Detailed Filter Comparison | BeFree vs Versa Flow vs Aquamira vs Sawyer Squeeze, Mini, Micro
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- LINKS AND TIMESTAMPS BELOW! ⬇️
-Sawyer Squeeze: amzn.to/2Burx94
-Katadyn BeFree w/ 1L Bottle: amzn.to/2YQn4Ws
-Katadyn BeFree w/ 0.6L Bottle: bit.ly/2OkpVCj
-Katadyn BeFree (filter only): amzn.to/2BxsJbN
-Sawyer Mini: amzn.to/2Nhq1tL
-HydroBlu Versa Flow: amzn.to/37VJrhh
-Sawyer Micro: amzn.to/3dop4un
-Aquamira Frontier Max: amzn.to/2zWHSTS
-Aquamira Backcountry Cartridge: amzn.to/2CuU1jN
-Hydrapak Seeker 3L Reservoir: bit.ly/2Zp6Ll5
Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links. As a participant in affiliate programs, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
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CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Filters covered in this video
1:30 - EPA standards and certifications
2:15 - Micron rating
2:35 - What is a micron?
3:30 - Removal percentages
3:55 - Life expectancy
4:45 - Size comparison
5:05 - Weight comparison
5:45 - Overview: Katadyn BeFree
7:40 - Overview: Sawyer Mini
8:40 - Overview: Sawyer Squeeze
10:10 - Overview: Sawyer Micro Squeeze
11:00 - Overview: Aquamira Backcountry
12:25 - Overview: HydroBlu Versa Flow
13:35 - Price comparison
15:00 - Flow rate testing methods
16:30 - Flow rate testing
17:30 - Flow rate test results
19:00 - My top pick
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Развлечения
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Do you prefer to squeeze or gravity filter your water?
By the way, if you ever 3D print adapters for water filters, make sure you use some thread tape. Mine leaked like a screen door on a submarine! Thankfully I only intended to use it for this test.
GearTest.tv_Outdoors
I guess it’s gravity fill
just a standard filter
squeezing the Cnoc bag doesn’t seem to help flow rate
also can hang bag if i’m bored
Versa does both gravity fed and squeeze. Best if both worlds.
Your don't carry anything extra to clean the Versa.
You use the other end that is threaded and just back flush.
I use gravity when treating for a group but on solo hikes I just squeeze. Love my sawyer squeeze and yep just back flush with clean water pushing it back the opposite way. Great vid thanks a lot
Look how organized his background is
Wow you put in some time and work on this! Now that's how research is done! Killer work
Thanks!
@@GearTestTV Yes man! Great work!
Wish a lab test accompanied the test results
As an Engineer - you had me at the spread sheets. Thanks for doing this - great video and you obviously spent a lot of time doing the test.
For hiking, the BeFree looks best BUT from a prepper standpoint I still like the Sawyers due to the versatility of use. With various adapters it can be used for direct drinking, filling water bottles, gravity feed, or in-line filtration as well as being able to use various squeezable bottles for input. Also able to backflush and good for a LOT of gallons of purification.
Just a comment that the Be Free has an available larger bag (3L?) that is a good option for group use. DON'T do what I did - run vinegar through it for storage - I destroyed my initial Be Free filter after nominal use.
Considering the Sawyer Squeeze was a runner up and close contender, the fact that shouldn't have to be replaced must, in my view, make it come out top as it's less in the landfill and less expensive in the long run. Thanks for your excellently nerdy review!
Yeah well stated the amount o fuseage you get out of it vs the others is really the biggest seller for me to prevent so much wastage in landfills.
The last thing I am ever thinking about when I’m buying a filter is about how well it recycles and how expensive it is… I care about how well it filters and how long it lasts end of discussion
@@ZxAMobile cost is most definitely a consideration for most users. And you don't have to be eco minded to understand simply not having to worry about having to find and/or carry replacement filters is a huge plus.
@@NomadPoker1 if you remotely consider budgeting your money when it comes to your health especially in something like a water filter then you are already making a gigantic massive mistake that is irreparable and will cause you long-term anguish.
You're not willing to save money on finding a cheaper home or a better gas mileage car but you're more than willing to save every single penny when it comes to your health well then I say be my guest and enjoy your life!
@@ZxAMobile I'm not sure why you're choosing to be obtuse about this.
Assuming all other things are relatively equal, cost and ease of use are definitely factors. You're implication is that the other filters are inferior in filtering in some form and that's simply not the case. The point here is that the "squeeze" has comparable (if not better) filtering and doesn't require additional long term costs.
I'm also not sure why you're making insinuations about other's automobile/housing choices in a video about water filters. In all likelihood, I have a more efficient vehicle and home than you. My choice in water filter is completely irrelevant to those choices (other than limiting waste).
I understand the point, but it's simply illogical to make those assumptions without any information. You're being argumentative simply to be argumentative.
From the several weeks of researching I've seen on these things...
- Sawyers are rather versatile as they can be put on just about any standard bottle you can buy anywhere. So you can be out packing a big trail, come up to a little general store in some little town, and buy a bottle of pop to use with it, if your trail-bottle breaks.
- Sawyers are also good enough at filtering, that they are being used in Hungary, as like, the actual filters people use to even have drinking water.
- Sawyers may take the longest to clean, but the full process that allows for the 'lifetime' usage isn't really that hard, it just takes a little bit of extra time and care.
- Katadyns have a nice quick clean cycle, and are pretty easy to manage while on the trail. But the lack of versatility with the lid is a bit of a draw back. Bag breaks... you better hope you have a spare.
- Both Sawyers and Katadyns are susceptible to fall damage and freezing, but Katadyns are a but more resilient because of their open filter design. There's a little more give, so a sudden drop isn't AS dangerous (still check them if something happen), and it takes longer for things to break when ice expands.
- Katadyns have a pretty amazing flow-rate as a squeeze filter. lol But don't have a ton of in-line options, again because of their non-standard lid-size. Though the larger size does make it easier to fill while in the wild.
- There are certified filters meant to deal with radioactive water, but I don't think the one you pointed out has quite that good a cert. on it. And if I'm in a situation where I need THAT much filtering, I think I'd rather just curl up and let the world take me. Ain't really worth staying around at that point. lol
MY final verdict:
I actually chose both Sawyer AND Katadyn. See this whole adventure started because I wanted to update my Emergency Go-Bag; but it took me embarrassingly long to realize that a lot of backpacking supplies are perfect for such a go-bag. For emergencies that could happen any time of year, as far north as I live; that extra little give, in case of ice, won out.
But if I ever manage to get back into backpacking (or moved far enough South I don't have to worry about Winter) I'd definitely take a Sawyer along instead. Not like I'm resilient enough to do winter backpacking, so I wouldn't have to worry about freezing, and that extra versatility would come in handy on longer trails. So yeah, I like them both.
The Sawyer Squeeze is the most popular on trail by far and what I use most. No adapter needed for a smart water bottle. I suspect the longevity is irrelevant for most people, they will lose it, freeze it or trash it with seriously bag sludge long before they hit the max gallons.
I've had the same thought in regard to longevity. By the time a filter has been used for a few hundred gallons, it has likely been thrown around on the trail enough to need replacing anyway.
great work! I have seen multiple similar reviews to this one however that dont' like the Befree over long term... cross posting from another site for what it's worth. :) "Follow-up to old review: My experience has changed for the Befree. I find the Befree excellent initially but tends to become unreliable after 12 or so uses (days). Unfortunately when you have issues the water flow slows down to a slow trickle. The "swish" method of cleaning seems to be the issue for me with the Befree. An alternative, the "Saywer Squeeze", which is the same type has a way to backflush which makes their filter much more reliable. If the Katadyn Befree improved the product so it could be backflushed (at the moment it is not encouraged) it would go a long way to improve the reliability."
Guilty of freezing. Wasn't happy about that.
@@MonicaKM111
Thanks,thats really helpful 👍
@@nagaviper1169 how did you know the freezing made it fail? Did water (dirty) simply pass through at a higher rate or did you just know it had been frozen so you tossed it?
As a geek as well as an lover of the woods, videos like this really speak to me!
I wish I could give you 2 likes for buying all of these new to give a review. That's dedication. Thank you!
The effort put into this video is really appreciated
I used to be a hardcore Sawyer fanboy until I tried the BeFree. I like the BeFree better for filtering large volumes of clean-ish water and use one every day for general use. That being said, I'd still go for the Sawyer Squeeze (the original or the mini, the micro is garbage) if I was going on a long duration hike with known super dirty water. It'll last longer than the BeFree and the ability to backflush it with pressure makes sure it's cleaned out properly. At the end of the day, for the average weekend warrior, general use types, either the BeFree or the Squeeze will work just fine. Given the weight of the BeFree, I just carry a spare setup (filter and bag) or I'll carry a BeFree as my main and a Squeeze Mini as a backup, so I can screw it on the SmartWater bottle in a pinch. I don't do many far hikes where the weight is much of a concern, so carrying both isn't an issue. One last thing I can say is that those Sawyer hydro bags go right in the trash if I'm forced to buy a kit with the bag. Absolutely useless, leaky garbage.
Excellent analysis and I may try the Sawyer clone for kicks. I kind of like the double 28mm threads and hose hookups. Lot of versatility there for bladder setups.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents on it.
it would be expensive but there should be a Analysis of the unfiltered and than filtered water from every filter for comparison
One tip with regards to the sawyer squeeze. You commented that it requires additional equipment to back flush (the included plunger). If you use a flip top bottle cap, you can take it off the filter, attach it to your clean bottle and it will connect perfectly with the tube inside the clean side of the filter allowing you to back flush your filter with your clean water bottle.
I do the same with the mini and it works great. Sawyer would do well to eliminate the syringe and include one of those sports caps with their filters.
I love the Katadyn Befree filters.... Just to say that CNOC now makes 2L bags that fits the 42mm ...they are awesome. Also, if the filter clog and get slower.... The best way is to "each 5-10 trips"....at home let it sit in a glass of "demineralized water" for about 15-30 minutes... Will work like a new one. (i've been using these for years).
You mean distilled water right?
@@EddieBurke nope... i mean.. demineralized water. They are both different 😉
@@EddieBurke Distilled water is pure water obtained by distillation to remove some specific mineral salts.
Demineralized water is purified water in which all ions have been removed.
@@paddle_hike Don't want to be this guy, but if you want to « over explain » something, do some actual research. Distilled water IS demineralized water as in «no mineral in it» and of the two, is the better process. Moreover, the distillation process remove EVERYTHING from water except h2o molecule which means that it's not just « specific mineral and salts ». Of course unless, to be pedantic, you were talking about the process itself of demineralizing the water vs distilling it, yes they are different, but for the sake of restoring a filter, it would actually do a better job to get distilled water since your want to disperse the collected minerals from the filter into the water.
@@lepsycho3691 well, the info i gave of the difference between both were copied from wiki and 3 internet source which all say the same.... I've been trying both and found demineralized worked better for me... but thanks for your comment and opinion. Good to know
Perfect filter for a small simple recirculating shower. If you can drink it you can wash with it.
The issue with the Katadyn is the very limited volume of water you can filter before its done. The regular Sawyer has a much larger total volume, which would mean a lower overall cost per liter over the life of the filter.
The Sayer mini is much more versatile . it is cheap, effective and has unmatched longevity, to me makes them the king of water filtration. The only think that the katadyn has on it is flow rate, but that is at the expense of longevity. There is a warning on the Sawyer site to not use their syringe to backflush a Katadyn filter because it would damage it, lol
Great gear video.
I love the Befree and it’s easily the best filter for clean water. I live in Washington and most of our trails have clean clear water. BUT, was on the AZT last Spring and it was useless as the Befrees clog and are not as easy to clean as their instructions say.
The Sawer Squeeze is the go to when I’m dealing with water sources that are not always expected to be clear and clean, but the Befree beats the Sawyer in clean clear water!
GREAT Video. After about 75 -ish uses, my BeFree has slowed WAY down even with every possible wash and cleaning.... The bag sprung a little leak last week but that can be fixed with a little bit of superglue. Until this..,it was by far the fastest filter imaginable!!!! The Sawyer Micro slowed down after only 20uses. The Sawyer Squeeze remains steady... the BeFree is probably slower than the Sawyer Squeeze right now. I greatly appreciate using a Cnoc Vecto bag with a Sawyer...I do not like Sawyer bags.
My personal experience....
Again..,superior video!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I've used the BeFree for about 20ish gallons since this video and I've noticed some slowing as well.
I agree, great video! Excellent job of standardizing your testing. I loved my BeFree for a couple of weekend backpacking trips, but then soured on it when it irreversibly slowed down midway into a two week through hike. I've since switched to a Squeeze and it's been bulletproof. The only downside is filling the smaller diameter bags/bottles, which can be extremely difficult in my area where most water sources are trickling streams. I'm looking forward to trying it with a Cnoc when more local parks reopen.
I wonder: You can put a Sawyer bottle adapter on the outer end of a Befree filter, so with some tube and some fiddling is it possible to back flush a Befree filter? My Befree hasn’t clogged all the way up yet, and I still hope bleach can do the job, but if there is a filter that’s not much worth any more it could be worth a try.
Is there potentially bacteria biofilm causing the slow down in the fill rate? Its an exposed fibers filter. (The bee free)
My BeFree failed the integrity test after 1 year.
I've loved the BeFree, it was the fastest and lightest. I kept wondering why the majority of people are using the mini. I would be done with filtering my two liters before they would even finish with one liter. All that came to an end when we came to a really dirty water source (cattle trough), it filtered the water but the flow rate was miserable, this exposed the disadvantage of not being able to use BeFree to gravity filter. Thinking that just cleaning the filter, it'll be back to normal, like I've have done many times before. But not this case, tried everything, hot water, vinegar, soaking, pressure wash, etc. it flow rate was not the same, a bit better but not much. I thought it might be just a one off, so I bought another, same result, perform great till you come across really nasty water. Could be user error or I have really bad luck with coming across two defective units, but I can't afford being out there with an unreliable unit so I switch to the mini, slower but reliable. I hope others will say I'm doing it wrong and that the two BeFree units I used were outlier, would love to go back to BeFree.
Thank you for the info. That's priceless advice. I think I'm going to go with the MSR one. I've had and used my Mini for more than 3 years, but the syringe broke and I want to be able to draw water from puddles.
The BeFree is not the lightest if you use it with a Katadyn flexible bottle!...The Sawyer Mini is only 43g and can be used on it's own as a straw...Like that it's 20g lighter than the BeFree and flexible bottle! And the BeFree is actually the most expensive hollow fibre water filter you can buy, especially when you factor in a BeFree filter costs the same as a Sawyer Mini but it only filters 990 litres...A Sawyer Mini filters 375,000 Litres for the same money!
Just an anecdotal follow up on my filter use. I have been using Sawyer filters for about 10 years now, mainly the mini or squeeze. I had heard good things about the flow rate on the Be- free, so switched over. My first filter slowed almost immediately to about 50% after filtering a few gallons of slightly tannined water. It got worse after that and ended up with almost no flow filtering only pretty clear water. I purchased a second and got an almost identical result. I tried all the suggested ways of cleaning the filters and cleaned repeatedly. Both filters are now pretty much unusable and only will pass water if I squeeze as hard as possible, even then it takes a very long time to filter a litre. I have switched back to the good old Sawyer squeeze.
You need to pre-wet the beFree. Try it. You will notice the difference!!
@@madcat1007 👍🏾
I think someone found a pre-filter for the BeFree. Perhaps some sorta sock. Not sure.
Just had to do more than upvote to honor the effort you put into this.
Thanks for mentioning all important details to how you worked and for the raw data and the summary and all the testing.
I'm impressed. Thank you
So awesome. Thank you for tanking the time to do this. This is one of the best gear reviews I’ve seen. I have the Be Free. I was thinking about grabbing a Sawyer Squeeze and you just saved me some money. The one time purchase is intriguing but I love the flow rate on the Katadyn.
One of the best, most comprehensive gear reviews I have ever seen on RUclips.
Detailed product descriptions. Detailed observations and comments on each of the products.
Super solid comparison 👍🏻
Mate your channel is one of the best channels for gear testing you do an amazing job straight up facts without the babble and proper real to life tests keep up the good work hikers need good channels like this
Wow! So thorough! This made me happy since I’ve just switched to a Katadyn befree from a Katadyn Vario for backpacking. I’ll be using it this weekend.
Thank you for putting in the time for this video.
Very informative and a great assist in my choosing filters.
I personally will go with two different ones. Always a backup. Murphy is always lurking over my shoulder...
FYI, you don't need to carry the extra plunger to backflush the sawyer. If your hiking, you can backflush with a sport cap on your other water bottle :)
Excellent - thank you for the extensive testing! Very useful information, and saves the rest of us so much time agonizing over which to use!
Sweet, thats the best comparison on the internet ! Thanks !
This was a very informative and needed video. I've been trying to find a replacement for my Sawyer Mini. I watched a video this week where the amazing Dan Becker described why he chooses the Katadyn BeFree and then today I came across the Aquamira Frontier Max.
Your video sealed the deal for me. Katadyn it is!
Thanks You
Thank you for your time you put together into this and you presented everything very well! I've been looking at what is available and if I was to move away from the sawyer mini.
You rock... great video. I have also “loosely” tested 4 of the filters and my conclusion is the same. BeFree! One variable rarely mentioned... the larger mouth of the bag on the BeFree makes also easier to gather water.
Great controlled test for purposes of picking a filter for backpacking! Thanks
I've used the Sawyer Squeeze for 3 seasons now. Got it for $22 at walmart of all places. Buying the male to male coupler is a MUST for ease of use. It makes your back flush way more powerful as well. On one of the included bags, I put some cord to hang it and red tape on it to mark dirty water only. With the adapter on the clean side, it can flow right into a soda bottle or my platypus bladder in my pack. 🐻
Super great vid!!
The testing and data gathered from it is so cool to see! New sub
Thank you I have been looking for a replacement for my Katadyne pump and have really landed on a Sawyer squeeze. I am a backcountry canoe camper so weight not quite the same challenge. This video is both thoughtful and useful so thank you. I am getting the 2 gallon bag for base camp party trips and and squeeze bag for solo trips.
Great tests! Love the graphs. Well done!
Another important point that should be understood about the 0.1 micron holes in these hollow fiber membrane filters. Sawyer states theirs has an absolute rather than an average of 0.1 micron. That means all holes are the same size whereas others only average the 0.1 size which is important for quality of the filtering.
Nope. An absolute filter rating says that no particle bigger than that size will pass the filter, to use your language, all the holes are 0.1 micron or below. Those which quote an average value are saying there are a spread of pore sizes of which the mean / average is 0.1 microns. You should always expect to remove more solids with an absolute rated vs. an average pore size filter.
@@thewestonfront I see no difference between what he said and what you said. What part of his comment did you object to?
@@thewestonfront that's what he said
I'm on my way to Africa for a year and purchased a Mini but after watching your video I am going to buy a BeFree and return the Mini. Your video was excellent, easy to understand, and the graphics were fantastic. Excellent job on this video...one of the best I have ever seen.
I like your solution for a consistent squeeze!
Thanks for the awesome test. Just about to head out to buy my filter.
Had many of those but the be free is my favorite. The input opening is no big deal because I’ve always used a dirty bag to fill bottles. I did purchase a sock like filter cover for silty situations for about $7 and that cuts the flow rate almost in half but still as good as my Sawyers after a few days use. Really fine job, thanks.
Thank you for an incredible comparison test. I think the BeFree has more limited options since you pretty much have to only use the Katadyn bottle with it and most people don't have one. The other options have multiple user options - everyone can use it with their own inexpensive personal bottle.
Wow, great testing. Until now I’ve just carried all my water needs from reliable sources. But I now have a great understanding and am ready to make the leap.
I really appreciate this video. I am 56 and I have spinal stenosis so I can only carry 25Lbs or less, I’m also fairly new to backpacking (5 years) so I’m having trouble deciding on a water filter. This video helps a lot 🌟👍
This is an amazing video, great work and great research! Thank you for your hard work!
Good thorough review. I own the Mini, Micro, Squeeze, and the BeFree. I usually use the Squeeze. May start using the BeFree more.
The Katadyn befree can also be screwed on to a Hydrapak Seeker colaspable bottle that is similar to the befree bottle and the Hydrapak has a kit with a top that has a quick connect and shower head. Pretty cool.
Excellent comparison review with great controls!!
Thanks for sharing this
We think that sticking with the Sawyer Squeeze is still the best for us, and we especially like that it's readily available at most Walmart stores for like $29.98.
Awesome video with a lot of great data. I had heard some good things about the HydroBlu VersaFlow, but you don’t usually see them included in comparisons.
Amazing review! Thanks for all this data.
Impressive, very scientific. Thanks for all of the work! I have been a Sawyer Mini user. I just got the BeFree. Great flow but I am concerned with long term flow with its cleaning process. I think the Squeeze might be my long term choice, but the BeFree is impressive for day hikes or solo overnights. I like the gravity feature when the group is big.
Truly appreciate the time you put into this. I have been using the BeFree on several trips, no issues thus far. And because they are so light, I carry a second one, just in case of some sort of failure.
How do you store it between trips?
Great job and love the timestamps. When I saw those I clicked subscribe.
The mini sawyer is my favorite and it seems to be in the middle which I like. My go to water filtration setup is the Grayl water filter. Easy/fast and gets the job done. Hands down the best on the go.👍🍻
Thank you for doing these videos. I love the analysis.
Thank you! You putted so much effort in this.
Excellent review...! This was very helpful as I am looking to continue my filter evolution. I started with a MSR pump style ➡️ then Squeeze ➡️ then the Mini ➡️ and now the Micro for the past 2 yrs. I’ve had the BeFree in my hand a couple of times and think I will convert to it after frustration with flow rate of the Micro.
Thank you for the detailed review... probably the best I’ve watched.
JBH🇺🇸
This reminds me of a comparison video i saw of unlocking rusted bolts with different products where the guy rusted a load of bolts into nuts on a bench to test. Fair play, nice to have people do this kind of thing. I would be interested to see the Salomon filter vs the Befree, it looks similar but its available a good bit cheaper.
Your review and information is one of the best, thank you very much, you just saved me a lot of time!!
Wow nice comparison.you did great and I am very happy with it ! Thanks very much !
Excellent review! You put in the work on this one.
Sawyer mini for me. The bag burst quick but a rolled up plastic bottle does fine. I don't bother taking the syringe and just clean on return. Small light and does the job.
Thanks a lot for the thorough research, very helpful
If I was just going for performance, the Be Free might have won me over. But, Sawyer's commitment to giving it water filters around the world has me choosing them.
Good work, there's some real thought fine into producing that video. Really informative and impartial viewpoints. Thankyou!
Excellent comparison!
I stick with my Sawyer point One for years now, it never failed on me.
which model
Very nice detailed and thorough presentation. Lots of work and analysis of results. This topic is big. I keep researching myself. Bought a Sawyer Squeeze only because of the 28 mm thread adaptability to most smart water bottles and because the cleaning and fragility of the Katadyne left me skeptical.
Just today online I saw a new filter that might have promise, and I bought it because it was on sale for 15 dollars. I am eager to compare this Waterdrop Water Straw with the Sawyer Squeeze. It too can screw onto a smart water bottle and has the ability for gravity filling. The gravity bladder is sold out and adds cost. It comes with the Water Filter Straw (which 7 inches long and 1.4 inches wide (weight is not listed)), a 1 liter collapsible bottle with flip top, and a flip top cap you can put on the cylindrical filter itself. The cylinder has a pre filter membrane, a section of hollow fibers at 0.1 microns, a section of activated carbon (that is what sold me to try it), and a post filter membrane. The pre and post filter membranes can each detach and be cleaned of debris. The rest of the cylinder can be flushed. You also can put the filter directly into the stream or pond and drink directly (like a straw) from the source.
I would say your ‘Nerdy water filter comparison’ very was excellent and very well presented.😀
Although under 20 minutes duration, it must have taken several hours to make .. well done🥇
I want to get back into wild camping after a break of over 12 years, so want to get a filter. The Sawyer Mini does seem quite popular .. maybe because it is cheap.
Regards from The UK
Idk why people keep referencing to drinking dirty water. First off you should never purposely try drinking dirty mucky water. Can you? Yes probably as a last minute absolute emergency device but you likely won’t be able to unclog it. If your using these for camping and what not you should always be trying to find the cleanest water you can. Try not to drink from shallow water or near the edges of lakes/ponds/rivers. The farther out towards the center of any mass of water will always be the cleanest. These are designed to stop bacteria, not designed to stop dirt, it will stop dirt but with consequence
I take it that they are just meaning any water that's iffy. Not specifically dirty as in 'muddy'.
@@7drunkenmermaids431 if your left with muddy water you should always try to filter it first, either use a tshirt or some other cloth you have on you, wrap it tightly around the lid of the bottle and submerge it. Never try to filter visibly muddy water with a nano filter. It will instantly clog and be next to impossible to clean out for use again. These filters are designed to be remove bacteria from clear water
Love the comparisons and numbers! Very detailed :)
I’ve consistently been using a sawyer mini in a homemade gravity filter system for the past four years. Primarily because of the low cost, but when I set it up as a gravity filter I found that by the time I set up camp all my water was filtered!
Thinking one day I’d love to try the be free though
Thanks for watching! I used the Mini as a gravity filter for several years. It was never an issue at camp, but it was a little too slow if I wanted to stop for water during the day. Great filter for the money though!
Suzanne Ng want a nice hack....bring a 3ft length of rubber tubing that fits over the end of the Sawyers output, and then gravity feed it. It speeds up the flow by a factor of 4! I bring it when we have a group and can filter one liter every 30 seconds. The hardest part is keeping the dirty bag supplied with dirty water. Lol check out some RUclips clips on it.
Wow such an amazing job, tests and comparison. Great.💪💪😉😉🍻🍻
Super comparison! Thank you. I would add that the bottles the Be Free fit on (Hydrapak and Be Free) are all a soft and very flexible plastic. This is nice, but it also imparts a plastic flavor, unlike the Sawyer or Smart Water bottles. Some people, who are really sensitive to plastic flavor (me), just can’t get past it.
fantastic, so thorough, thank you, I'm impressed! All this to say in Ukraine in Carpathians we just drink water straight from the streams and it's simpler in many ways, I do though own sawyer mini and later got Be free in case we would be force to use puddle water but I must confessed so far (last 17 years of hiking) it's never been used :)
Thanks for the thorough testing! I've got a sawyer mini, but I ordered a BeFree just the other day. The Sawyer mini works well, when in-line with a gravity bag at camp and you aren't in a hurry. The BeFree is great for a speedy resupply while on the move.
I've carried a mini for day hike resupply but recently got into backpacking and have a larger water demand. Since it has been two years, are you still happy with the Sawyer? I'm afraid if I test out my friend's BeFree I will never want to go back to the mini (with 16oz bag) haha
Yes great info..even for a non techy gran who wants a filter for her rented town apartment as well as camping ! !!! thank you
Thank you for your efforts!!
I had the katadyne be free. however, cold water from streams warmed too quickly in the summer. Also the bag could not be stored in my pack with the filter. It broke at the seam near the top. I would suggest you pack the bag and the filter separately. If you're out too long and something happens you have no more filter.
I am going back to the Sawyer because of how much water it will filter, and it's sturdy
I have a Sawyer squeeze and I love it. I use to have a Katadyn gravity system and that thing clogged really fast and even after backflushing it would clog after the first use. Haven't had a problem with the squeeze in the past couple of years.
Good to know!
Blinded me with science!! :-) Awesome testing....
Hands down the best testing methodology I've seen on RUclips. I was about to pull the trigger on one product in your lineup, but your research changed my decision. Thank you!
I'm loving your content. It's so consumer oriented, but we'll educated. You've found a great balance of the 2.
Wow! That's thorough work. Thanks
Thanks so much for taking so much time to give a detailed, scientific test.
Dude!! I should have found your channel earlier. You do these reviews the way I THINK to do them but can't do very well. I did a Versaflow vs Squeeze comparison and if I'd seen your video beforehand... i probably wouldn't have wasted my time!! Nice job!!
Really good presentation and overall review. A lot of youtube channels should take note of this and how to do a quantitative review/comparison.
I have been part of two organizations that have used thenSawyer squeeze around the world to provide clean water to remote villages that are drinking dirty water. These filters have filtered gallons of water everyday for over a decade, so they will filter a LOT of water when properly maintained.
Thank you for going to all of that trouble for us. I really appreciate it, and it’s very useful information. God bless you. John
Glad to hear that! Thank you!
Thank you for all of that work and data.
Excellent video. This is the most comprehensive filter test I have seen. If the Katadyn would fit standard water bottles I would choose it. However, since it doesn't I'll stick with the Sawyer squeeze. Question: When you talk about "hose" what type of hose and what size do you mean? Thanks for sharing.
Doing the lord’s work!
*Very useful test.* _Thank you_
Informative and well done !
Great thorough video.
Great and thorough review!!
“So this is too large to fit on a standard smart water bottle”
*pause*
“unless you 3D-print an adapter”
😂😂😂
At first I thought it was hilarious because of your hesitance in showing your geekiness. The rest of the video showed how wrong I was. Loved this video.
Fantastic analysis. Thank you!
Great job man!
That took a lot of effort ! Thank you for the info
Nice vid bro, high quality