Tried the popular Lost Coast trail last month and my filter gave out on day two

Everyone raves about the Lost Coast being this amazing remote coastal hike, but my experience was a total mess. I was three miles past the Mattole Beach trailhead when my water filter just stopped working, wouldn't push water through at all. I ended up boiling creek water for the next two days using a metal cup, which took forever and tasted like ash. Has anyone else had a Katadyn BeFree fail on them in the middle of nowhere?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverknight16d ago

my filter gave out on day two" - that's rough. I've had a BeFree before and honestly, in my experience they're not built for anything past a weekend trip. The flow rate drops fast once the fibers start getting clogged with silt. How bad was the creek water you were boiling? Was it clear or muddy from recent rain? That part of the coast gets a lot of runoff especially in spring, and I'm wondering if the extra sediment killed your filter faster than usual. Take this with a grain of salt but I always carry a backup like bleach tabs on longer trips, just in case the main filter dies. Your mileage may vary but boiling with a metal cup is a solid survival move even if it tastes terrible.

foster.dylan16d ago

Always figured the BeFree hype was overblown but this confirms it. Kinda had a moment where I thought people were babying their gear too much, but seeing someone's filter die day two on a coastal trip changes my mind. That sediment load from spring runoff is no joke, I bet it would wreck any hollow fiber setup fast. Boiling with a metal cup is where it's at for backup, even if you're gagging on the taste. Makes me want to throw a few bleach tabs in my pack and stop relying so much on a single filter.