You probably don’t need us to remind you how important drinking water is. Anyone who knows even a fraction of what they should know knows that staying hydrated, especially when you’ve been getting active, is vital. It’s basic life and death stuff.

But of course when you’re in the middle of nowhere, with a big pack on your back, hiking boots on your feet, and adventure on the brain, access to clean drinking water isn’t always a given.

What you might have access to though are running streams, murky puddles, and other natural water sources that could very well be teeming with microorganisms.

Now normally, we wouldn’t recommend getting stuck into these without thinking. However, if you’ve got a Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System in your pack or pocket the built-in EZ-Clean Membrane will mean you can drink away safely.

“There’s no pumping or UV filtration involved here, just simple squeezing and sucking, like you would from a sports bottle”

This membrane is basically a mass of hollow fibres with 0.1 micron-wide pores that water can pass through but sediment or any harmful bacteria or protozoa cannot (these are typically about 0.2 microns in size). There’s no pumping or UV filtration involved here, just simple squeezing and sucking, like you would from a sports bottle. And it’ll safely filter 1000 litres of water so outdoor enthusiasts who venture out fairly regularly should get a few years of use from it.