Bought a $60 water filter that failed on day 2 of the PCT

I picked up this Katadyn BeFree filter thinking it was gonna be lightweight and simple. On the second morning near Mount Whitney, the flow dropped to basically nothing and I couldn't even backflush it enough. Had to use iodine tablets for the next 4 days until I hit a resupply. Anyone else had bad luck with squeeze filters?

2 comments

2 Comments

reeseanderson6d ago

Funny how the expensive gear always craps out first on trail.

the_jenny6d ago

The phrase "expensive gear always craps out first" hits different when you realize it's not just about hiking. I've noticed the same thing with almost everything I buy. Nice kitchen knives that need sharpening after one month while the cheap one from the dollar store still chops vegetables fine. Fancy boots that fall apart after a season but the old work boots from the hardware store last years. It's like companies know people who spend more will just buy another expensive replacement instead of getting mad about it.