If you intend to travel for several days to a place where clean water may not be available, you may need to carry a water filter. With so many options available, you might have some trouble picking the right water filter for the job. Don’t worry though. Having faced a similar problem in the past, I went through the trouble of comparing and trying out different options. And after thorough research, I have come up with a list of the three best water filter bottle for hiking.
Here are the top 3 water filter bottles for hiking we recommend:
- MSR Guardian Portable Water Purifier Pump
- Platypus GravityWorks 4.0L Water Filter System
- Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System
Things to consider before buying a water filter bottle
The average man needs to drink 3.7 liters of water daily while the average woman needs 2.7 liters. The amount may increase depending on the activities in which you engage.
A frequent hiker like you will need lots of water throughout the trip. It is utterly impossible to carry enough water for the entire trip especially if you are out for a couple of days. That means that you will have to source water from lakes, streams, snow run-off, etc. The problem is that this water is not usually safe.
The last thing you would want is to get sick during or after a hiking trip. The solution to this problem is to carry a water filter. You will use the filter to purify all water you drink. Getting a water filter is more convenient than carrying your water from home.
There are many water bottles on the market. How do you ensure that you pick the perfect one? Here are a few things to consider before buying one.
Filtration versus purification
There’s a difference between a water filter and a water purifier. A water filter will mechanically push water through a filter and remove bacteria and protozoa. It will not remove viruses though. A purifier will remove bacteria, protozoa and kill viruses, too. It usually involves chemicals.
Weight of the water filter
Weight becomes a weighty issue when you are going on a long-distance trip. While you want access to clean and safe water during your hiking trip, you don’t want to be burdened by heavy equipment throughout the journey. You should buy an effective but light water filter bottle to cure this problem.
Speed of the water filter
The process of purifying water may take a few minutes or hours depending on the equipment. For example, water purifiers that rely on chemicals may take up to four hours to purify your water. Different water filters will have different speeds. Sometimes there’s a tradeoff between the weight and speed. Lighter filters may take longer as a result.
Capacity of the water filter
If you are more of a solo hiker, this may not concern you much. But if you’re hiking as a group, a water filter with a small capacity may not make much sense unless you want to filter water the entire day. If you’re a large group, getting a water filter with a high water capacity is ideal.
MSR Guardian Portable Water Purifier Pump
[wpsm_video]https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkqdwABDMss[/wpsm_video]
This pump purifier is fast and easy to use. It provides added viral protection for people traveling to developing nations and various wilderness areas around the world. It has an advanced hollow fiber filter that enables it to purify even the filthiest drinking water. Its long-lasting performance coupled with its self-cleaning ability makes it one of the most efficient water filters around.
Features
- Weight 1 lbs 1.3 oz
- Effective against bacteria, particulate, protozoa and viruses
- Advanced Hollow Fiber
- 0.02 Filter pore size (microns)
- 10,000+ liters Cartridge life
Benefits
- It is super fast pumping 2.5 liters of water per minute
- Pump self-cleans on every stroke, providing consistently fast flow rates with zero hassle—no backflushing or filter-scrubbing ever required.
- The pump cleans itself after every stroke allowing for fast flow rates. No backflushing or filter-scrubbing is ever required.
- It treats up to 10,000+ liters.
- It’s Durable and is designed to withstand heavy use, harsh environments and freezing drops.
- It is Effective Against 99.99% of viruses 99.9999% of bacteria and protozoa 99.9% of protozoa.
Platypus GravityWorks 4.0L Water Filter System
[wpsm_video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KVNtjNJsc4[/wpsm_video]
Platypus GravityWorks water filter makes cleaning water look effortless. All you have to do is fill the reservoir and leave the heavy lifting to gravity. The water filter cleans water faster than most other pump systems. It makes storing, transporting and dispensing of water easier. Platypus GravityWorks water filter meets NSF and EPA guidelines for the removal of protozoa and bacteria.
Features
- Filters up to 1.75 liters per minute
- Up to 1,500 liters of water filter lifetime
- It meets all EPA & NSF guidelines. It can remove 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoa*.
- 8-liter total capacity (4.0L filtered + 4.0L dirty) that makes it ideal for supplying water to large groups.
- It has hundreds of tiny, hollow fibers that allow the microfilter to filter the water faster than other traditional filters.
Benefits
- It is easy to use. No pumping is required. All you need to do is fill the dirty reservoir and leave it for gravity to do the heavy lifting.
- It can deliver 4 liters of filtered water within 2.5 minutes without the need for pumping.
- It has an 8-liter total capacity and can accommodate bigger groups or basecamps.
- The system is Fast. It filters up to 1.75 liters every minute.
- Easy to clean. It can be easily backflushed in just 4 seconds
- It allows for easy collecting and dispensing
Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System
[wpsm_video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUsdx0UC2uU[/wpsm_video]
The Mini Water Filter from Sawyer is one of the lightest and most versatile water filters around. It weighs just two ounces and is small enough to fit in your hand. Its small size notwithstanding, the Mini Water Filter has passed one of the highest testing levels. It was tested to one million kinds of protozoa and 10 million kinds of bacteria without any breakthrough.
Because of its performance, size and convenience, the Sawyer Mini Filter is perfect for almost every situation from going camping together with the kids to taking trips to places where sources of water can never be trusted.
Features
- It can fit in the palm of your hand;
- It weighs just 2 ounces
- 0.1 Micron absolute hollow fiber membrane inline filter
- Filter rated up to 100,000 gallons;
- Includes a 7-inch drinking straw, 16-ounce reusable squeeze pouch and cleaning plunger
Benefits
- Perfect for outdoor recreation, hiking, camping, scouting, domestic and international travel and emergency preparedness
- It has a total field weight of just 2 ounces and can fit in the palm of your hand
- Removes (99.99999%) of all bacteria and (99.9999%) of all protozoa
- perfect for everything from camping with the kids to traveling abroad
- It is easy to backflush
- There are no expensive cartridges to replace
In summary
Not every water source is contaminated, but there is usually no way to tell which water is safe to drink and which one isn’t. Having an abundance of caution never hurt anyone. Instead of risking contracting fatal illnesses, you should carry a water filter with you every time you go hiking.
But not all water filters are equal. The three water filter bottles I listed above are among the best in the market. They are efficient, easy to use and have excellent speed. Order one of them today and say goodbye to unsafe drinking water.
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