Description
Description
The Katadyn BeFree Gravity 10L is a water treatment system for a whole camp: a 10 L bag with a BeFree filter in the bottom and a hose underneath. Fill it at the creek, hang it from a branch, and gravity does the filtering while you get on with dinner.
Who it's for
Groups, families and base camps. If you are four people on the Thorsborne Trail, a school group in the Budawangs or two families camped on the Noosa River, filling bottles one at a time gets old on the first night. One trip to the water with this bag covers cooking, washing up and tomorrow's bottles.
It suits clear running creeks, tanks and lakes. The bag folds down and the whole system weighs about 284 g, so it also earns its place in a walking pack when a few of you are sharing it.
What it removes, and what it does not
The BeFree is a hollow fibre microfilter with a pore size of 0.1 micron (0.0001 mm). It removes bacteria, cysts such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and sediment.
It is a filter for backcountry water. It does not remove viruses, dissolved chemicals or salt, so it is for creeks, tanks and lakes, and for water where viruses are a concern you add a purifying treatment after filtering.
Flow rate and capacity
Water comes through at up to 2 L per minute, which empties the full 10 L bag in about 5 minutes. The higher you hang the bag above the container you are filling, the better it runs.
The filter treats up to 1,000 L before it needs replacing, depending on how clean your water is. Murky water shortens that; clear water stretches it.
The bag has a window with a scale so you can see how much water is left. In use it hangs about 51 cm long and 23 cm wide, and the hose is about 122 cm long. A quick-release valve stops the flow by itself when you unclip the hose, and the quick connect fitting lets you run filtered water into a bottle, a pot or a hydration bladder.
Maintenance
There is nothing to backflush and no tools to carry. When the flow slows, take the filter out and shake or swish it in clean water, and it is ready to go again. The carrying strap doubles as the hanging strap, and everything packs into the transport bag supplied.
When the filter reaches the end of its life, the BeFree replacement filter fits the same bag.
Specifications
Specifications
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Capacity
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Dimensions
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Material
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Weight
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Length
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Height
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Width
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Flow Rate
