Katadyn

Gravity BeFree 3.0L Microfilter

Ideal lightweight clear water processer

I'm quite attached to my multi-branded frankenstein of a gravity filter, with its 5L roll-top resevoir, inline filter, custom hose length and water bladder quick connector. Jealousy struck me, however, when a friend whipped out this setup. It's about as bare bones as you can get and still process and/or transport a solid volume. I like the handle for hanging to drip into a bottle. It's easy to drink out of too. Like other similar gravity filters it plugs easily with silty or very dirty water. The bladder is prone to pinhole leaks and leakage around the seals. It is choice for saving weight and treating clear water when boiling or chemical treatment isn't ideal. I would like a way to connect it to a bottle or reservoir, maybe with a hose, but admit that I might be missing the point.

Best fit for my needs

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

3L

Only used once in 50 degrees. Stream was clean, running fast and filled bladder in 7 seconds. Flow rate was perfect for my needs. Perfect holding points especially at intake side for submerging. First befree so will see how long it lasts with a good flow rate. Ill likely carry an extra filter if out solo. Weight is perfect for the benefit. Last thing i want to do is squeeze a bag for my water after a long hike and setting up camp. Now i know why i see a lot of gravity filters hanging. The holding strap was a bit much for my needs unless someone uses it as a shoulder carrying strap. I changed that up.

I have used the Microfilter on multiple backpacking trips this summer (2024) and it has proven to be much more convenient than my old pump style filter system. It is lighter, faster, and less effort. Highly recommend.

Great for car camping with the family

My wife and I do a lot of backpacking - never in our life would we need something as big as this. Now with the introduction of our daughter who is now 1.5 years old, this made primitive camping so much easier without worry about having to hump in gallons of water. Tastes great, filters fast, and easy to clean - 10/10 would recommend!

It wouldn't work at one point...

I really wanted to give this more stars, but since I had issues with it on my last backpacking trip, I couldn't. I was in the Grand Canyon, and it just would not GO...at all. Not sure what I was doing wrong. So, I packed it all back up and decided to figure it out later at my campsite. It suddenly started working. I'll need to look up some trouble-shooting tips. Pros: It's light and can filter 3 L of water at a time. Cons: Sometimes doesn't work. Filtering is very slow.

Good water reservoir for temps above 40

Worked great at Pinon Canyon as an easy access water refill vessel for my crew inside the Stryker. Struggled with water flow at 11000ft with temps bouncing between 50º and 38º. Once we camped next to a creek it was easier to fill a Nalgene and steri-pen all the water. I'm keeping it in case of brackish water in the future. Pro: didn't get sick at all Con: slow refill Space filler Space filler

Easy to fill, clean, and filters very fast. The 3 liter bag is much quicker to fill multiple bottles.

I love this filter. It's light weight, it packs small, and it filters water quickly.

Best water filter

This is a simple light weight water filter perfect for my backpacking needs. I had a sawyer for a while but it was very slow and more labor intensive. I like to fill some bottles at the water source then bring a full bag back to my site for cooking and topping bottles off before heading out. It’s a very sturdy bag.

Easiest to use water filter system for backpacking!

After years of being envious of my friends' BeFree filters, I finally bought my own. It's fast, easy to use, and easy to clean! I use it for backpacking and the 3L bag is great when for transporting a lot of water back to camp. The BeFree filter is so easy anyone can use it. It's great for beginner backpackers or experts! If you get a small hole in the bag, Aquaseal works great for repairs. If you have a warranty issue with the bag, you'll need to contact HydraPak directly.