I recently got my hands on the new XA water filter from Salomon. The filter cap is sold separately or bundled with a 490ml
soft flask which fits perfectly in my Salomon packs.
But how does it compare to the competition, namely the Katadyn Befree that I've been using for the past couple of years?
In this video i'll discuss the similarities and differences between the two filters including the functionality, flow rate
and compatibility with other flasks. Let's start with the Katadyn Befree.
This filter was a game changer for me, having struggled for years with various squeeze filters
uv filters and other water purification systems.
It's a lightweight, high flow nozzle and filtration unit that comes with a 600ml soft flask.
It allows you to scoop up water from virtually any source and go.
I quickly bought myself a second one so that i'd be able to easily drink from both bottles
and to ensure I'd have a backup in case one failed. But the high flow rate does come at a cost.
While it filters out bacteria and protozoa including giardia, it will not filter out viruses.
It also will not remove taste color heavy metal contamination
chemicals, pesticides or herbicides. So be careful where you use it.
The flow rate is so good that you hardly notice the difference between it and a standard flask.
Although, I do find the design of the nozzle a little cumbersome. Instead of a bite valve
it's got this cap that to me feels like a potential point of failure.
And if the cap isn't sealed properly the bottles tend to just squirt you in the face.
But my biggest complaint with the Befree is the flask that it comes with.
I've heard from a few people that they're not nearly durable enough and are prone to leaks.
Although I ditched mine immediately.
The fact that they're 600ml
makes them too big to fit in most running vests. I suspect that these were designed more for hikers than for runners.
So the increased volume may have been seen as a benefit and not a drawback.
I happen to have a couple of these 500ml flasks from Hydrapack with the compatible threading
which also seemed much more durable than the flasks that came from Katadyn, which I used instead. Because of this and the
inconvenient design of the cap, I see most people use these like a squeeze filter carrying it empty and using it to filter water
back into their regular flasks.
But in my opinion this misses the point completely of having a built-in filter.
While the relatively short amount of time it takes to use a squeeze filter may seem trivial, in my experience
it can really start to add up, especially when more than one person is sharing a filter.
In a two-day fast packing trip of the Wonderland Trail around Mt Rainier a few years ago
my friend adam and I spent a good 2 or 3 hours just filtering water with an old sawyer squeeze filter
over a roughly 40 hour period.
Enter the Salomon XA filter cap. Tests show it to have a flow rate that is 22% faster than the Katadyn Befree.
It also outperforms in terms of turbidity or cloudiness in the water during testing.
But the big difference for me is in the functionality of the Salomon XA filter compared to the Befree.
Instead of a cap, the XA filter has the same bite valve that you'd be familiar with from other Salomon flasks.
This means that it won't squirt you in the face when it's squeezed in your pack.
But it's easy to drink from while on the run. Like the Befree
the xa filter will remove bacteria and protozoa but not viruses. For this you would need a two-stage filter like the Lifestraw Flex.
But don't expect anywhere near the same flow rate.
One downside to the XA filter is that it will not be compatible with your existing Salomon soft flasks.
In fact, it now uses the same universal threading as the Katadyn Befree. On the plus side
this will make them more compatible with other brands of flasks moving forward.
So I think that this will be seen as a positive after getting over the initial pain of having to buy new flasks.
But definitely get the soft flask XA filter and flask combo when ordering yours.
So for me as a trail runner, there's no competition.
The Salomon XA filter has a better flow rate and the new flask fits perfectly in my running vests.
I have two so that I can refill both on the run without missing a beat.
What has your experience been so far with either of these two water filters?
Tell me about it in the comments below and be sure to subscribe for more videos like this.