We’re big fans of the Lifestraw and its ability to let you sip water out of ordinarily-perilous sources in the wild. Problem is, you can only use it right at the water source, with no option to bring water with you during a hike. If you prefer carrying a bottle of that murky water for your personal hydration instead, the Katadyn BeFree offers a portable solution.
Yes, it’s not the only water bottle with an integrated filter in the market, so there are plenty of options if you want on-the-fly cleaning while you quench your thirst. However, an impressively small filter and a folding design makes it, quite possibly, the most compact of the lot, as the darn thing is able to fold down into a convenient pocket-size bundle when not in use.
Even more impressively, the Katadyn BeFree’s 0.1-micron hollow-fiber filter needs no backflushing like other filters in the market, allowing you to clean it by simply shaking or swishing in order to remove any debris. It does that while removing 99.99 percent of protozoa and 99.9999 percent of bacteria (according to EPA standards), so it’s just as potent as competing solutions when it comes to cleaning up your drinking water.
Like other soft bottles, you simply need to squeeze on the container to send water through the filter, which can then drink out of the nozzle. Features include an ultra-light weight of just 2.3 ounces, a 43mm opening, and a filter rated to last for 1,000 liters.
Available now, the Katadyn BeFree is priced at $39.95.