The 10 Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2021
Stay healthy on the trail by drinking clean water.
The Rundown
Best Overall: LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle at Amazon
"Operates similarly to a standard water bottle, so it's an easy adoption for people who are new to filtering water."
Best Budget: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter at Amazon
"Consider this compact, lightweight filter system an affordable emergency option."
Best Lightweight: Sawyer Mini Water Filter at Amazon
"The entire four-piece kit weighs just two ounces."
Best for Groups: MSR AutoFlow XL Gravity Filter at Amazon
"With a 10-liter capacity, this system minimizes trips to the stream for easy group filtering."
Best Gravity Filter: Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System at Amazon
"Lightweight and high volume, this gravity-fed filtration system is great for group hikes."
Best UV Light Filter: Crazy Cap UV Filter Bottle at Amazon
"Features a UV light that kills viruses and parasites by dismantling their DNA, rendering them harmless."
Best Chemical Treatment: Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets at Amazon
"Taking up nearly no room, these cubes are great to pack for backup purification."
Best Bottle-Integrated Filter: Sawyer Products Select S3 at Amazon
"Just a few squeezes of this bottle is all it takes to purify your drinking water."
Best for International Travel: Grayl Geopress Water Purifier at Amazon
"Filters pathogens from bacteria to viruses so you can drink water from questionable locations."
Best Splurge: Katadyn Pocket Water Filter at Amazon
"A pump-style filter that’s meant to last for adventures where you can’t afford for it to fail."
Any survivalist can tell you that having a safe water source is one of the most important things to consider when heading out on a camping or backpacking adventure. Car campers can just carry jugs of water from home, but when you get further afield, carrying becomes impractical since water is extremely heavy. Drinking water from unknown sources is never a good idea, especially when you’re far from civilization and medical care.
Enter portable water filters. They let you carry a device for purifying water so you can use those wild sources of hydration without worrying about contamination. We rounded up our top backpack water filters across several categories so you can find the right solution for your adventures.
Read on for the best backpacking water filters available written by Justin Park.
October 27, 2023
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Media Mentions
Personally, I use Sawyer’s Fabric Treatment–available in pump or spray–for my hunting and hiking clothes.
Media Mentions
Casserly’s favorite water treatment is a squeeze filter like the SAWYER SQUEEZE filtration system ($29, sawyer.com), which screws onto the included flasks or a plastic water bottle. Squeeze filters are ideal for individual use. They’re light and inexpensive, and you can drink the water immediately through the filter.
Media Mentions
While young babies should be protected with clothing and netting (not chemicals), older babies and children should use a suitable repellent to help avoid bites, discomfort, and insect-borne illnesses.
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