Clean water is essential, especially in the backcountry. It’s the lifeblood to great adventures — big and small. Without it, your plans can derail pretty quickly. Water sources in remote locations can carry a variety of microorganisms that can make you sick, such as giardia. Try to find clear flowing sources to filter and avoid stagnant water. If you’re sourcing from a flowing source, it’s best practice to walk 100 to 150 feet upstream of where you plan to filter to check for contaminants like carcasses or feces. Always look for the cleanest and visibly clearest water source and — of course — you need one of the best water purifiers.
Great adventures begin with a water purifier that fits your backcountry needs.
Katadyn BeFree Water Microfilter System 6L
Let gravity do the heavy lifting with the Katadyn BeFree Water Micro System 6L. No pumping. No squeezing. Just collect from a water source and let the gravity filtration work! Use the carrying strap to easily transport your full filter back to camp and suspend it from a tree or fixed spot. The filtered water is then effortlessly collected in a hydration bladder, cooking pot, or bottle. With a fast flow rate of two liters per minute, you’ll have clean water for camp before you know it. Weighing in at a little over eight ounces., this filtration system is perfect for large groups and base camps.
SteriPEN Ultra – Water Purifying Device
Meet the device that smiles back at you when your water is purified. When you use the SteriPEN Ultra – Water Purifying Device, you’ll see a smiley face on the screen when your water is ready to drink. The SteriPEN Ultra is one of the most advanced UV water purifiers in the world. All you have to do to purify your water is place the device into your bottle, click the button, and gently stir the wand in a circular motion for 90 seconds. This recharging and extremely portable pen weighs in at five ounces, making it great for all outdoor adventures.
MSR Aquatabs Purifier Tablets
These trusty tablets are a staple for backpackers. MSR Aquatabs are chlorine-based, ultralight, quick, and effective purifying tablets that leave you with drinkable water in just 30 minutes. They take care of virtually all the nasty pathogens that live in rivers, wells, and streams, including Giardia cysts, bacteria, and even viruses. These individually packaged tablets travel well and are ideal as backups in case your water filter breaks in the backcountry. You can also use them as an additional line of defense when you encounter water of dubious quality.
Katadyn Hiker PRO Micro Water Filter
This transparent filter lets you see the filtration technology working in real time. The Katadyn Hiker PRO Micro Water Filter is equipped with quick connect fittings for easy hose installation and removal that makes this filter your hydration bladder’s best friend. All you have to do is comfortably position yourself near a water source and start pumping. Around 50 pumps will get you one liter. The transparent device also lets you see when your filter is dirty and requires cleaning or replacement. This 11-ounce filter is ideal for infrequent or occasional use.
Platypus GravityWorks 2.0L Water Filter- Reservoir Kit
This filter was created to be virtually foolproof. The Platypus GravityWorks 2.0L Filter- Reservoir Kit comes with a two liter collection bag labeled ‘dirty’ and other reservoirs that collect the clean, drinkable water. This ultra-light filtration kit delivers a high flow rate of 1.5 liters per minute — that’s about two liters in less than 90 seconds. Not only is this filter quick and ultra-light, it’s adaptable. This reservoir kit includes a bottle adapter that fits platypus, most Nalgene, MSR, Sigg and Klean Kanteen bottles and also attaches to most hydration reservoir shutoff valves and tubes. This filter is ideal for longer trips with groups making it ideal for backing packing and through hikes.
Grayl Ultralight Water Purifier Bottle
If you’re looking for ultralight and ultrasimple,this may be the filter for you. The Grayl Ultralight Water Purifier 16-ounce Bottle needs no batteries, UV bulbs, chemicals, pumping, sucking or squeezing. It’s just one swift press! It only takes 15 seconds to get 16 ounces of clean, purified drinking water. For two liters of water, it only takes a minute to filter out particulates, many chemicals, heavy metals, and 99.99% of viruses, disease-causing bacteria, and protozoan cysts. This 10.9-ounce purified bottle with OnePress Global Protection is perfect for hikers and backpackers looking for an easy-to-use, ultralight purifying bottle.
Grayl Geopress Water Purifier Bottle
In only eight seconds this purifier bottle turns 24 ounces of sketchy water into safe, clean drinking water. The Grayl Geoporess Water Purified Bottle is unrivaled in not only speed, but also in effectiveness. You can tap into the world’s vast water sources and safely drink from everything from gritty rivers to suspect sinks.The Geopress protects you from global waterborne pathogens (virus, bacteria, protozoan cysts), pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, and even microplastics. Weighing in at 15.9 ounces, this press-and-drink bottle is great for any day and any adventure.
MSR Trail Base Water Filter 2L Kit
This might just be the swiss army knife of water filters. The MSR Trail Base Water Filter 2L Kit has modular components that allow it to be used as a gravity system at camp, a pocket-sized filter on the trail, or a fast-and-light reservoir when you need to carry clean water on the go. However, this incredible flexibility comes with a little bit of weight. At one pound, this filter isn’t ideal for backpacking but it’s versatility makes it perfect for plenty of outdoor adventures.
MSR MiniWorks EX Purifier System
This powerhouse of a purifying system is backcountry-ready. The MSR MiniWorks EX Purifier System is a compact, pump system that is perfect for adventures into the unknown and often rough conditions of multi-day trips. With a ceramic carbon filter, this purifier system filters out waterborne bacteria and protozoa as well as particulate, taste, and odors at one liter per minute. That’s about 70-80 pumps per minute. If the water is just a little too sketchy or if there could be viruses, this system comes with 50 MSR Aquatabs. While this purifier system weighs in at one pound when used with the MSR Aquatabs, it can be one of your greatest viral defenses in the backcountry.
Whether you’re going on a day hike or backpacking, a water purifier is an absolute must. Be sure to consider the nature of your trip and what you’ll need from your purifier because it may change from adventure to adventure.
Article by Christin Workman
Christin (she/her) is a writer and outdoor enthusiast. She’s a backpacker, hiker, ‘baby’ climber and a stop-and-smell-the-wildflowers kind of adventurer. Christin lives in Colorado with her husband, Rhodesian Ridgeback and a myriad of plants. When she’s not playing with words, she’s either out in backcountry, tending to the garden or practicing aerial arts.
