Katadyn BeFree Upgrade! - Larger Water Bag & Gravity Filter System
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Using the Katadyn BeFree Water Filter w/ a HydraPak Seeker 2L reservoir & gravity filter tubing setup. www.sintax77.com
After a previous review of the Katadyn BeFree water filter, I discovered and acquired a compatible water reservoir bag that would increase my filtering capacity to 2L - the HydraPak Seeker collapsible water bottle (also available in a 3 liter version). The main challenge with the BeFree filter is finding a water bottle or reservoir with wide mouth 42mm threads, which the HyrdaPak has.
Link to full Blog Post: www.sintax77.co...
In the video I go over my thoughts and experiences using the Katadyn BeFree in conjunction with the HydraPak Seeker 2L and Sawyer Squeeze 64 oz Pouch as part of a gravity water filter system, as well as a stand alone squeeze style system using just the HydraPak Seeker and BeFree.
System Components Seen in the Video & Amazon Links for current pricing:
Katadyn Befree Water Filter With Hydrapak 0.6L Collapsible Flask amzn.to/2pl1ASx
Hydrapak Seeker 2L Water Storage Bag, Mammoth Grey (for dirty water) amzn.to/2pl3UZV
Sawyer Inline Adapters for Screw On Filters amzn.to/2pkZORi
1/4" Food Grade Plastic Tubing amzn.to/2q3UmS5
Sawyer Squeeze Bag - 64 oz Pouch (for clean water) amzn.to/2r0YQpI
Want to help support the channel? The next time you're about to do some shopping, go through the Amazon link on my website & a portion of your session will help support the next trip ...at no additional cost to you!
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Where do you get the blue adapters for the tubing?
I put product links for everything seen in the description. ;)
Got it, thanks. Do you know if these only fit the Sawyer/Smartwater bottle threading, or the Platypus as well?
In my experience, it fits on my Platypus as a clean water bag, but it's not a perfect seal. It works if the platypus is in a upright position, but I've seen some leaking when the bag is on it's side. For this reason, I never use my paltypus as a dirty water bag, as the untreated water could run down the outside of the hose and towards the clean water end.
I followed the link you posted for these blue adapters but the link show this kit comes with one blue adapter with internal threads and one gray adapter with external threads. Did you have to buy two of these kits to get two of the blue adapters?
I OWN THE 2L 3L AND 4L SEEKERS AND LOOOOVE THEM , BEEN USING THEM FOR A WHILE NOW , DEPENDING ON MY VENTURE DICTATES THE SIZE I TAKE , AND WITH THE ADDITION OF THE KATADYN I LOVE THEM EVEN MORE , THE COMBO HAS MADE POTABLE WATER THAT MUCH EASIER .....I DONT BOTHER WITH THE TUBE , I JUST HANG MY BAG AND SQUEEZE WHAT I NEED INTO MY COOKING/DRINKING VESSEL ......
I've been using the platypus gravity filter for years now and they usually works great but occasionally I have the air pressure issue as well. All you really have to do when that happens is release some air or just even unscrew the cap a little bit
This is one of the best gear comparison videos I've ever seen. Thanks also for letting us know about the problem with the lack of the white washers in the inline connector caps introducing air into the lines. I've been having this problem and never realized the cause until now. Sure enough, my white piece is missing.
Thanks, Brady. Glad to know I may have spared someone else from the same headache with air in the line.
Awesome video my dude! Told me everything I was searching for and more!
THANK YOU so much for posting the bit about the white washer being missing. I have a gravity sawyer system that I made (actually based off of one of your videos) and it worked great for so long, then suddenly it was slow and sucking air. I was puzzled and even replaced the squeeze. Just checked my blue adapters and 2 are missing the white washer. Planning to replace before our trip to Isle Royale. THANK YOU
+Husband_Wife_OutdoorLife That's awesome. Glad to have been able to help.
Hi I got here a couple of years late, but I got my first katadyn on order, the 1 and the 3 litre,
I'll check out your other video which i didnt know about. Have a great day and thanks for the vids.
I tried to scroll thru comments to see if this is a duplicate comment. I didn't see one, but my apologies if I"m repeating someone else. CNOC now makes a bag that fits the BeFree filter. It can be added to the list of additional water storage options for your BeFree system.
That sounds awesome, I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up!
A Millbank bag alongside a Lifestraw has allowed me to use that Lifestraw for 4 years of regular treks through the Australian wilderness, a land of murky brown water in many cases. The Millbank bag removes 99.99% of the suspended dirt that would have clogged up any filter on the market, including this BeFree...
I too have had (2) Sawyer bags fail, both on their first trip. Even after I noted Sawyers' warning, I didn't think I was squeezing 'that' hard. Alas, ditched those, now I use an Evernew Water Carry 1.5L which I dig (w/ the Sawyer Mini and Squeeze). Great vid, thanks, keeping my eyes open for a Sawyer replacement - still hate having to Squeeze w/ the current flow rate, especially gnarly on my fingers in cold/wet conditions.
+johnnythedane Couldn't make this up if I tried: Right after reading this, I went to backflush the BeFree using the Sawyer bag seen in this vid. ...and it just sprung a leak :o
Ordering. My Sawyer squeeze bag burst on my RRG trip two weeks ago, fortunately we had two. Thanks for all the info!
Good video.
Went and picked up the filter system and 3ltr bag to replace my sawyer squeeze (which will become my backup)
Still laughing at the dog which looks and acts like mine, especially in the water.
Good hiking!
Hydrapack makes excellent products. Their water bladders are, imho, superior to Camelback, both in design and materials. Mine is reversible to allow for drying and ease of cleaning. I'm surprised Hydrapack doesn't receive more attention and, in fact, this is the first time I've seen them mentioned on You Tube!
Good work on coming up with a great solution!
On thing to keep in mind is that the weight penalty is erased for the Katadyn/Hydrapak compared to the Sawyer/Sawyer when you compare complete gravity systems assuming you're using the same length of hose and the same connectors and hangcord for both. The Katadyn BeFree filter dry is 1.2 oz plus the Hydrapak 2L is 2.5 oz for 3.7 oz total. The Sawyer Squeeze filter dry is 2.4 oz and the Sawyer 64 oz bag weighs 1.25 oz for 3.65 oz total. At that point, they are almost equal. HOWEVER, the Sawyer also requires carrying the 1.6 oz syringe in the field to backwash it while the Katadyn can be backwashed without a syringe. So the Katadyn/Hyrdrapak combo comes out at 1.55 oz less and has the advantage of a faster flow rate without any of the problems the Sawyer bags suffer from.
The 3L BeFree bag looks like a good option too, especially being clear which I prefer.
Finally used this on my backpacking trip. Awesome item
Sooo, why do you need the fitting cap on the clean bag end of the tubing? I have a homemade gravity filter system. I fill the bag with dirty water and hang it from a tree in camp. On the clean end of the tubing I have a simple on/off valve. That way I can fill a pot, rinse dishes, or fill clean water bottles without ever needing the screw cap for the clean bags/bottles. This way, it'll fill any container no matter what size opening it has.
Great video... Im using the same system with filter, 2L seeker bag and two 1L hard bottles and it works great :)
Thanks for this video! It cleared up a few questions I had about this product. I also got myself a Hydrapak Seeker 2 litre water bag and the BeFree filter, but I went with the "Army" version. The 0,6 litre bag that came with the filter seems to be made of the same material as the Seeker bag and is the same color as well. I've unfortunately heard that this filter tends to clog pretty easily, so perhaps a crude pre-filter is something to consider.
Cnoc makes a bag for these now. I prefer the large mouth opening.
Same. More specifically i really like having the large opening in addition to the small opening. Large opening is awesome for easily collecting cleanish water and cleaning / drying, while the small opening is nice to be able to wrap a prefilter around when collecting scummy / silty water.
Great option
@@SCQT the prefilter is AWSOME
Awesome! I've been testing out the same system and like it so far. Really the only downside I've found is that it's kind of a pain to fill the bag from a lake.
Sintax, I gotta comment, and it’s just a little constructive criticism. I think you are a numbers guy, like I am (scientist), and I always deal with fractional digits. When a weight is given as “0.16” anything after the decimal point is read as “point one six” not as “sixteen”, as sixteen corresponds to a whole number, not a fraction.
Ok, sorry - I had to clarify because when it comes to numbers, the little details matter!
Great vids/reviews. I’ve commented many times before! Keep on Truckin’!
I 3D printed an adapter for the katadyn so it fits on a regular water bottle. If you need one yell.
Nive vid Syntax! I've got the 3 liter Hydrapak "bladder" and was looking to use it as part of a gravity system, either with a Sawyer .01 filter, or with the Katadyn filter flowing through a different .01 filter. So, filter to filter. might be overkill, but I don't care. Cheers! DonP
+lostagain Nice, I may have to check out the 3L version myself. After seeing how fast the BeFree squeezes, it might be worth the extra ounce to filter up 3 liters at a time.
i'm not a long thru hiker, but i'm considering the befree in 1L squeeze bag. watched your other vid on this too - thx / thumbed up.
It looks like too that with the larger bag and the way it's hangers are set up, you could wear it as a sling over the shoulder if you really wanted to
Timely review. Just last night I was wondering if you'd had a chance to reevaluate the BeFree. Looking forward to the performance report from your next group trip.
Got the setup to try out as a new gravity filtration method, the flow rate looks faster than sawyer and my filter is clogging now anyway. I never use the sawyer bags since the openings are so small. My current setup uses a zipper top bags (wide opening), looks like these would fill pretty easily as well.
Dammit man! Now I have to spend more money and get me one of these filters. The Sawyer Mini has been great over the years but the flow on this might be worth it.
That's fast for filtering 2 liters. I have noticed some people will lean the filtration setup to a tree for gravity. I haven't done it yet, but it would save some pack space and weight from taking the gravity hoses.
+uptrail71 I would imagine this filter would be a pretty good candidate for that. In fact, you could probably shorten the tube to a couple of inches and use a longer string to hang it. I only had the longer tube because it use to run _before_ the Sawyer, which seemed to build up pressure and make it run faster.
I think there's also a coupling that Sawyer now sells (people used to use tornado tubes to do this) to hook the filter directly up to your clean Sawyer bag, no?
Cracking review, I do like my sawyer but the befree looks handy
Thanks a lot for this great insightful video. Saved money here!
three questions, 1) are you ever going to bust out a real Cheese steak sandwich on the trail? 2) have you ever researched or tried the sidewinder caldera stove set up? 3)I have some simple nylon and parachute hammocks, looking to get a good tarp and quilt for them both before I buy a better hammock, any suggestions? Lastly thanks for all your videos. Greatly appreciated, man.
I've still not hopped onto this bandwagon because if the water bags break, they are hard to replace. You can't just pick up any regular water bottle from a supermarket and re-use it.
Not convinced that the CNOC 3L + Sawyer filter + silicone tubing combo for a gravity system can be beat. Pick any regular bottle you like.
Was wondering if anyone has tried to add a bite valve to end of hose and drink from hydrapak through the filter on the go using is as a Camelbak???
1 liter version: www.rei.com/product/116364/katadyn-befree-collapsible-water-filter-bottle-338-fl-oz
I use the CNOC bag. 2019 Vecto Water Container, 42mm, Orange (BeFree Thread) it's WAY better and easier to fill and clean.
I noticed that my local mec mountain equipment coop , here in Canada has a hanging bag option or two for the filer
Just saw this vid on BeFree by you also👍
HI. I don't see the link for the filter system link from amazon?
Wow great sales pitch im in
we need a dry bag gravity filter. 2L bags are soooo annoying camping with a large party. I want to go to the river once and have 1-2 gallons. Enough for night time & morning and toping off ppl's packs.
You could also quite easily make that 2 liter bag/filter/hose into a pack hydration bladder. I think I'm going to get this and not the Sawyer or life straw bottle.
It's like a more collapsible version of the MODL bottle. Lots of features and hanging points. The MODL has more features and accessories, but I think I'm going to get this too. Also the MODL can have the filter inside the bottle to drink or outside to filter to another container. Shower attachments and all sorts of other configurations, and made of silicone
Excellent review with great helpful information. Thanks...Abe Azar
Sintax, great follow up! Now, I've been following your channel for some time now, I have a question that's been in my mind for sometime now especially this past year with your quality improving i'd say, 110%. So, I thought I'd ask and hopefully get a response. I'll keep it simple. Where do you want to see yourself in five years with this channel? Is this something perhaps you're hoping to go full time with, after all you have the potential to be sponsored. Thanks for the videos as always!
Thanks, Hikergy. And yes, I do plan placing increasingly more focus on the quality of the videos it from here on out. I honestly can't guess what the next 5 years may bring, but I hope to be still making vids and hopefully at higher quality and creative level than today. It's what I enjoy doing most, so I'm sticking with it :)
Sintax77 .. great video. Curious, has anyone come up with a gravity system based on using Seeker2 bag for both dirty and clean water? ... finding adapters for the 42mm thread is proving to be a challenge with out resulting to a chop-job-hack
As for the weight, all combined it would weigh less than 3 .45 cartridges.
they now make a 1L and 3L in the katadyn style
Great follow up, many thanks.
So, is this really going to replace the Sawyer Squeeze? For solo trips? For group trips?
The BeFree seems to be more delicate (hence the warnings about where to grab it)... In your opinion, do you get a sense that the BeFree is really more fragile than the Sawyer? Is the flow rate enough to offset the relative fragility?
Again, thanks for spending the time, money, and effort finding these answers so the rest of us don't have to!
Happy Trails
I'm gonna go ahead guinea pig style and switch over to using it for all of my upcoming filtering needs. I suspect it will be okay, but I'll post an update regarding any mishaps or breakages, should they occur.
I switched to the befree 1L with the 2L Hydrapak bladder and love it.E: plus the bladders are guaranteed for life
can you do a be free/sawyer/sawyer mini flow rate comparison? I feel like it is something many ppl would like to see
It's probably better to simply buy a Katadyn Gravity BeFree 3.0L Water Filter, which comes with a 3 liter water bag, an integrated carry handle, two hanging attachment points, and a tube with an on/off clamp. The Katadyn 3 liter gravity water bag packs down smaller than the HydraPak Seeker 2L bag.
www.katadyn.com/us/ca/51601-8020470-katadyn-gravity-befree-3.0L_usa
Is there a way to rig the filter to the tubing, so that you could drink dirty water through the tube directly from the reservoir?
Rollerflex Food Grade Crystal Clear Vinyl Tubing, 1/4-Inch ID x 3/8-Inch OD, 10-FT . . . Would this tubing work in the same set up? Amazon price is $5.99 for 10' which is way more than i would need but a more reasonable amount than the 100' that you had a link to. Both are food grade and same diameter specifications but other than that i would not know the difference in materials between what you had linked to and this 10' piece available on Amazon.
Great info -- thanks!
if gasket up and no-gasket down -- will pipe work fine?
it have to... -- please check this way of use
Those hydrapacks have been on massdrop from time to time
Thanks for vid. Question: Aren’t you concerned about mold growing inside bag after using & storing away since there’s no way to really get all the water / moisture out of the inside of bag after using it? How do you get completely dry inside before storing it away?
I usually just prop it open with a spoon or something similar and let it sit dry before putting it into deeper storage.
sintax77 Ok ... thanks.👍
I was wondering if you had any experience with the platypus gravity system and what your thoughts are on it? Basically I need a great system really soon and although I've only used one sawyer ( I think the mini) I want something that can do a bit more water and do it faster. Thanks in advance.
Good stuff.
Apparently, Sigg bottles are 42mm thread... unfortunately, they only do solid bottles!
sourceoutdoor.com/en/bottles/22-convertube-hydration-system
Syntax, Interesting system. Did you find a source to buy the blue adapters, without having to buy the gray ones also? Thanks
+Tom Longbeard Unfortunately, no - I've only been able to find them sold in two packs. It would be awesome if they sold them separately though.
I just got one of these with the 1L bottle for a two night trip. The water tastes like formaldehyde! Gross. HydraPak recommends lemon juice to remove the taste-- it's from the bottle supposedly, not the filter. Did not realize this would be such a big issue. Taste is why I have stuck with a steripen thus far, but it doesn't filter out particulate so I was looking for something to do that. This filter seemed like a great option but I'm not sure I can use it with this much chemical taste. I put the bottle (not filter) in the freezer overnight, which is what they recommended, but it still tastes awful! I guess I'll see how it is doing tomorrow before I head to the trail but this has potential to be a dealbreaker, unfortunately.
Alys S I couldn’t get rid of the nasty taste and ditched the product.
So, I just got the BeFree like you originally got, and am contemplating getting the Hydrapak 3L bag, some of the reviews I read talk about the water tasting like plastic, did you have this issue? I really hate parting with my Sawyer Squeeze but the flow rate on this filter is hard to argue with.
+Eric Price I Somebody posted a comment mentioning that, but I've had no issues at all with my 2L Hydrapack, taste or otherwise. Maybe there's a bad batch out there? I bought mine on Amazon, for what it's worth.
Humm.. still shopping for a good gravity bag for my sawyer. One with a large opening. Jealous of the way shug scoops up water with one shot.
Look up the cnoc bag
The 28 mm fits
Has anyone ever found a step-down cap that converts Nalgene's 63mm cap size to Hydrapak's 42mm? I have an old 96 oz Nalgene Cantene (www.rei.com/product/626195/nalgene-wide-mouth-cantene-96-fl-oz) that I'd like to use for the dirty water bag. An ideal setup would be to screw the step-down adapter into the Cantene, then attach the BeFree to the 42mm half and filter the clean water into the HydraPak. I suppose I could do the reverse and gravity feed (or squeeze) the clean water into the Cantene, but I'd prefer to keep the Seeker for clean.
By the way, Sintax, I took your advice and ordered just the BeFree replacement filter since I already have a compatible 750 ml HydraPak Stash bottle. Thanks for the tip -- it saved me a few pennies.
I don't see the point in this. it seems like a slightly different approach to the Sawyer squeez/mini concept.
+Len R. It's very similar, but there are some notable differences: The flow rate is tremendously faster and the wide mouth allows much faster filling (particularly at slower moving water sources).
The increased flow rate, faster filling, and the (slight) weight savings of the Katadyn/Hyrdapak combo over a similar Sawyer setup are why I'm about to make the switch. Apart from that, the Sawyer bags suck and one has to carry the syringe to backwash the Sawyer.
massdrop has these bottles right now for 9.99
BAM!
+SHAKER242 Undisputed champ.
HA HA!
Have you looked at: www.katadyn.com/en/de/885-8019296-katadyn-base-camp-pro-10l_eu
it will be thicker ,,,,,do u want me to tell u why , may b weight 1 litre and 3 litres may b heavier .🙄👏👏👏👏👏
Today they are on massdrop for $10, 7 days left...
+TheSCWildcat33 Awesome, thanks for the heads up!
Are or have you thru-hiked the AT?
+Im Brad No, I haven't done the AT. I would love to do it some day, but don't have any immediate plans.
Total rubbish. After 3 days of use, the cap came of.
Also not made in Zwitserland, but inChina.
A poor copy of the much better Lifesaver.
$50 bucks for a filter that only last for 1000liters...sounds like a rip off