What are the best water filter and purification treatment systems used by backpackers?

We asked backpackers whether they preferred filter-based systems, pump water filters, gravity filter systems, chemical purification or purification using an ultraviolet light.

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October 24, 2024

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Section Hiker

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Philip Werner is a full-time outdoor author and backpacker who resides in New England. His website SectionHiker.com is ranked as the #1 Hiking and Backpacking Blog on the internet by AdventureJunkies.com in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The name of this site, Section Hiker, refers to the Long Trail which I section hiked in 2008 and the Applachian Trail that I’m still working through. To date, I’ve completed 1400 miles of the AT and hope to complete all of the sections between Georgia and Maine someday. I’ve also hiked thru-hiked the TGO Challenge (Coast-to-Coast across Scotland) twice and I’m currently section hiking the Cape Wrath Trail, also in Scotland.

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For clothing and gear (but not skin), Sawyer Products’s permethrin repellent is as effective as similar formulas at repelling ticks and mosquitoes, and its trigger spray is easier to control.

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Top Bug Repellent - Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent

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There's nothing worse than running out of water mid-hike, but with the Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System, you can make any fresh water ready to drink in minutes. It filters out everything from sediment to bacteria from the water, and can be a real lifesaver in a pinch.

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