Do You Really Need a Water Filter for Backpacking and Mountain Hunting?

Water purification is vital to staying healthy in the mountains and after a trip, but are filters really the answer? Here’s what our staff writers think

Water purification is one of the more boring aspects of backcountry hunting, but it’s also one of the most important bases to cover. Beaver Fever (Giardia) and other unsavory parasites might not be lurking in every stream or mountain seep that you find, but you should proceed as if they are. If you don’t, you’re taking an unnecessary chance at getting sick—sometimes very sick.

Fortunately for backcountry hunters and hikers, there are lots of options for sanitizing the drinking water you collect. There are short-term emergency filters like Lifestraw and the Survivor Filter Bottle. There are also high-tech water filters that can cost hundreds of dollars, as well as Steripen UV-treatment water purification tools available.

What is the best choice for backcountry water purification? That depends on who you ask. So, we’ll let you hear what two of our Staff Writers—both of whom are well-versed in the backcountry—have to say about it. Whichever method of water purification you choose, use something, and use it always.

Continue reading the full article by Tyler Freel and Laura Lancaster here.