Lightweight Bottles

5 Croznut
Just got back from a few days hiking around Mammoth Mountain and I have to say the Katadyn BeFree AC 1. 0L was one of the best pieces of gear I brought. I used it at Fern Lake, Superior Lake, Holcomb Lake, NoName Lake, and down by Rainbow Falls. Some of those high- Sierra lakes can have that classic alpine “ lake taste ” — a little earthy, sometimes a hint of mineral or algae. The activated charcoal stage completely wiped it out. Every single time the water came out tasting clean and neutral, like it came from a fridge. No weird aftertaste, no weird smell. Just pure, cold water. That alone made the whole trip better. The soft flask is super easy to fill — just dunk the wide mouth in a lake or stream, screw the filter back on, and start drinking. Flow is excellent. I never felt like I was fighting it. A couple of firm squeezes and you ’ re getting water right away. When I was moving between lakes it was nice not having to stop for long. Fill, drink, keep hiking. It ’s ridiculously light and packs down small when empty, which I appreciated on the longer stretches. The flip cap kept everything clean and didn ’ t leak in my pack. Cleaning was simple too — just a quick shake/swish in some water and it was good to go again. I ’ ve used other filters before that left a slight plastic or chemical taste, or slowed down after a few days. This one stayed consistent the whole trip and the charcoal did exactly what it was supposed to do. If you ’ re heading into the Sierra( or anywhere with natural water sources), this little bottle is worth every ounce. Highly recommend.

5 Trenton B
[ This bottle is excellent. Fill the bottle, put a filter puck in the screw on cap, and drink; it does not get any simpler. I went on a few multiday trips with this bottle in stow, and I have yet to find a bottle more packable. A few inches is all you need as far as space goes. Basically, it take about as much space as a tennis ball and it's very lightweight. I was worried that it might be a little tough to clean, but that's not the case. I have narrow bottle brushes to scrub if need be, but honestly fill it with soap and water when you get home, shake it out, and hang it upside down.

5 Trevor F
[ I ’ ve used it to filter well water in the desert, trail runs in the mountains, and fly fishing in the creek. It ’s compact enough for easy storage but has enough volume so that you could use it as your only bottle. The flow is decent and the cap is secure even knocking around rocks. This little thing just works. I haven ’ t had to clean it yet but the directions seem very simple. Highly recommend for any trip where you need to filter water!

5 Kristen C
[ This was a great addition to my field work pack for a recent river survey. It is lightweight water bottle option, with the added bonus of the water filter to make sure the water was clean prior to drinking.

5 Brian F
[ I have tried just about every ultralight water filtration system on the market and been repeatedly impressed by the BeFree's flow rate. The BeFree AC seems even faster than the original model, filling up my one- liter water bottle within seconds. After receiving this system in the mail, I tested it on multiple dayhikes and trail runs. It held up well, and the collapsible bottle made it exceedingly easy to pack. I usually stuffed it into the mesh front pocket of my backpack so I would have easy access to it when I came across a stream. I filtered probably a few dozen liters and saw no decline in the flow rate. The bottle's large mouth opening makes filling up a breeze. Throw on the filter cartridge and cap and you can drink straight from the bottle or filter water into another container. Simply put, this filtration system is very quick and easy to use. Because I saw no decline in flow rate, I had no reason to clean the filter cartridge in the field, but I know that this is also easy. All you have to do is fill the bottle with clean water, put on the filter cartridge and cap, and shake. I know from using the original BeFree that this method works to restore the flow when gunk from water sources clogs up the filter on long backpacking trips. This method is much easier than filters that require backflushing. The BeFree AC is also slightly sleeker than the original version, which makes it easier to keep the filter in your pocket during the winter so it does n't freeze. I have several long backpacking trips and mountain climbs scheduled this year, and I will be taking the BeFree AC as my primary water filtration system. Katadyn Group gave me this free product to try.