Katadyn BeFree 3.0L Water Filter, Fast Flow, 0.1 Micron EZ Clean Membrane for Personal or Small Group Camping, Backpacking or Emergency Preparedness (8019640)

Before I go into my spiel, I think the best way to collect water is to skim it off the top of somewhat still water so it has less solids (adding some longevity to the filter). The bag has some trouble filling from top water so we took a pot to skim top water and then poured it into the bag.Now... I went on a 8 day kayaking trip on the Buffalo river in AR in July. Me and a friend had to drink a lot of water. We used this 1-2 times a day to fill at least 2 gallons at a time. The guy I went with just turned 65 years old and he brought two pump water filters that he’s used on over 20 weeklong+ trips and we never even broke them out. By day 4, he said he was going to buy two of these filters. I’ve not used any other filter but after hearing his praises, I’ll probably buy another filter as a backup and a couple spare filters. We’ve hung this filter from a carabiner and shock cord from many tree limbs and telescoping poles we used for our rain fly. To try the durability of it, I threw it with my food dry bag (in a ziplock) and didn’t try to baby it. It got knocked around and beat up a little but held strong.The one other negative thing I’d have to say about it is that it would still drip (very very lightly, not enough to mater imo) when left hanging upside down with water in it from the mouthpiece of filter even when closed. Also when you shake it to clear the filter with water in the bag, unless you hold the lid shut tight, some water will leak or splash out.Other than that, this think is top notch, packs down small, and filters water, durable (as far as I can tell), and convenient Will buy again as a backup

I was using a Sawyer mini gravity system when one day one of the knobs on the end snapped off when I was removing a tube. That's when I found the Katadyn system and I am so glad I did!! It filters 4x as fast, is lighter than the system I was using before (4 oz is amazing for a complete system) and it packs down small. I've used it twice now and am so happy with my purchase. My only concern is how long it will last. The bag is pretty durable and the plastic part of the filter is pretty built well. However I feel like the filter itself is a little fragile (you're not supposed to touch the white filter pieces or hold it when it's in the bag. It makes me nervous to pack it in with all my gear so I keep it on the outside pocket on it's own. I guess we'll see how long it goes for. Other than that one caveat, it's great!

I have LOVED using this Katadyn filter while on backpacking, bike touring, and overnight kayaking trips. It is so light and easy to use. The handle around the neck makes it easy to collect water and its quick filtering design makes filling many bottles a breeze.I even used it in a rather silty/dirty river while kayaking and the water tasted fine - though had a bit of a smell, which is inevitable. Better news is that I didn't get sick!Would highly recommend the Katadyn BeFree for (nearly) all of your water filtration needs!

Works great

I purchased this for a 5-day Boundary Waters trip, intending on using it as my primary water filtration. Initially I thought it was ok, but continued to get progressively slower and harder to squeeze to get flow out of it. I'm aware that this is symptomatic of a clogged filter and per the instructions, should swish in water or within the bag itself. I did this a number of times. The water is exceptionally clean in the Boundary Waters, so it wasn't that I was trying to filter dirty water. Outside of the slowness, it developed a pinhole leak, so every time I tried to squeeze water it would shoot out a small stream from the side of the bag. It worked well enough to get me through the trip, but I may look for a different option on my next trip.**Update**I reached out to Katadyn and told them of my experience. They stated there is something in the Boundary Waters water that causes the clogging issue, which to me indicates I'm not the first person to let them know of this. At any rate, they sent me a new filter and bag, which impressed me. Still on the fence as to whether I would again rely solely on this in the BWCA, but great customer service and they stand behind their product.

Bought this on sale on a whim and 5 years later I still love it. Brilliant design. Excellent flow rate. Easy to use, easy to clean.

I love this filter. I use it most every weekend. It's lightweight, durable, and easy to use. It filters much faster than a lot of others out thereIt's easy to clean. The bag is good quality. It hasn't been punctured or deformed by being stuffed in my backpack.....then pulled out.....then stuffed back in......etc.The bag doesn't have a taste or a smell that I've noticed.

I use this for backpacking and hunting. It does a really good job of filtering the water. If you do not find a stream and have to use a lake, look for a shallow part with a lot of rocks. With other filtration devices, they leave a weird taste. This does not. I also like its 3-liter capacity. I was able to fill my camelback, then refill this, and bring it back to camp to top myself off in the morning. Water is heavy. This allows you (if you are certain of the availability of water sources) to travel a little lighter.Also, make sure you clean it out when you get back to society. It works well but will be degraded if you do not maintain it and allow bacteria to grow in it when its not in use.