Grayl and Lifestraw Water bottle sitting on a wooden ledge
Grayl and Lifestraw Water bottle sitting on a wooden ledge

THE BEST WATER FILTERS FOR TRAVEL 2023 + EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

If you are planning a trip or outdoor adventure to a destination where the local water might not be safe for drinking, you might be considering packing a water filter. This might be a backcountry camping trip, a hiking trip, or a trip overseas where you aren’t sure if the tap water is safe to drink.

Whatever the reason that you are thinking about packing a water filter, this post will help. We’re going to cover everything you need to know when it comes to choosing a water filter for travel, and also suggest the best water filters for your trip.

We’ll go over what a water filter is and why you might need one. We’ll look at what water filters actually remove from the water, and the different methods they use for doing so. We’ll cover a range of features that a water filter might have, and which ones you should consider important for your trip.

We’ve used a number of different water filters on our travels, both on camping trips in the back country and on trips to countries where the water wasn’t safe to drink.

We’ve put this guide together based on our personal experience as well as extensive research using information from trusted sources like government agencies.

By the end of this post, you should know if you need a water filter for your next trip, and if so, which one is going to meet your needs and budget!

If you are interested in learning more, find the complete post written by Laurence Norah here.

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Bloggers & Photographers
Finding the Universe

Hi there! We’re Laurence and Jessica Norah, we’re full-time professional travel bloggers & photographers, and we’re the couple behind Finding The Universe & Independent Travel Cats.

We’ve been running this site since 2010, sharing travel tips, destination guides, photography tips, and lots more.

Everything we write is based on our own personal travel experiences and using our own photos.

We visit all the places we write about (usually multiple times), cover our own costs (except in very rare circumstances), and share what we know to help you plan your own independent adventures around the world. We also do our best to keep our content up to date and as accurate as possible.

Our main focus on our blogs is travel in Europe and the USA, as well as photography tips and advice. However we do cover other parts of the world as well as you can see by checking out our destinations page.

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

Media Mentions

People with alpha-gal syndrome show allergic symptoms such as rash, nausea and vomiting after eating such meat.

Stephanie Soucheray
Reporter