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What’s the most important thing to pack when you step off for a hike, camping trip, or field exercise? Famed collegiate football player and hydration expert Robert Boucher Jr. will tell you it’s none other than high-quality H2O. Water might not always be the single most critical thing on your list, but it’s certainly near the top, so you better have plenty. Notice we said to have plenty – not to pack plenty – because water is also very heavy. If you want a gallon a day, that’s more than eight pounds you need to lug around, not to mention all those empty containers. You’re much better off packing a hydration bladder or water bottle and a water filter to turn every stream and lake into your own water fountain.
Being able to purify water on the go isn’t just a great way to reduce your pack’s weight: it’s a reliable, sustainable way to stay hydrated for as long as you need.
MSR MiniWorks EX
LifeStraw personal water filter
Grayl ultralight water purifier bottle
Katadyn Hiker Pro
Platypus GravityWorks
Sawyer Products mini water filtration system
Related: 7 ways to upgrade your campsite
Types of camping water filters
Camping water filters can basically be classified by the amount of convenience they offer. You’ll probably be able to process the highest volume of water with an active unit operated by a hand pump. These function like a backwoods faucet, turning any water source into your immediate supply. Next up are gravity-fed options that use two bladders separated by a filtration system. These do all the hard work automatically, but you have to be patient and keep track of which bladder is for clean water and which is for unfiltered water. Lastly, there are personal options like filtered water bottles and filtration straws. These are fast and easy, but not designed for filtering large volumes of water at once.
Key features of camping water filters
Capabilities: Not all camping water filters are created equal. Some filter out anything you throw at them, while others can’t separate every kind of contaminant out there. Do your homework on your region to determine if you need to be more concerned about particulates, bacteria, heavy metals, or other pollutants.
Method: There are several methods used to purify drinking water, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Decide how much water you need to filter and how much work you want to do before choosing a particular system.
Capacity: Some camping water filters are designed for the whole group, and some are for personal use only. You’ll see filtered water bottles, hydration bladders, and open-ended systems.
Price: Features come at a premium, but you might not need to spend top dollar to get what you need. Before assuming the price is directly tied to quality, read the product specs to see if you really need everything you’d pay for.
Portability: The whole point of camping water filters is eliminating the need to carry around gallons of water. That being said, some filtration systems are more portable than others. While none are what we’d call cumbersome, some require more time to set up and use than others.
Benefits of camping water filters
The heaviest filter on our list weighs 1.3 pounds. That means if you’re planning on drinking more than 2.5 cups on your trip, you’ll save weight by using a filter compared to packing water. With a filter, you only need enough to get you to the next natural source. For camping trips, this means you can pitch your tent near a lake or stream and be taken care of indefinitely. If you’re traveling abroad, a small filter can protect you from questionable drinking water coming out of the tap, too. If you still need convincing, do a quick search for waterborne illness.
Camping water filter pricing
Because there are several styles and brands of portable water filters, you have a wide range to choose from to fit your budget. Basic, personal filters cost as little as $15. These are designed to clean relatively small amounts of water, and sometimes don’t provide as much protection against contaminants as more advanced systems. The best camping water filters cost around $100 and boast protection against a wide range of dangerous pollutants. Both types have their place, so match your needs to the option that works best for you.