.

After their Sawyer cracked during a trip they switched to the Katadyn BeFree and never looked back.

Fills their 1 L BeFree to drink on the go in the PNW, carrying a separate bottle for camp water.

Just uses the BeFree's included soft flask; its wide mouth makes gathering water much quicker and it weighs only 0.83 oz.

Their BeFree has never clogged in at least 20 trips and runs like day one.

Owns two BeFrees that both slowed, and dilute vinegar has restored them every time without damage.

Their BeFree bottle developed a pin-sized hole after only a handful of uses over a few months.

Has both a BeFree and a Squeeze but grabs the BeFree 90% of the time, using it with a CNOC bag that scoops easily and clicks into their reservoir.

Used the BeFree as their only water treatment on the South Island of the Te Araroa and it worked flawlessly.

Their BeFree lasted about 600 miles, including foolishly filtering Escalante River water.

Uses the BeFree because they found it more robust; their Squeeze bag tore near the top.

Has had their BeFree about a year, using the small flask on bike rides, runs and fly fishing to scoop and drink straight from streams.

Water from their BeFree still tastes terrible after running water through it many times.

Has used the BeFree for years, simply drying it at the end of the season, and never had an issue.

Having used pens, pumps, Sawyers and Platypus setups over the years, finds it very hard to beat something like a BeFree.

Has had their BeFree a few months, about 20 trail days on mountain springs, with no flow issues, swishing only every few days.

Calls the BeFree the best individual water filter they have had, of many.

Their dry BeFree wouldn't pass water on a day hike until it had soaked a couple of hours, after which it worked again.

Runs their BeFree in-line with Platypus and Sawyer hose adapters and finds 2-3 feet of hose really improves the flow rate.

Their biggest gripe with the BeFree is its unique Hydrapak threading with no compatible caps, which is why they switched back to a Sawyer Squeeze.

Loves it on backpacking and bikepacking trips, but punctured two of the 0.6 L soft flasks and moved to a thicker aftermarket 2 L bladder.

“I've used the BeFree on backpacking and bikepacking trips and absolutely love it! I did have issues puncturing the .6Liter bladder/bottle it came with”

Carries a 1 L BeFree with two Smartwater bottles and finds it more than enough for the Sierra, letting them carry less water.

Accidentally froze their last BeFree and had no issues on many later outings to Algonquin and Frontenac.

Has been using a BeFree for over a year, still carrying 1.5 L Smartwater bottles for convenience.

On their scale the 1 L BeFree system weighs less than a Squeeze plus a 1 L Smartwater bottle, and it is cheaper too.

Loves their BeFree on weekend trips, rinsing it well with deionized water between trips.

Still uses the BeFree, swapping its 0.6 L bottle for a larger Hydrapak flask; the internal filter doesn't snag and stays protected.

Loves their BeFree but hates the Hydrapak bottles, which have a plasticky taste and smell they can't get rid of.

Their BeFree served them well through at least 1,000 miles.

Has to soak their BeFree overnight before a trip, after which it returns to its original flow.

Uses the BeFree with a 1 L HydraPak bottle clipped to their pack, usually drinking straight from the filter.

Used a BeFree for a bit and it failed on them, so they went back to Sawyer.

New out of the box the BeFree's flow and convenience are hard to beat; with frequent water sources they just scoop and drink.

Loves their BeFree filter and bottle: easy, convenient and it just works, with no extra parts to track.

Soaks their BeFree in a cup of water the day before a trip and finds the flow returns pretty quickly.

A long-time Sawyer user who switched to a Katadyn BeFree, which is lasting longer; they were tired of replacing filters every year.

Their BeFree just needs a soak: they store it with water in the bag overnight before a trip and it is good to go.

Went to the BeFree after Sawyer O-rings drove them crazy and has been happy on one-week trips, cleaning it after each section.

Their BeFree did not even last one full season.

Found their Sawyer Mini painfully slow, tried the BeFree once and never looked back.

On 5+ day Sierra trips with abundant water they bring a 1 L Nalgene and a 0.6 L BeFree and have never had a problem with the bag.

Used a BeFree for a little over 1,800 miles of the PCT and will never go back to a Sawyer.

Their BeFree failed its integrity test badly before a trip even though it had tested fine a few weeks earlier, and they say this is the second or third time it has happened.

Their BeFree also failed its test; they prefer their QuickDraw overall, though the BeFree is nice for trail running.

Their BeFree failed the integrity test after fairly minimal use and careful storage.

Has had the same BeFree for four or five years and it is totally fine; they run diluted bleach through it before storing it damp and have never had a clog.

Their first BeFree slowed after at most about 150 L, roughly 30 days of backcountry use over four years, despite cleaning it after each trip, so they replaced it.

Prefers the BeFree over every other filter they have tried; they presoak it before trips, and their first filter lasted six to seven years with no problems.

Has never had a BeFree fail an integrity test while using them extensively below freezing in Montana winters, and storing them wet has stopped mid-life clogging.

Has a BeFree about five years old with close to 100 L through it that still works well enough as long as they presoak it.

Has both a Sawyer and a (non-AC) BeFree, and uses the BeFree solo on shorter overnights and day hikes, where they enjoy having it.

Their Katadyn BeFree without charcoal always tastes fine even on some pretty rough water; it has been great and they bought a second one as a backup.

Has had their BeFree since March with no slowdowns through multiple trips; mostly clear sources, but the filter has been nothing but fantastic.

Backflushes their BeFree with a vinegar solution and the flow returns, but would not take it anywhere without clear water or for longer than a week.

Got maybe 60 days of heavy AT use out of their BeFree before feeling the need to replace it, by then at about regular Squeeze flow.

Switched to a BeFree after seeing how well a friend's worked on a trip; with only a half dozen trips a year the convenience wins out.

An avid fan of the BeFree who has replaced it once, but its proprietary bottle thread may get them to switch eventually.

Their Katadyn BeFree has never failed, especially kept wet; they have used their first filter on perhaps a dozen trips without issue.

The Sawyer Squeeze was their go-to for years, but they switched to the BeFree and have been very happy with it; it is now their go-to.

Loves their BeFree and has used it heavily since it came out with no problems; filter plus 1 L bottle weigh 1.9 oz.

Has used Sawyer filters extensively and used the BeFree on one six-day trip, and was blown away by how good it is.

Their BeFrees are not bulletproof, failing only when frozen, but they like the filter so much more than the Sawyer that they put up with the bags.

Their BeFree with a Hydrapak Seeker has been on many two-to-four-day hikes and is still relatively free-flowing, though a bit slower than new.

Their only BeFree failure has been a pinhole leak in the bladder, which happened sooner than they expected.

Used a BeFree on their recent long trail thru-hike and enjoyed it more than the regular Sawyer their girlfriend carried.

The BeFree is their favorite filter and they have recommended it to friends, but the Hydrapak-made bladder has twice been faulty, so they are now looking at more reliable options.

The bladder on their BeFree developed a pinhole on its first trip and leaked the whole trip despite a tape patch; incredibly disappointing.

Apart from slow flow until the filter wets through after dry storage, they have been super happy with their BeFree: just like drinking from a bottle, no fuss.

Their BeFree stopped flowing after they ran tap water through it, but soaking it in river water fixed it; on trips they let it sit 15 minutes and it works just fine.

Their BeFree failed Katadyn's blow-back integrity test after three weeks in South America, and their girlfriend's bottle sprang a leak.

Has not had an issue with their BeFree, even after months dried out; a presoak with a few drops of vinegar before a trip gets it working fine.

Has used both the Sawyer Squeeze and the BeFree and says it is close, but the BeFree is the one for them; the biggest issue is life expectancy.

Has had both and prefers the BeFree: much easier to use and fill with its wide neck, and quite durable despite looking flimsy.

Their Katadyn BeFree 3 L system also gave the water a very strong plastic taste from the first use.

Uses the BeFree as their primary filter; for them ease of use matters more than flow, and the BeFree wins out of the box: scoop water and drink.

Is pretty sure both of their BeFrees started letting unfiltered water through.