Need to know how the best camping water filters can help you survive hiking and camping? Here is what you should know about these little survival kits.
Camping and hiking are the most adventurous activities for most adventure seekers. For those who go out camping in backcountry regions, mountains, and far-off places, surviving the various threats and challenges is the key to enjoying more without risking life.
Getting clean drinking water is crucial because if you are camping in an area where clean water is scarce and you have to thrive on the muddy water streams, you should be having a portable water filtration and purification system to avoid waterborne protozoa, parasites, germs, bacteria, and viruses.
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Now if you start looking at the available options you might feel confused and may not know what you should be looking for in that case.
Here is how you can get the best water filter that you can take with you anywhere without burdening your backpack.
Here is a quick preview of our top 5:
#1, MSR Guardian Filter and Purifier
#2, Katadyn BeFree Water purification, and Filtration System
#3, Survivor Filter PRO Water Filter for Camping
Table of Contents
Top 5 Best Camping Water Filters
Here are our top 6 handpicked water filters and purifiers that would be best for camping and hiking and are truly helpful in getting clean and clean drinking water:
#1, MSR Guardian Filter and Purifier
MSR is a great choice if you need a military-grade, high-end water purification system. It purifies the contaminated water from viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and dirt. No matter what kind of water source you have this will help you get drinking water without any doubt.
The filtration system is made to match the NSF standards that ensure the filter has medical-grade high-quality filtration fibers to filter out all the microorganisms found in water. It is a quick action filter that delivers 2.5 liters each minute. It can deliver 10,000 liters easily without disrupting.
It is specially designed to match the needs of the campers and hikers and can perform well under severe conditions like tripping, cold weather, heavy-duty work, and any kind of severe environmental conditions. It weighs only 17.3 ounces so there is no weight or burden to deal with. It self-cleans so maintenance needs are low.
Pros
- Wipes out all microorganisms and viruses
- Heavy-duty performance
- Meets standards by NFS
- Perfect for hikers and campers
- 2.5 liters per minute capacity
- Durable and lightweight
Cons
- Pricey as compared to others
#2, Katadyn BeFree Water purification, and Filtration System
For campers, it is essential to get a portable water filtration and purification system that allows them to get clean drinking water from any water source. This one comes pretty handily with all the required features that assure a high-quality purification system.
This assures the removal of protozoa, bacteria, viruses, and even chemicals out of the water and makes sure to give out clean, clear, odorless, and tasteful drinking water.
It works almost in any water condition and is lightweight and easy to work with for easier and better use. The filter stays clean and can be field washed on the go.
Pros
- 0.2-micron glass fiber medium
- Core made of activated carbon for improved taste
- Filter protection screen
- Increase cartridge life for longer use
- Clears out bacteria, chemicals, algae, viruses
- Remove odors and distasteful elements
- Lightweight
Cons
- Not resistant to tripping and may break
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#3, Survivor Filter PRO Water Filter for Camping
Survivor filter offers a complete package for the easier, quicker filtration and water purification system that you can take in your backpack. The filter is being tested and verified to have the appropriate features to let you drink clean water from any water source.
It is tested to purify water 99.999 percent of the various protozoa that are found in contaminated water. It also is capable to remove metals and viruses through triple purification using a .01 micron medium. With the help of an ultra-filtration system, the odors and distasteful objects are removed from the water.
The carbon fiber and dual hollow membrane keep everything that is harmful away from getting seeped into the water, making it clear that you get high-quality drinking water no matter what the water source is.
It is durable made up of ABS and makes sure it would not break easily. With the lifetime warranty, detailed user manual, cup, and travel bag this is a complete water-filtration solution for hikers and campers.
Pros
- Give out High-quality drinking water from any source you have
- Easy to use and maintain
- Long-lasting and durable
- Medical grade filter cartridge
- odor and a taste improvement
- .01 micron filter
- Remove bacteria, viruses, dirt
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- The plunge handle may break
- Have to carry extra cartridges
# 4, COSUPA Outdoor Water Microfilter
COSUPA water filter is another portable solution for backpackers and hikers to get clean and clear water from any source of water they have. The filter offers 600ml per minute of water filtrations for easier water processing. The triple-action filtration consists of three layers, the pre-filter layer, the AC filter, and the MU filter that removes dirt, germs, microorganisms, viruses, and bacteria.
The antibacterial carbon filter and UF membrane make sure to give 99.999 percent clean and clear water.
The filter meets and surpasses the WQA standards hence offer high-quality drinking water no matter where you are getting the source. It improves taste and removes odors for a better drinking experience. It is portable and lightweight and is very easy to carry anywhere along, in your backpack. The filter cleans 3000 liters hence offer longer filter life and easy to clean unclogging systems.
Pros
- Durable and piston
- 0.01-micron filtration
- Meets WQA standard
- Removes 99.999 percent of germs
- Lightweight
- Easy to set up and use
- Longer cartridge life
- Lifetime warranty
#5, Sawyer MINI Water Filtration System
Sawyer Mini is a complete water filtration system that assures water filtration at its best no matter how contaminated the water is, the end products are surely drinkable. It is compact, lightweight, and easy to carry anywhere. It is just 2 oz and has a .1 micron hollow fiber membrane. The gadget comes with a pouch, disposable water bottles, and hydration packs. The filter removes 99.999 percent of all harmful germs and bacteria like E.coli, Cholera, and other protozoans.
The filtration system comes in 1,2 and 4 pack sets that include MINI filters, reusable squeeze pouches, drinking straws, and cleaning plungers.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Lightweight and durable
- Compact and easy to carry
- Gives 99.999 percent clean water
Cons
- Small-sized capacity
- Sucking water needs effort
Things You Need To Know Before Getting The Best Camping Water Filter
For water filtration systems that you may carry along in your backpacks for camping and hiking, you have to look for certain features. These features focus on the convenience and the capability of the filter to give the cleanest, clearest, and safest water to drink.
The type of filter or purifier you need
You can find several different styles and types of water filtration systems that you may consider taking along for camping. These could be:
- Filtration straws
- Gravity filtration
- Chemical filter
- UV filtration
- Filtration bottles
- Pump filter systems
These are some of the very popular filtration systems that people use to take on their camping and hiking trips.
Consider Filtration And Purification Very Seriously
Make sure you know either you are looking for a filter only or a purifier. A filter carries away dirt and a purifier helps remove viruses and a vast range of protozoans. So if you are looking for higher quality water purification, it is better to get a purifier.
The Weight And Size Of The System
Campers need to keep the backpack as lightweight as possible. So make sure to get a water purifier or a filter that is lightweight and compact.
Life Of The Filter Cartridges
Look for the cartridges that work for more than 3000 liters of filtration so that you don’t have to clean and change them frequently.
Water Flow And Ease Of Obtaining Water
You should choose the filter that offers an easy and quick flow of water so that the hassles are at the least of using the filtration system.
Water Flow And Ease Of Obtaining Water
You should choose the filter that offers an easy and quick flow of water so that the hassles are at the least of using the filtration system.
Quick Dry And Breathable
Quick-dry and breathable hats help in staying cool and stay away from sweating during extreme heat conditions.
Pores and Filters
Most commonly a filter with .01 micron is considered the best for optimum filtration and purification. So you have to look if the filter comes with the tiniest pores to filter out and give you the best-purified water you need.
Quality of water and level of purification provided
If the purifier gives the 99.999 percent purified water that is odorless and with no awful taste then it’s the best one you need.
Durability
Durability matters a lot because flimsy purifiers may not work if they can break every time they fell on the ground.
Concluding that we cannot survive camping and hiking adventures without having the best camping water filter systems, we should choose a perfect system that assures clean water from sources we have that are otherwise not usable. So, to get the best, comparing the features and capacity to purify and other things like that is the key to find a perfect camping water filter as your essential survival kit before your next camping adventure.