Find the best water purifiers for your hike or travel plans with these top water filters at a range of prices and capabilities.
If you’re planning a multi-day hiking trip or remote camping expedition, water is a huge concern. Water takes up a ton of space and is heavy to carry around so most people cannot possibly bring all the H2O they need for a long trip. Thankfully, there are backcountry water filtration and purification systems designed to take river or lake water and make it safe to drink. All filtration systems remove bacteria and protozoans that’ll make you sick. Some systems will even remove viruses, pesticides and other nastiness from the water. We’ve tested a wide variety of these filtration systems and chose the best of the best for your backpacking and camping needs. If you need to purify your home water, we cover home filters are over here.
Why should you buy this: The MSR Trail Base is one of the most versatile filtration systems on the market, allowing you to use it whole as a gravity system or break it apart into a pocket-sized filter and a portable 2L reservoir.
Who’s it for: Campers and backpackers in a group who want to purify two liters of water or more at a time.
How much will it cost: $139
Why we picked the MSR Trail Base:
This MSR Trail Base 2L filtration system uses two bags — one for dirty water and one for clean water. The bags work as you would expect — you pour the unfiltered water into the “dirty” bag and use gravity to filter into the clean bag. This dual-bag system minimizes any contamination and helps to keep your clean water clean. It also filters exceptionally fast. The Trail Base hollow fiber filters remove bacteria and protozoans, but not viruses. It cleans easily as well — just shake or swish to remove any debris.
What sets the Trail Base apart from the competing gravity filters by Platypus and Katadyn is the modular design of the Trail Base. You can use the whole kit as a basecamp gravity filtration system or break it apart and use the filter and reservoirs individually. The pocket-sized trail shot filter is outstanding. It has a short hose that allows you to reach even the smallest puddle of water and filters water quickly using a small hand pump. It’s fast — we were able to fill a 1-liter SmartWater bottle in under a minute.
The Trail Base is available now with a 2L reservoir. If 2L is not big enough, then just wait a little longer. MSR is preparing to release a 4L Trail Base version and a 10L AutoFlowXL Gravity Filter system in February 2019.
Why should you buy this: The Sawyer Squeeze strikes an excellent balance — it’s not too big, not too expensive and is effective at filtering disease-causing bacteria and protozoa.
Who’s it for: Backpackers who want a light, yet effective water filter.
How much will it cost: $40
Why we picked the Sawyer Squeeze:
The Squeeze gets its name from the included pouch: Fill the bag up at a nearby stream, attach the filter head, and squeeze the purified water into a container or bucket of your choice for fresh water. It filters bacteria and protozoans, but not viruses. The pouch collapses easily for great storage when you aren’t using it, making this option particularly backpack friendly.
However, the filter is an adaptable little guy — it has attachments that allow you to fit it over a faucet for purified water during emergencies (or doubtful water quality), or you can use the included bucket adapter to fill a bucket for showers and other more substantial needs. According to Sawyer, the filter gets rid of 99.99999 percent of bacteria and protozoa. It’s a particularly versatile purifier for just $40, making it an excellent option if you aren’t sure what to get.
Sawyer also makes the currently available Sawyer mini and the upcoming micro squeeze. The mini is a smaller version of the squeeze that is equally easy to use and as efficient as its bigger brother. Available in fall 2018, the micro squeeze is petite like the mini but with a faster flow rate that rivals the full-sized Squeeze.
Why should you buy this: The MSR Guardian is a powerhouse of a purifier that can remove particulates, bacteria, and viruses at a rate of 2.5 liters per minute.
Who’s it for: Backpackers and international travelers who want a bullet-proof water filtration system.
How much will it cost: $349
Why we picked the MSR Guardian:
When you need clean water no matter what, the MSR Guardian is the purification system for you It is a military-certified pump that handles both bacteria and viruses with ease, pumping up to 2.5 liters per minute with a reliable water source at hand (and someone who won’t get tired of pumping). The pump is self-cleaning and lasts for more than 10,000 liters before the filter cartridge needs replacing. It also withstands freezing temperatures and other harsh conditions. If you want to put the “base” in basecamp, this is the water purifier for you. Of course, you’ll have to find a way to lug the thing around with you.
Why should you buy this: Aquamira water treatment drops are a great alternative when you don’t want to carry a filter or have a filter that fails.
