Katadyn Gravity BeFree Water Filtration System - 3 Liters
Let gravity do the work when you need clean drinking water. With the Katadyn Gravity BeFree 3.0L microfilter, you can drink directly from the reservoir or easily fill a bottle or another reservoir.
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- 0.1 micron microfilter is tested to protect against harmful organisms; it removes 99.99% of protozoa and 99.9999% of bacteria to EPA standards
- Compared to the standard BeFree 3L filter, this filter includes a convenient output hose that lets you quickly fill water bottles and hydration systems
- Output hose has quick-connect, hydration-pack adapters for hands-free filling of hydration bladders
- Quick-release cap with auto shutoff for easy filling without hoses and fast output hose attachment
- Easily hang the durable and collapsible 3-liter HydraPak reservoir with the integrated bail handle and carry loop/hang strap with clips
- Filters up to 2 liters per minute
- 42mm, wide-mouth opening makes for easy filling from a lake, stream or faucet
- Simply shake or swish the EZ-Clean membrane to remove debris
- Tested up to 1,000 liters; individual results will depend on water quality
- Also included is a carry bag and separate bag for the outlet hose to keep it clean and avoid cross-contamination
- Made with BPA-free materials
Imported.
View the Katadyn BeFree Product LineView all Katadyn Gravity Water Filters| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Filter Type | Gravity |
| Filter Medium | Hollow fiber |
| Removes/Destroys | Protozoa And Bacteria |
| Output | 2 liters per minute |
| Housing Material | Thermoplastic polyurethane |
| BPA Free | Yes |
| Field Cleanable | Yes |
| Dimensions | 15.2 x 9.1 inches |
| Weight | 6.8 ounces |
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Worse than the 1L Katadyn filter.
This 3L Katadyn filter is worse than the 1L Katadyn filter. Why? The 1L one came with a smart water bottle cap to help prevent cross contamination before you wipe down the pouch and while in storage or in your bag. The 3L one came with a quick connect for the hose, which is nice, but doesn't protect the clean side from the dirty side while in storage or while in your bag. Must be a design oversight because even in the instruction manual they tell you to keep dirty water out of the quick disconnect port on the filter. One solution to this is to save a few bottle caps (whether from Smart Water Bottles, or in my case, from a bottle of ITO EN Tea) to cover the clean side and only remove it and put back on the quick disconnect when the bag is clean and dry, and also use it when in storage or in your bag to prevent cross contamination. Katadyn really should have supplied a stopper for the quick disconnect or a regular Smart Water Bottle cap to help with possible cross contamination. I'm not using this 3L filter in the backcountry, but using it for car camping so our family can pull water from streams to refill our jugs of handwashing water, clean dishes, and maybe use it as a makeshift shower hanging from our SUV. One last complaint is the hose pouch they supplied with the hose ripped right out of the box, had to grave a Ziploc bag to store the hose in. Overall somewhat disappointed in Katadyn because for the price, I shouldn't have to mess around like this to get it to work properly without the risk of cross contamination. As for the filter, I don't doubt it works great! I've used my 1L Katadyn filter for many years on hikes when I didn't feel like carrying a lot of water, and I knew there will be fresh water sources that are accessible. I've used this at Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite, and various other places. I never got sick from it, it never clogged, and the water taste great (I wouldn't keep it in the pouch for too long as it will impart a plastic flavour to your water). What I suggest you do is fill up water from your water source and immediately filter into a Nalgene or reservoir of choice as water that stays in the Hydrapak pouch for too long will get a plastic flavour. This filter works way better than the Sawyer. I had 2 Sawyer filters clog up on me after I backflushed it with tap water and let it dry for storage. Those 2 Sawyer filters never allowed any water through no matter which direction I tried to force it through after that (our city water is very hard, and we didn't soften the water back then). The Katadyn never failed me yet!
Put my mind at ease
I loved having this on our last trip. Easy to use and clean. The simple clasp that stops the file of water worked so well, it was like having a faucet. I was happy knowing that the water we were drinking was really safe (alpine river water). My one gripe is that the plastic carabiners are really flimsy and one of ours snapped and broke the first time I filled the bladder and carried it over my shoulder back to my campsite. Luckily I had duct tape and it was fine to just have one side of the strap that was detachable. But I’d recommend making that component a bit sturdier. This pic is from earlier in the day.
Great product
Just got home from a 4 day backpack with my son and 6 year old granddaughter, using our newly purchased Katadyn Gravity BeFree filter system. Despite some reviews complaining of a plastic taste in the water, we experience none. The product did have a strong smell out of the box, but an overnight airing before use took care of that. The water tasted better than the post hike treated water we got at Sunrise Visitors Center in Mt. Rainier. The filter worked great and was easy to clean after the hike. It is a great improvement to our backpacking experience.
Great unit until replacement filter is needed
Love the BeFree! I carry the 1 liter & the 3 liter for my (2) AT thru hikes. 1 liter is great for use during the hiking day. When at camp I fill the 1 & the 3, ideal camp water situation. Only reason for the 4 star instead of 5 is the fact that the awesome feed tube/filter on the 3 liter is non-replaceable. By this I mean you can not purchase the replacement filter that has the connection for the feed tube. You can only purchase the standard filter used for the 1 liter but now you have no awesome gravity tube after replacement. The difference in arm/shoulder fatigue is worth noting. This is my second 3 liter purchase only due to wanting/needing a new filter with gravity tube for this years hike
Perfect at First… Then Garbage!
I used this filter and another similar one while climbing Mount Olympus on the Hoh River. Worked perfectly! Then used it on the Mountaineers Route up Whitney/Russell. So far so good. Folks even desired it for themselves. What they didn’t know is when I took it up Shuksan, it did not work at all. Thankfully others had filters. I took it home and thoroughly cleaned it, following instructions and videos. Just took it up Old Snowy, and it did not filter any water at all. If we didn’t have a stove to boil water, the trip would have been cancelled. I will return this for a pump filter, and this will be a discontinued model, mark my words.
Merky Waters
I've used it throughout my trip to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, and Annapurna Base Camp. The filter worked well when filtering crystal clear mountain water with no sediments, as advertised. But it struggled filtering merky waters with sediments and has never been the same since. The gravity free flow was great during the first two weeks of use, but after that and after constant rinsing, it just trickles. Would like to see this product go head to head with the sawyer filter forsure, not just with clear water, but with sediments as well to truly test the longevity of both highly touted products. Durable, quality product that lacks longevity in merky waters...
Terrible performance in the BWCA
I wanted to love this filter. It’s light and easy but it simply doesn’t work with the tannins in NE Minnesota waters. I bought the first filter in 2019. Cleaned it up after a trek on the Superior Hiking Trail. I mistakenly didn’t test it before heading out to the BWCA the following month. We were in a bit of a panic when we found it barely trickled. As we continued to push water through it the filter loosened up, but never had a respectable flow. Having such great reviews, I thought I had a lemon and grabbed a brand new one for 2020s backcountry trips. Two days into a BWCA backpacking trip we had the same issues. We came home, soaked it in vinegar and the flow improved a bit. On the third day of our most recent BWCA canoe trip we retired this filter forever and solely used our homemade gravity filter made with a sawyer mini, 3 liter cnoc bag, and hose from the hardware store. Total game changer. Full price of this filter was $70. Our homemade concoction was less around $45. Save your money and stress less about filtering water.
BeFree Water Filter
I got this instead of a sawyer squeeze because last year on the trail we spent so much time squeezing water into our bladders. I used a quick release modification on my bladder and now I can refill without removing my bladder and no squeezing in under 2 min. I am so excited to have all that extra time on the trail to do other things. I use it now to refill my bladder even at home when I’m just going on a hike with the kids because it is so much easier than removing my bladder and filling it.
Great for group backpacking trips
I got this water filter before a memorial day trip over to Olympic National Park and intended to use it as the sole water filter for 4 of us. It performed surprisingly well. It was easy to fill up in the river, although, I could see it being a little finicky in slower/lower rivers/creeks. All in all though, it was blazing fast in comparison to most any other options and it requires virtually no work to get water quickly. We were filling up about 11 liters worth of water in well under 10 mins. All in all, I think as long as you follow the care instructions for the filter itself and be gentle with it, the product will do great. It's really nice filling all your water containers up and then having 3 more liters ready to roll when you wake in the morning.
Great filter & how to revive its flow
So I've had this filter for 3 yrs now & have used it multiple times either for long day hikes or backpacking trips. The first few times I used it, the filtering was quite fast and then in the most recent years it did slow down. I did the swishy water thing to help clear it, but it didn't help much. What I did find for it to work much better, before I leave out for my trip, I rinse it in warm water & pack it away ( don't let it dry). Since I've been doing this it has worked like it originally did. Also for those times I can't hang it to filter, I stand & loop the strap around my neck, filter water in a Nalgene placed between my feet, then transfer to a bladder. I love using this filter while at camp since it's a 3L as I don't have to keep getting water to filter for usage. I have a Sea to Summit 6L Watercell that I use to filter water directly into, making it nice to have plenty of readily available water.