Katadyn BeFree vs Sawyer Squeeze vs Platypus vs Lifestraw - Best Water Filter for Hiking Review
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2024
- #Katadyn #BeFree #WaterFilter
This is my six month review of the Katadyn BeFree water filter. In the video I compare the Katadyn BeFree vs Sawyer Squeeze vs Platypus Gravity Works vs Sawyer Micro Squeeze vs Lifestraw so that you can get a feel for which water filter is best for you.
Katadyn BeFree
Amazon → amzn.to/32aV9lB
REI → www.rei.com/product/116364/ka...
Sawyer Squeeze
Amazon → amzn.to/2YjQRXU
REI → www.rei.com/product/103050/sa...
Sawyer Micro Squeeze
Amazon → amzn.to/34gLFYQ
REI → www.rei.com/product/153058/sa...
Platypus Gravity Works 4L Water Filter System
Amazon → amzn.to/3ggrexx
REI → www.rei.com/product/866422/pl...
Sawyer Mini Water Filter
Amazon → amzn.to/34fryKB
REI → www.rei.com/product/890900/sa...
LifeStraw
Amazon → amzn.to/2Q7RsYu
REI → www.rei.com/product/129675/li...
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Gear Videos → • Big Agnes Copper Spur ...
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0:00 Katadyn BeFree Water Filter Review
1:30 How / where I've tested the Katadyn BeFree water filter
2:09 Katadyn BeFree vs LifeStraw
3:18 Katadyn BeFree vs Sawyer Squeeze & Micro Squeeze
6:30 Platypus Gravity Works 4L Water Filter System - Best option for Car Camping
8:11 Katadyn BeFree Final Review
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Sources:
Screen cap. clips from REI.com.
DISCLAIMER:
I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. - Zábava
PSA: Apparently I mispronounced the word "Katadyn" throughout this entire video assuming that the company was named after Mount Katahdin in Maine. However, I now believe it's supposed to sound more like "Cat-A-Dine." Anyway, just thought I'd clear that up. Toodaloo!
cool story bro
Can you use the befree filter right away? Or do you have to do something to it before you first use it?
Katadyn = KATAlysator elektroDYNamisch (Swiss Compagny). The prononciation is "Cat"-"A"-"Dine". It refere to the first process of water treatment engineered by the brand in '20s, not the Mount Katahdin. (I worked 6 years for the compagny).
👍
Thanks for a straightforward honest review
Glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for the review.
For sure! Thanks for commenting!
Awesome comparison especially to show most common uses of the Sawyer with Smartwater bottles.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for leaving a comment on the vid. Much appreciated 🤙
Amazing review. Many details. And after watching alot of comparisons I see how speed is great for the katadyn when traversing lakes. Lifestraw is however better for worst case scenario water. So maybe I would use that if I ever traversed the ocean.
Thanks. Glad you found it helpful
My befree is going on a journey with me this week to Europe. First usage for me
Appreciate the review! I bought one recently and love it. Used it for hike and canoe trips and planning to use it on bike rides too (with COVID closures, can't always find water). My friends have the pump style Katadyn (so great) and the Platypus and we agree - all great products.
Nice! Thank you! I’ve been meaning to check out one of this pump filters
New friends here from Trail Trash Outdoors! Thanks for sharing. This definitely helps make a good choice on which filter to purchase. Wish the Grayel would have made it on this list for comparison tho
Glad you found the video helpful. Haven't tried the Grayel filter but I guess I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you.
You’re welcome. Thank you for watching.
I have used both the Sawyer and the befree, I must say that back flushing did a better job than just swishing the befree around in the water. Initially the flow on the befree is crazy good compared to the Sawyer though.
Thanks for your reviews
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Something to consider is the Befree filter is only good for 1,000 liters. After that you have to buy another $25 filter. The Sawyer Squeeze lasts much longer and is less expensive.
True. With the katadyn I am paying extra for functionality and convenience
@@FinerBub worth it. The sawer is better suited to as a survival/prepper filter.
Yeah I feel the same way
Lifestraw also has a similar product to the Katadyn in their LIfestraw Peak Squeeze. It's slightly larger at 33.8 oz. I haven't researched it but going to look into it....
Cool. I’ll have to check it out
Great video! What would you use to filter tap water in the case of international travel?
Great question! I’d have to do some research. I currently use a zero filter for my tap water at home
There are wide-mouth soft bottles that fit Sawyer units and are tough. I (all 165 lbs of me) have stood and lightly bounced on one of these full soft bladders and it did not care to even acknowledge me. The mouth is the entire width of the bladder and not just a hole. Bottom rolls and secures into a watertight seal. Now, if the Sawyer has other drawbacks, such as flushing, this won’t fix that, but it does solve the biggest issue presented in this videos.
Thanks for sharing your experience
Great video, thank you! What would you recommend for road trips - for instance: needing to fill up water at rest stops?
A large bottle. Make sure it fits in your car’s cup holder
@@FinerBub is there a certain brand of bottle for filtered water you'd recommend?
I haven’t really tested any bottles that filter tap water. Just pitchers like britta and zero
Wow first video I've seen explaining how the BeFree is better than a Sawyer. Thanks for the info!
👍
I have already purchased the LifeStraw Peak, and I was wondering if you know of a compatible flexible bottle (similar to the Katadyn one) to attach my straw to, in order to filter water and fill it into another clean container?
I personally don’t but maybe someone else who reads this might know.
this was super digestible.... I'm sure the water would be too! more bloopers pls lol
Haha I'm glad it was! I struggled with it a bit at first but squeezed it out in the end
Lots of great information. I have been trying to figure out which way I want to go. So you mention not using your sink water to drink cause it will clog up the filters...So how does that work with cleaning it out later? Will that do the same? New to the channel.
Welcome! Glad you found the video helpful. As for the Katadyn filter, I only clean the bottle part in the sink and just shake up the filter with the last few sips of river water or whatever I’m filtering, before dumping out the floaties and letting the filter dry out. Aside from wiping the mouthpiece off, I wouldn’t rinse the filter with tap water for fear of ruining it
One thing the Sawyer can beat any other filters. It can filter up to 100,000 gallons of water. Meaning it will last for life.
That’s a lot
Add a katadyn charcoal filter (gravity system) and its even better. Platypus charcoal filter is smaller and closer to the sawyers size, but katadyns has replacable carbon. Katadyn also plugs right into a nalgene bottle if you dont like the swimming pool taste of city water.
Nice!
I think Sawyer might've improved the flow on the squeeze, because I think it's faster than a new befree.
Nice. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for commenting 🙏
Btw - only thing it's missing is a way to attach to a carabiner!
Totally true
Please elaborate.
Not to filter the water from a pipe? What is the source of this data?
Sawyer says to use chlorine to clean the filter? How is that different?
And for some reasons they even make tap filters.
Apologies for the lack of clarity on this notion. When I said "tap water can clog up the filter quickly," I meant chemically treated water coming from a municipal water treatment facility, not including spring water that has been routed through a short pipe or pump. The sources for this are a combination of my own experience and anecdotes I've heard from other hikers in person and online. Results likely differ greatly from town to town depending on the consistency of the water coming out of your town's taps. In my experience with household filters like Brita or Zero, I have had to change the filters pretty regularly compared to hiking filters, which are generally much smaller in size and can presumably catch fewer contaminants. This experience combined with the testimony of other hikers led me to assume that you will have to clean your backpacking filter more often if you use it for treated tap water compared to reserving its use for cleaner, untreated naturally occurring water sources. Again, I apologize for the lack of clarity on this. In the future I will try to be better about explaining my opinions. Thanks for your question. I hope this clears things up.
@@FinerBub thanks for clarification. Brita is a Carbon filter and Sawyer, Katadyn etc are mechanical. A Carbon cartridge for Hiking usually lasts as well a few hundred litres not more.
@@Arvutimaailm I see. Thanks for clarifying that.
I work for an airline and drink 10 cans of water on every overnight. The water is heavy in my bags and takes up a ton of space besides a lot of waste for the environment. But some of the small cities have terrible tasting water.
I use the water to add to instant food like instant mashed potatoes or Ramen in addition to just drinking the water.
Obviously the straw bottles like Brita bottles don't help because i can't pour the water into the food...I have to suck it out and spit it into the food.
You said in your video here that the filters you tested here can't be used for tap water because the tap water contains metals and stuff that clogs the filters. Do you recommend a travel system that can be used in my hotel room for tap water that ISN'T a straw system that requires sucking the water through a straw?
I’m not sure about portable tap water filters. I use the zero filter for home filtration.
When you're filling your bag you blow air into it and you hold the bottom down and it will fill up instead of trying to scoop water up blow air into it and then hold the bottom lower than the top and water will go in
Thanks for the tip
I think he knows it, it is no brainer, but he purposely showed it that way, so he can promote the Befree.
Worked fine for a few trips but flow rate died after.
Weird. Was there a lot of silt/scum in the water you were filtering? Mine held up pretty well as long as I remembered to use the last few sips to swish around the filter and dump out the floaties before each time i refilled the bag. Thanks for commenting!
Good review but im just not sold on this thing. It has terrible after the first 10-20 gallons and only filters 1000liters thats terrible for 25bucks
That’s possible. I still prefer it for the usability factor. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Really appreciate the input!
@@FinerBub definitely check out the versa flow. No need for all the extra hoses like the platapus and no back flushimg syringe like the sawyer.
Have you tested LifeStraw Flex?
Nope. Any good?
@@FinerBub No idea. I am just wondering what to buy....
I like the Katadyn
What is the filter able to do though .01 .02 .05 micron
0.1 micron
All do the .01 micron if so there is a big deal with all of them and then it is a what fits your travels is all that comes to be involved in that decision. Great job by the way really enjoyed this
Sorry I meant 0.01
Befree for sure a no brainer
Amen
Pretty sure tap water is fine in most places in North America
Sweet. Good to know
No sodium fluoride calcifies your pineal gland and makes you dumb...
Wouldn’t want that...
@@christianb8228 Actually, no one knows that to be true. Has there been any recent research on this?
It's an internet rumor based on one study with a tiny sample size and inconclusive results.
9:22
I thought for sure his buddy was gonna slap his face or caress or something.
Buddy?
When that hand came up next to his face at 9:22 I thought it was someone else’s hand.
Gotcha
clearly people dont use lifestraws properly ive used one for years and ive neve rhad issues if you use it prop[erly but i dont have wha tthat guy had i have an actual lifestraw the origional i go backcountry camping eveyr year and the water is so clean you can drink it without filtration from teh middle of the lake but i filter it if im close to shore the lifestraw works fine its lightweight and doesnt take up space and its a handy thing the only problem with it is i like to get water from far off shore just to make sure so once my bottle is empty i have no water:) its like double protection i dont trust anything and eveyrthing.
Huh?
@@FinerBub wha?
Thanks for commenting bud
Sawyer bags are a complete joke. Can't believe after all these years they keep selling this trash. For this reason alone Swayer is absolutely the worst out of the bunch.
I agree. Haven’t had too many positive experiences with them
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.
If you say so. Maybe you got a dud