For most people, water treatment is a must-have on backpacking trips. Heck, even a long day of hiking can require a filter, if you don't want to carry liters of water. It can also sometimes be a good idea to treat water while traveling, or even in the course of daily life at home.

Before the comments section implodes, we’d like to include the caveat that this article covers the filters we were sent to test. We reached out to several brands that did not respond to our inquiries, including MSR, LifeStraw, Steripen and Katadyn.

We are aware these filters are out there and have used them, but they are not included here because we didn’t test them. We’d like to note that the Katadyn BeFree is a popular alternative to the ubiquitous Sawyer Squeeze, with a fast flow rate, low weight, and super flexible bag.

Hikers can also use purifying treatments like Aquamira drops, iodine, or even bleach (repackaged into an eye dropper).

Here are the water filters tested for this article, with info on how they work and who they might be best for, written by Maggie Slepian.

LAST UPDATED

October 23, 2024

Written by
Photo thumbnail Blog Author

Garage Grown Gear

Media Mentions from Garage Grown Gear

The experts on outdoor gear startups

We're the experts on outdoor gear startups. We're passionate about giving the little guys a voice in a world dominated by big box brands and retailers. We help early stage outdoor brands tell their stories in our online magazine and we sell a selection of curated gear in our online store.

Explore More Content

Media Mentions

Whether for gardening, mowing or warm evenings outside, we found Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent to be an excellent choice in every setting.

Health
Media Mentions from Health

Media Mentions

The efficacy of DEET without harsh chemicals. Sawyer Picardin Insect Repellent is our go-to skin protection against mosquitos and ticks. We prefer the lotion to the spray-on, which lasts 8-14 hours.

Adventure Alan
Media Mentions from Adventure Alan

Media Mentions

We recommend this lotion from Sawyer for its effectiveness, thorough application, and easily transportable bottle.

Real Simple
Media Mentions from Real Simple