Person filling Lifestraw water bottle below water in stream
Person filling Lifestraw water bottle below water in stream

The Best Portable Water Filters for Camping, Survival, and More

When clean water isn’t readily accessible, reach for one of the best portable water filters for safe, pure, and healthy drinking water.

A portable water filter provides water purification on the go. Useful for traveling, camping, or survival situations, these compact devices have a built-in filtration system to remove contaminants like sediment, debris, and microorganisms from water. In a few steps, they can turn contaminated water into safe drinking water.

The best portable water filters are trustworthy, simple to use, and easy to carry. Unlike chemical water filters, portable water filters use physical filters or UV light to filter water. Choosing the best portable water filter for your needs depends on the size of the filter as well as the substances that need to be removed and the amount of water to be filtered.

The following guide explores the types of portable water filters that can help in a variety of situations. Safe and healthy water is always an option with one of these devices; the models below are some of the best on the market.

  1. BEST OVERALL: LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle
  2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System
  3. BEST STRAW: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
  4. BEST BOTTLE: GRAYL GeoPress Water Purifier Bottle
  5. BEST PUMP: Survivor Filter Pro – Hand Pump Camping Water Filter
  6. BEST GRAVITY FILTER: Platypus GravityWorks High-Capacity Filter System
  7. BEST UV FILTER: SteriPen Adventurer Opti UV Personal Water Purifier


Continue reading the complete article on the best portable water filters written by Jasmine Harding here.

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Media Mentions from Bob Vila
Bob Vila

You probably know Bob Vila from TV, where for nearly 30 years he hosted a variety of shows: This Old House, Bob Vila’s Home Again, Bob Vila, and Restore America with Bob Vila. Or perhaps you caught Bob starring as himself on Tim Allen’s sit com, Home Improvement. You can now watch Bob's full TV episodes online.

Before his life in broadcasting, Bob launched his own residential remodeling and design business. Earlier still, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer, building houses and communities in Panama. He learned first-hand about home building from his father, who hand built their family home. He's written 12 books about remodeling your home, buying your dream home, and visiting historic homes across America. It’s fair to say that buildings, especially homes, are his life’s work.

Now he's breaking new ground on the web, at BobVila.com.

Media Mentions

It all starts with Sawyer Squeeze + Cnoc VectoX 2L, the best and most reliable filter-bladder combo and the core of my backpacking water storage and filtration system.

Jaeger Shaw
Owner & Managing Editor

Media Mentions

Our top water filter for thru hiking, the Sawyer Squeeze, is 15% off.

Naomi Hudetz
Chief Operating Officer & Online Editor

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