3 Backpacking Water Filters for Every Type of Trip
Whether you’re a seasoned outdoorist or new to hiking and backpacking, there’s one piece of gear that should always be in your pack: a backpacking water filter. Why? Because there’s lots of stuff in natural sources of water like streams, lakes and rivers that can make you sick and ruin your trip.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make natural water sources drinkable. These are our 3 faves. (And you can find a list and description of all four types of water filtration and purification HERE.
What do Filters Remove?
What do water filters remove anyway? Most filters designed for hiking and backpacking filter out the following:
- Microplastics
- Protazoa
- Bacteria
- Particulates (dirt, sand, muck, etc.)
Note that viruses aren’t on this list. For bottles that also filter out viruses, see this list. To learn about when and why you might also want to filter viruses, read this article.
3 Backpacking Water Filters
Sawyer Squeeze Filter: The Dependable Fave
There’s one filter we grab more than any other here at Terradrift: The Sawyer Squeeze. The classic squeeze-through filter is small, lightweight and super packable. Plus the flow rate is good (1.7 liters per minute), it’s easy to backflush without a bunch of extra tools, and filters can last up to 10 years if you take care of them! Plus, it has a 0.1 micron absolute filter, which means every single filter fiber is at least that small. Translation: there’s no variation in filter sizes that could let bacteria squeeze though.
Just twist it onto a squeezable bottle or bladder with a standard water bottle threading (we like the CNOC Vesica pictured above), and squeeze. Bonus: Sawyer gives 90% (!!!) of their profits back to water-based charities.
LifeStraw Peak Series: Options Galore
Whether you want a larger 3L gravity filter to filter water for a whole group, a compact Solo filter, straw or collapsible bottle, Lifestraw has you covered. Filters offer a slightly faster flow rate than Sawyer (read our comparison of Lifestraw vs Sawyer here), backpacking versions are light and compact, and are easy to use and backflush. The filter size is 0.2 microns.
Filters have to be replaced more often, though, which is why these aren’t our top pick. But many can be used with standard water bottle threadings or to drink right out of a body of water if you need a drink, like, now. Bonus: Lifestraw supports a wide variety of projects that provide sensitive areas with drinkable water.
Katadyn BeFree AC 1L Collapsible Bottle: The Packable One
The Katadyn BeFree AC soft flask is perfect for travel and backpacking thanks to how packable it is. It’s made up of a hollow fiber membrane (0.1 micron), has a fast flow rate, and the bottle itself is durable enough to withstand backcountry abuse. A removable activated carbon insert makes funky tasting water more palatable. The flow rate is comparable to the other filters (2L/min)
It’s the easiest to clean: just swish the filter in clear water before you store it and you’re done. That said, if your filter does get clogged or dry out with particulates in it, it will have a much shorter shelf life since backflushing isn’t an option. Like the idea of a collapsible bottle? Check out our fave collapsible bottles here.
Bottom Line
If it’s time to for a new backpacking water filter, all of these are excellent choices. Do you have a fave water filter or purification system? Or do you just sip straight from the stream and cross your fingers? Let us know! Drink safe water and wander on!
