Katadyn Befree compatible bottles

Ken T.

Section Hiker
The flip top caps on the 750ml Smartwater bottles fit the outlet of the Sawyer like it was designed for the task.
 

fluffkitten

Moderator
Staff member
The flip top caps on the 750ml Smartwater bottles fit the outlet of the Sawyer like it was designed for the task.

Bit hard to get then in the UK unfortunately, the top off an 850ml might work though I haven't tried one yet.
 

EM - paul

Thru Hiker
only got 12 nights on my befree so far but no problems even after taking some seriously crappy stuff on The gixer meet. A good amoun t of crao was saken out when i got home but flow didnt suffer. Time will tell though i guess.
 

MartinK9

Section Hiker
Bit hard to get then in the UK unfortunately, the top off an 850ml might work though I haven't tried one yet.

Yep they fit. Only for backflushing :)

I use the sparkling Smart water bottle for the filtering

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HTH
 
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dovidola

Thru Hiker
Bit hard to get then in the UK unfortunately, the top off an 850ml might work though I haven't tried one yet.

I just bought an 850ml bottle of Smartwater with sports cap from Tesco to find out. Happy to invest 89p for the team. The nozzle does indeed mate nicely with the Sawyer Mini's nipple...

...however, the bottle itself (empty) weighs 40g (ie 10g more than Sawyer's syringe), and the threads of the cap won't fit on any of my platypus bottles.
 

dovidola

Thru Hiker
But it's dual use so you can subtract the weight of your normal bottle.

Yes, I think I get that. The maths and the logistics are getting me a bit flummoxed though.

If I take the smart water bottle as my 'normal bottle', I would need to supplement it with yet another bottle to achieve my target water carrying capacity. Let me explain:

As I see it, I need to be equipped to carry a maximum of 3 litres at any one time (if exceptionally I need more than that I'll make different arrangements).

Plus a Sawyer Mini, plus a means of backflushing it.

Currently I carry the filter, the syringe (32g), a 2L Platypus bottle (36g) and a 1L Sawyer 'dirty' pouch (26g). Whilst 'on the go' I can directly from a clean source (using mug), or from filtered water in the Platypus, or from the dirty water bottle via the filter. Ecxluding the weight of the filter (which is a 'constant'), this comes to 94g.

If I go the Smartwater route, I'll carry the Smartwater bottle (40g) the Sawyer pouch (26g) and another container (Evernew's 12.5L @ 36g?) making a total of 90g, which ain't much difference.

Or am I justing getting overly hung up on what amounts to the weight of a single swig of water?
 

Enzo

Thru Hiker
1l lucosade bottle with lid off a pret a mange 750ml water bottle top, sports top to fit it with exit that fits sawyer for flushing and 2l sawyer bag for me.
No idea on weights, but <100g for water carrying ain't so bad, compare to the weight of a single Nalgene.
 

edh

Thru Hiker
I'm not totally convinced with a need to backflush the Sawyer that often. On the CT (a months walk with not always the cleanest water sources) I did mine twice. It got slower, but still did the job.
I currently carry the Mini, Smartwater 1 litre, and Evernew 1 or 1.5 litre bottle.
 

fluffkitten

Moderator
Staff member
I'm not totally convinced with a need to backflush the Sawyer that often. On the CT (a months walk with not always the cleanest water sources) I did mine twice. It got slower, but still did the job.
I currently carry the Mini, Smartwater 1 litre, and Evernew 1 or 1.5 litre bottle.

Just wish those 1 litre bottles were sold here, or at least the 850ml had the same thread.
 

Gadget

Thru Hiker
To bring it (sort of) back on topic, I found after the Dartmoor trip, that my Befree filter has lost a bit of flow (unpressurized). When you squeeze, it still flows like champ.
I've been storing it wet, submerged in a bag of water with a few drops of bleach, in the fridge.
 
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Helen E

Ultralighter
Hello, BeFree users – I'm taking my first tentative steps into buying a water filter and wondered if you'd be kind enough to offer a bit of advice...

Any more news since 2018 on supermarket-compatible bottles for the BeFree? (I presume the BeFree's .6 and 1L threads are the same?)

What are the respective merits of hydrapak vs Cnoc vector?

Any problems emerged after a season or two's use?

Many thanks :)
 

Foxster

Section Hiker
I'm curious to know if that Faircap filter works OK when the bottle it's in is getting low on water. Not much of the filter would be in water. Unlike the chunkier BeFree where it's submerged until pretty much the bottle is empty.
 
I'm curious to know if that Faircap filter works OK when the bottle it's in is getting low on water. Not much of the filter would be in water. Unlike the chunkier BeFree where it's submerged until pretty much the bottle is empty.
No worries -it looks like when you invert the bottle, enough of the the filter is submerged.
 
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EM-Chiseller

Thru Hiker
Just tried to search a result for using with a hydropak soft bottle...
With UK bottles, the thread can be different and the same Challange of finding compatible threads like the difficulties finding sawyer/hydroblu compatible threads.
 

Foxster

Section Hiker
Just tried to search a result for using with a hydropak soft bottle...
With UK bottles, the thread can be different and the same Challange of finding compatible threads like the difficulties finding sawyer/hydroblu compatible threads.
If you mean Hydropak Softflask bottles used with BeFree then the 750ml definitely fits.
 

EM-Chiseller

Thru Hiker
If you mean Hydropak Softflask bottles used with BeFree then the 750ml definitely fits.
Sorry, I was meaning these new faircap filters.
The hydrapak Soft flask bottles that befree use, seem to be a specific fit and not compatable with my other hydrapak Soft bottles that have the same diameter opening.
The threads are similar but have a different pitch.
I've personally not come across a 750ml hydrapak Soft bottle.
 

Foxster

Section Hiker
Ahhh I'd seen them but they're the collapsable hard bottom bottles and not the soft flasks.
Umm. Not sure. They are called Softflask.

They seem to make (at least) three types of soft bottles. There's the ones with a hard bottom that clips into the top for storage (Stash?). The totally flexible ones used by Katadyn. And these ones that I personally like that have a slightly firmer but not hard base (SS20?). They sit a little better in a pocket and are more wear-resistant than Katadyn ones.
 
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