Spent $120 on a fancy water filter and it nearly ruined my PCT trip

I bought a Katadyn BeFree 3L system before my hike through the Sierra section last August. First real river crossing, the bladder split at the seam and dumped all my drinking water. Ended up having to boil everything for two days until I hit a ranger station. Has anyone else had these fail on them mid-route?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendyk569d ago

Those BeFree bladders are known for that. Heard plenty of stories about them splitting at the worst time. Stick with a Sawyer Squeeze or just a regular Nalgene setup for that section. Boiling water sucks but at least you didn't get stranded without any way to treat it.

mary_martin229d ago

Heard a thru-hiker say those BeFree bladders fail all the time, you aren't alone.