19 Best Backpacking Water Purification (2023 Update)

I have been using my Vario for 10 years of backpacking/hunting and am very happy with it. I've never been sick from the water I processed through it even when drawing from springs and creeks that livestock have used. The paper filter is expensive but it can be made to last a long time by never bypassing the Ceramic filter. People mention that the pump will leak around the head but this is just a sigh that the ceramic filter is plugged and needs to be cleaned with the supplied pad. It's easy to do in the field. Pumping with a clogged ceramic filter causes a pressure build up in the pump and that is what eventually lead to the demise of my Vario. The pump head broke around the thread lugs that hold the works together. I couldn't find a replacement part available. This is the only reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five.YolloBolly

I owned this same filter in my first 9 years of hiking. In an effort to lighten my load (from 15 oz down to about 4 oz), I went to a different filtering system and gave this one to my daughter. After about 5 or 6 hikes, I've decided to cut weight from my pack elsewhere. I missed the speed with which I could gather/filter water. Am excited to have this one back in my pack!Buz

I love this water filter and the fact that it can be attached to my wide-mouth Nalgene bottle. I mainly use the lesser filter setting and it always works perfectly for most water I've come across. I've only had to use the heavier filter setting when I was stuck having to use some swampy-looking water. After filtering, the water still had a bit of a light-brownish tinge, but was clear and to my surprise, actually tasted fine. Would highly recommend!Laura S.

This is my favorite filter!! It really fits my style of camping/hiking/backpacking very well. When we get to a water source and the whole crew needs to fill up, this thing cranks out filtered water ready to drink! It's got a great flow rate with the pump, no need to wait on a gravity fed filter and you can fill up everyone's bottle just a lot more conveniently than smaller options out there in my opinion. This is not really an ultralight filter but I don't think weight is an issue at all. It does take up a bit more pack room than other filters, again, worth the space to me. Water is important and I think this filter is worth its weight and space to bring with you on the trail!Gordie

For years I have relied on the various "aqua pills" and the usual after taste which is better then getting sick out in the boonies! This little gem is compact and light weight and a must have whether hiking, camping or kayaking etc. for the long haul and no more carrying the extra water weight. Follow the easy set up directions and you are ready for the long haul with no worries about your health when there is scenery to enjoy. This model is exceptionally easy so easy to operate a squirrel could do it and does not take long at all to refill a couple 32 oz. water bottles or more if your are the pack mule type or a water baby in a kayak. I highly recommend this filter and for the price, low weight and being compact it is a steal.and a refreshing smile wonderful gulp of clean fresh water without the worries. Happy Trails my Friends…….Mainah26

I've owned this for 10yrs and run it in conjunction with a Sweetwater silt filter on the intake side. This is a very durable, reliable combo and I have no complaints. I've just replaced the element for the first time as the pump's slowed down a little bit over the years. I use it for 3-4 weeks a year of backpacking with a few odd days of remote car camping where there isn't a well pump for water. Most of the source water I filter is from clear running mountain streams, lakes and snowmelt runoff in the N Rockies, with the occasional batch of silty glacial stream water which I let settle in a dromedary before filtering. I had one failure last year where the intake hose nipple broke while I was removing the hose to pack it into it's bag on the last water fill hiking out on a 4 day trip. I could have kept filtering by sticking the butt end of the filter in the water so it wouldn't have cut the trip short or relegated me to boiling if it'd happened earlier. When I got to town I bought a $3 threaded brass fitting with a hose barb, screwed it into the intake recess of the pump body and it's performed perfectly since. In fact it's probably stronger since the more vulnerable plastic nipple is gone. Here's my post trip maintenance procedure when I return home: Flush it with a 1/2 to 1 oz of bleach added to a liter of water in a Nalgene as per the mfg instructions & thoroughly pump the excess solution out. I then remove the elements on the the Hiker and Sweetwater silt filter and let them air dry a couple days. I lube the rubber O ring around the element before reassembly with the provided silicone lube, you don't need a wrench to remove the element the next time when you do this! Lastly, I remove the plunger retainer clip, pull the plunger out, lube the plunger O ring seal with the silicone lube and reassemble. Also, if the outer layers of the silt filter element get dirty, and they will, I shave them off with a pocket knife as needed and replace after a 2 or 3 shaving cycles. I know I wouldn't have gotten 10yrs out of the main element, no clogs, without the Sweetwater pre-filter!A C

I am always pleased with my purchases and have recommended them often. The LifeStraw is so convenient and affordable. I have given them as gifts and everyone is so impressed by the taste of the water no matter what the conditions they are experiencing. I also really like it that the company uses money from each sale to help those in remote places to have clean water to drink. Thank you all, for all you do.Sandy G.

The LifeStraw description states it filters up to 264 Gallons, and it will probably filter well over 300 gallons, but after about 120 gallons you'll be sucking so hard you'll wish you bought a filter with a better flow rate. Even new, the LifeStraw requires a good suck to get water filtered through it. The LifeStraw's flow rate is much less than the Sawyer Mini which is back flushable and is guaranteed for 100,000 gallons. And the sawyers filtration is twice as good. As an avid outdoors enthusiast, I have numerous Water Filters, 2 hand pump water filters (MSR & PUR) that stay in the garage, and 6 Sawyer Filters (3 Mini; 1 Squeeze & a 4 Liter) and along with the two LifeStraws. (One with about 150 gallons through it.) I use my filters mostly in clean streams in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, San Gabriels, and occasionally in Southern Utah and in Northern Arizona and I catch and prefilter all my water before it it sees the water filter. In addition to the Sawyer, another excellent option is the Renovo Trio, but for me the filter replacement costs are expensive and my friend who used one on our last trip had a problem with the Renovo's threads that connect to the mouthpiece. (The Renovo filter was replaced by Walmart for free) The LifeStraw does work, but for the same price you are much better off with the Sawyer Mini, The Sawyer is almost half the weight and size and if you have common sense, much more versatile and easier to use due to the Sawyers much faster flow rate. Whatever filter you chose to purchase remember to remove the water from your filter before you store it. Again it does work so 3 Stars, but the Sawyer Mini far outclasses the LifeStraw.SoCalJ

Used this water filter bottle as my main filtration for 4 days on the Kalalau trail and it worked great. As with anything, use it before you hit the trail so you know how it works. Being able to dip into the streams at water stops and immediately drink filtered water did a lot for us on trail. We used this to filter into our water reservoirs as well. On day two I sprung a small leak. Hobbled back with a taped up bottle, but it kept doing its thing. I returned it when I got back, as the bottle is covered by warranty. I'm replacing it with what I wish I would have done in the first place (as it's the same cost), the Befree Filter with the Hydrapak 2L Seeker bag. This is reviewed as a stronger bag and has additional carrying capacity, for the same price.Solus

This product is honestly terrible and Katadyn should be ashamed to have even brought it to market. At first it seemed great, the bag was relatively easy to fill, it held a lot of water and it filtered easily. Unfortunately two days into the trip the filter slowed to a trickle and despite the 'easy clean' it's advertised to have the filter rate never improved. It seriously takes some vigorous swishing in sparkling clean water in order to keep this thing from stopping all together. Even when we brought it home, there was nothing we could do to get the filter back to where it was early on. The bag also sprung a leak after only a few uses, likely because we had to put so much pressure on it to get the water to filter at a reasonable rate. The only redeeming feature is that you can set it up as a gravity filter and leave it to slowly fill your water while doing other things (seriously, it's like an IV drip). Another small benefit is that it's slightly easier to fill than the comparable Sawyer pouches, the downside is that to fill it in still water requires a lot of swishing back and forth which tends to stir up muck causing the filter to drain even more slowly. Because of this, on one trip we actually ended up deciding to push on to a better water source despite being exhausted for fear that the filter would stop working entirely. This lead to a bad fall on tired legs and while, yes, the filter didn't literally push my partner off the trail, this just underlines why it's so important to have solid, functional gear in the backcountry because it can impact your decision making in important moments. Next to my Sawyer which has held up for 7 years filtering water from Minnesota to Madagascar to Washington, I'm not sure why anyone would spend the extra $10 on such a poorly designed flop of a filter. Unless you're wanting a single use filter for already clean water, don't buy this it's an incredible waste of time and money.Julia M

I love this filter! I've had it for a couple years now and it's super lightweight and easy to use. I will eventually have to get another cap/filter for it, but I've probably filtered 50 qts of water through it so far, and it's just starting to get a little harder to squeeze. The mouth is large enough and flexible enough to get under even the smallest trickle of water. You can leave the water in the filter and drink directly out of it, or just squeeze it into your nalgene and then store the empty folded-up bottle in your pack. We took this BFree on a 3 day backpacking trip where another person had a classic pumping-type filter, but my BFree pumped water faster so all 5 of us ended up just using it. You do have to take some care with it as the plastic could get a tear or hole in it if you just shove it in your pack alongside something sharp, but if you're careful I think it will last a long time. It is great for filtering out amoebas like giardia in probably any water in the backcountry of North America, but it does NOT filter out viruses and very small organisms, so it's not appropriate for use in developing countries where you need to filter out some deadly diseases.GSquare

The LifeStraw collapsible squeeze bottle system was super handy to have out on the trail. As someone that HAS run out of water backpacking before without a backup (that's never happening again), this is wildly handy! The water tasted great, and I had no problem using it at all. I will definitely be getting the larger size too! I love that the filter is so adaptable and can be backwashed and used with multiple LifeStraw systems. I could absolutely see bringing this while traveling in case of unsafe drinking water. It's so much better than constantly buying bottled water, which we do often when traveling in Mexico and Europe. As a rock climber and backpacker, access to water is always so important and can be a challenge depending on how far you are going. I felt confident drinking water straight from the river, and even if we have a larger water filter on a trip, I will be bringing this as a backup! So far, the squeezy bag has been highly durable and if the bag does break, I can always use the filter with a regular plastic water bottle. Literally, everyone should own one of these in case of emergencies. Keep it in your car, during travel, and of course, backpacking or camping. This item is going straight in with my first aid and emergency kit!Rebecca

I ALWAYS carry a water filter when I work in the woods. Today I forgot to bring extra water for a 12hr day out in the Forest, and lucky me had my #LifeStraw with me, so I could take advantage of all the water this monsoon season has brought to the desert & mountains!! Both the personal water filter straw and collapsible squeeze water filter bottle systems are extremely easy to use. They're lightweight and pack down to take literally anywhere (and I recommend you take them everywhere!). The collapsible bottle is durable and nicely flexible. It didn't leak any water after throwing it in my backpack and hiking around all day. It also was pretty easy to fill from a few streams we crossed. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually preferred to use this collapsible one over the straw filter attached to a bottle. I'm used to the filter-to-bottle type of filter, so it was really nice to get to drink from a more normal seeming bottle. Felt like drinking out of one of my hydration-vest chest-pocket bottles, actually. The filters performed exactly as they should and even better than expected. I was not expecting the flavor of the water to be so good, it was way better tasting than the water I had previously been drinking out of my water bottle. It had no taste, per say, but was especially crisp and fresh! Over the years I've used many types of water filtration systems. I've worked as a wildlife tech for the last 8 years and I'm also an avid outdoorsperson in my free time, and I do NOT go into the woods without a way to filter water. I recommend this for anyone who goes into the "wild". Or anyone who just wants to make their water taste great. Better to be over-prepared than under, and these products make it easier than ever to feel prepared. Disclosure: LifeStraw gave me this free product to try.Mollie L.

I used this filter on a backpacking trip and noticed particulate and very small white fibers in the water after filtration. I called Sawyer and spoke to customer service, who stated the filter was not functioning properly, possibly due to freezing, exposure to bleach or purifying tabs. I explained that the filter was never exposed to those things. I was shocked that sawyer does not have a manufacturer defect warranty on their Micro. Sawyer does not stand behind their products.Daniel Wu

First couple trips with this were great. The freedom was really enjoyable, bring a pouch and the Sawyer and sip as you move through the wilderness. As time went on, flow started to slow. Squeezing pouches to force water through got tougher and tougher. Finally decided to follow the instructions in their back flush video, including soaking it in hot water and many, many back flushes. My frustration culminated when I brought it to Yosemite and had to squeeze my pouches with all my might to generate any flow. Setting up a gravity system produced absolutely ZERO flow. I never ever filtered very silty or turbid water. Stuck to moving water when I could and if the water was still, tried to scoop from the top, not disturb the bottom dirt, etc. It is quite frustrating to have a filter simply not function in the field. I feel I’ve made more than a reasonable effort in maintaining it.philadendron

Fell in love with the Sawyer Mini on the AT in 2016 after my in-line gravity fed filter system froze in the Smokey Mountains. Upgraded to Sawyer Squeeze. Enjoyed the very rapid filtration rate! Experimented with the Micro Squeeze while doing the Virginia triple crown in 2021. Micro Squeeze was definitely lighter than the Squeeze, but had a much slower filter rate. My hiking partner got tired of waiting for me to filter water and loaned me his Squeeze. Since then, I’ve returned to using the Squeeze. Bottom line, if weight is truly an issue, go with the Micro, but expect to spend more time filtering water. For me, life is too short, so I went back to the Squeeze.Mark S.

Misses the mark. The filter seems to work well and the bottle is nice, but the straw doesn't fold all the way back down into the cap and will sometimes leak. This is my only issue with the product itself, but at this price point, I expect the bottle to be watertight. Product aside, the return policy is overly restrictive in my opinion and takes way too long (it took 34 days to receive a refund after submitting a return request). Please also be aware that LARQ only accepts "unused LARQ products within 30 days of their purchase date". I'm guessing this means you won't be eligible for a refund if your straw turns out defective like mine did. For context, I ordered the "LARQ Bottle Filtered Set with PureVis™ Cap", but the two parts of the order were delivered on different days. I needed the whole set before I left for a backcountry trip, but all I had was the LARQ Bottle PureVis™ Cap, so I ordered another LARQ Bottle Filtered on Amazon and shipped it to where I'd be traveling. The LARQ Bottle Filtered I had ordered from their website was delivered to my house after I left for the trip, so I decided to just return the one from LARQ when I got back and use/keep the one from Amazon. However, in order to start a warranty claim, I was told that I needed to register the product first using a code underneath the bottle. This meant that I couldn't begin the process until I returned home from my trip. I did so, submitting the warranty claim within the 30-day timeframe, but emailing back and forth took 7 days, pushing me outside the 30-day window. Fortunately, after a long email explaining my situation, the LARQ team was accommodating and let me know that I was still eligible for a refund. It did take 22 days to receive a refund after I sent in the product for inspection, but this could be USPS or the supply chain's fault rather than LARQ's fault. This product might definitely be for some people, but if you're considering it, make sure you're willing to accept the risk of a faulty straw/cap with no possibility for a refund. Otherwise, it's a solid product that just seems to need a bigger customer support team and a few tweaks to the straw design. Just my two cents! P.S. LARQ UX team, please fix the review box! It bounces up and down every time I type a new character 🙂 Also please allow .heic photo uploads! I tried converting from .heic to .jpeg which worked for me, but this issue might be stopping people from uploading photos.Olivier B.

I was thinking for over a Month if I should buy this product. After thinking I personally did because I thought this would replace all water bottles. Pro: – Great design! I love it – Well built its extremely well built – carabiner works well Cons: – Sipping is EXTREMLY hard – if you really want to drink big sips your basically have to hurt your mouth by ******* very hardly. – I don’t taste a significant difference in the taste of water Personally I dont use it anymore since it’s super unconvienent to **** this hard to get a tiny bit of water if you are really thirsty.Hieu D.

Purchased as a gift for a friend that is travelling to South America. I wanted to give her something useful – and a bottle that makes her drinking water safe seemed like the best option. The messaging, marketing and comms of the LARQ bottle brand is around how it filters more than other bottles et al. However, after giving the (pricey) gift to my friend, she sent a photo of the 'safety' instructions written in the user manual. 'Filter is intended for use with municipal tap water only.' — if so, why is the comms video showing a person filling their water in a creek and safely drinking it? If so, why are we purchasing a pricey bottle that is poised to filter out metals, chemicals and toxins that others supposedly cannot. Now, we're not even sure whether she's able to use this water bottle on her trip or not, and that feels quite disappointing.Jelena T.

My son and I recently traveled from NY to FL to visit colleges and family, then traveled back. We packed this for "just in case" we needed water from anywhere to drink or what not. Glad we did. The tap water in our hotel in Florida had a horrible sulfur smell to it. I am a huge water drinker and when I realized the situation, I immediately grabbed this water bottle for filtering, and consumption. It worked great! Unfortunately, when we returned home and I was cleaning things and putting it away, the cap/nozzle end for the clean water broke from the cap. Wondering if I need to purchase a whole new filter, or can I just get the replacement end for the filter? Regardless, this was a very handy for our travels and will be taking it again with me.Linda R.

It like this; especially it's flexibility (of application, not the bottle itself…well, that too). But one issue is removing the filter from the bottle. Inserting it is a bit snug, but removal is difficult because going that direction (removing) the leading edge if the bottom fitting isn't beveled as is its other edge. We got two of these and one was merely a bit difficult to remove. The other required more twisting and tugging than seemed either reasonable or safe. It's better after using an X-acto knife to both SLIGHTLY enlarge the inside neck of the bottle and to bevel the lower edge of the filter‚ÄĒbut why should I have to do that?Rob1

Can never go wrong with Lifestraw. I purchased this last minute for a long distance backcountry trek so I’d also have a bottle. I like that it can be folded when it’s empty and doesn’t take up much space/weight. The reason I gave it 4 start instead of 5 is that it’s hard to unscrew – you really have to use your muscle, but at least it doesn’t leak!Jennifer N.

I’m speaking honestly as a current user of the Alexapure water filter system. I’ve had the filter system for years and recently, meaning last couple years the Alexapure filters I’ve been buying are not working properly. I follow the recommended set up and make sure there is no water up inside the filter spout. Recently the last 4 filters have been absolutely horrible. They start dripping about 1 per second then within minutes slow to 1 drip every 5-10sec. It took 5 hrs to filter 2” in of water, unacceptable. I will say that camping survival replaced one of the last 3 filters but the one they sent was no better so I asked for another replacement. They made me jump through unending hoops and finally I just called the Alexapure company directly. After explaining my situation to the company she said this will be the last replacement filter for me. I explained I only had it for 2 days! The previous one stopped filtering after 42 gallons. I only filter treated city water. She stated they can’t just keep replacing filters. Mmm! My thinking is if your selling a $100 water filter and your not willing to stand behind it your company is dishonest! It’s already dishonest stating the amount of gallons these filters will filter. They don’t even come close to what they state. The final words from the company was “ This is the last time!” So the company has forced me to give them a 1 Star google review because they will no longer stand behind their product. I will also be leaving reviews at other sites. I will no longer recommend Alexapure to anyone. They are deceitful and have bad business practices. Stay away from them is my warning to possible future buyers.Rocketship 1000

I did a lot of research comparing every-day and emergency water purification systems and ultimately narrowed down to the Alexapure Pro and Berkey and found the Alexapure Pro to be superior in more than one area. I especially liked the fact that their filters are pre-primed and Camping Survival’s Customer Service assured me as long as they are perfectly sealed; I could rest assured an emergency supply will be good for long-term storage. (See YouTube re thoughts on priming Berkey filters.) Three things I liked better about the Berkey: 1 qt size option for specific purpose, the shiny SS finish (I really wanted the shiny one), and the water-view spigot option (I just purchased a compatible one thru Amazon). For my needs; it came down to the cost and the pre-primed filters. I kept my eye on the Alexapure Pro for a sale and purchased one for our home, plus one for each of our three kids’ homes (all were very happy to receive theirs). THANK YOU CAMPING SURVIVAL not only for offering the Alexapure Pro and their filters on-sale, but also for your great service and speedy delivery of our products!Patty A.

The importance of clean water is completely underestimated. Not only are you helping yourself but you are helping the environment. Water bottles are an unnecessary over abundance of plastics, not to mention the micro plastics that get distributed into the body from water bottles. Ive been doing research and stumbled upon MyPatriotSupplies water filter. Im familiar with the site because ive browsed the emergency food supply in the past and read up on the company, its a family usa made company. Beautiful! The material they use to make their filter is phenomenal, durable and reliable. The effort put into their gravity block filter is immensely appreciated. Thank you my patriot supply for keeping me and my family healthy! Sending lots of love and praying for saftey for you and your family in this chaotic world.Jovanna T.

Great products and filters overall their quality and filtration is top notch reason for the one star is due to customer service lack of dealing with an issue and not providing efficient help when dealing with an issue. They spent multiple emails just arguing and making a point across when asking for two O rings for my shower filter mind you I’ve.placed 4 orders with themDean Femera

Happy with the stainless steel, but unsure about the plastic washers and handle on the spigot. I’d prefer to have all stainless. Otherwise it has fit easily into my kitchen and routine as a single who cooks a lot.Hilary H.

I believe this is a necessary item for people concerned about consuming healthy water. Todays public water is not filtered for microscopic bacteria, fungi or virus. This products filtration system captures these pathogens. Many other products do not provide the micro filtration needed. For anyone with lung or immune issues, please do the research and you too will get this product. I recently traveled and knew I was drinking safe water at each location. I found the bottle easy to refill and carry. I purchased more as gifts. If you are returning to travel, I highly recommend this product to safeguard your health.Vicki B.

My daughter studied overseas for a semester. I knew she would be traveling to locations that may not have clean water available. She traveled with her university to Morocco for two weeks with a group of about 8 other students. My daughter was the only one with a Lifestraw filter and bottle. They did travel to areas where clean water was not be available.. My daughter’s lifestraw was used by the entire group. None of the students got sick. Lifestraw was an absolute necessity for this group of students. They all had a good trip and returned healthy. Thank you Lifestraw!Jana

Excellent product with great customer service backing it up! I travel a lot and don’t have access to pure water when I’m traveling outside of buying single use plastic bottles. This is the perfect thing to refill in airports, public restroom sinks, people’s kitchen sinks, anywhere you can get water… I can’t tell you how much plastic and money I’ve saved using this thing the past 2 years. In addition, my stomach is very sensitive to chlorine or bacteria in the water, so being able to drink all my water through the life straw filter is a huge blessing for me. Would highly recommend! If you plan to store it in between uses, I’d also recommend looking through the storage procedures, as they are not listed in the user manual and I did it wrong the first time and ruined my first filter. The company was nice enough to send me a second one free of charge, which I very much appreciated!Mitch

Purchased a year or so ago because a friend had one and they recommend it, first trip we filtered 30L+ of water and it worked amazing. Properly cleaned and stored the system, made sure to run water through to check system was still working before stored. One year later brought out the system and took it on the same trip, the smallest trickle of water was coming through, we tried everything to try and get it to work and even had the manual with us! After an hour of fussing with it, we took out the filter and plugged a Sawyer Mini filter into the system that we had for backup and emergencies, and we had water at a fast rate. It really put a damper to the trip having to troubleshoot the thing in 95°F weather. I am not happy that the filter only worked for the one time, I took such good care of it to make sure it didn't freeze or take a tumble or bump and it worked after it was cleaned and stored for the first use. Also the grommets on the dirty bag popped out and will have to find a repair so I don't loose the entire bag to a tear through.Skifter

I have had this system for two years. I have used it on 4 trips. It is fantastic! It filters 4.0L very quickly (+/- 5 min). The water tastes great… MUCH better than using tablets. They’re are two issues I have found. 1. the “ziplock” feature on the ‘dirty’ bag. It is a real challenge to zip the bag by simply pressing the zip together. If they upgraded the design to have an actual zip like mechanism on the bag (like the new and improved zip-lock bags), the issue would be no more… easy , easy collection of dirty water and sealing of bag for optimal use. 2. The cap for the clean water bag should have a valve spout, which would facilitate the pouring of clean water without spillage. Apart from those issues that I find very frustrating, the whole system is great! Thanks for your consideration.JCH MPR 2022

My wife and I heavily utilize the Platypus System on every single one of our backpacking trips. We also have our pup with us, so filtering a large amount of water at once is a major plus. For the past 10 years it hasn't failed us once. Take care in colder temps, as the filter can freeze which will ruin it. We take the filter off and store it in the tent with us at night. The Platypus is built extremely rugged, and can definitely handle hanging from rough branches and up against rocks without tearing or puncturing. Super easy to use as well. Fill up the dirty and let gravity do it's thing. The weight isn't bad either considering you can split it up when with a partner or in a larger group. I highly recommend the Platypus not only for it's filtering ability and durability, but the fact that you can refill your Nalgene's and have plenty of extra for getting the boiling water ready for dinner. Never go backpacking without it!bandr27

I bought this before a trip to Colombia. It didn't last more than 3 days. Temperamental – frustrating to use. Does not work in water bottles as requires very wide mouth to the container in order to submerge to the handle in order for it to work. This makes it useless if you are trying to refill water bottles while out and about. Finally, while I recognize this product is made of glass, it is far, far too fragile for any practical use in a realistic travel environment. The outside layer of glass shattered after being knocked over on the counter. I still have the packaging and would have tried to return it however could not safely carry back the remains of the product. Very upset at having spent so much money on a completely useless product. Gave 1 star as system does not allow me to give a "zero star" ratingPracticaltraveler

The Steripens have been getting a lot of attention as of late, and for good reason. These pens use UV light to purify water. They are best used to purify water in a nalgene-type bottle or container. These are lightweight and are reliable. It only purifies 16-32 ounces per 1-2 minutes, so this would not be a good option if you wanted to purify many gallons of water. You'll be stirring water in a bottle for hours if you did that. A filter would better suit those needs. The steripen doubles as a light source…so you can carry it with you and use it as a light when you make an night trip to fetch water at the creek.Zach

I have had this for a about three years now. Still works great. Never had a problem so long as I’ve had extra batteries. We’ve only used in Canada but on extensive backcountry trips from costal BC through the interior and all throughout the Alberta Rockies and prairies. Never been sick, including my now 9 year old son. Honestly don’t know why more people don’t use this system particularly when water is snow/glacier fed and moving. It is a super light weight, simple and minimal system for water treatment. I will keep using until it fails but in my opinion it is a good solution to the bulky and complex filtration systems when it isn’t necessary for non-turbid water.Exploradora

When water is basic for the basic to live. If you want clean water, no odors/smells but real reliable drinking water . . . You might consider a water filter. At home might be easy to have clean water. The issue is out home. To carry your water or buy it (pay for it) no more. I found a solution with Sawyer Filter System. I think about Sawyer Filter as serious people who get me serious solution for clean water. Now, see clean water available every where. I do always leave home with a mini Sawyer, just to have the best possible drinking water for me and my people, my family. I really take 1 to 3 Sawyers available and ready to go out with my family. A mania? I'd say awareness about water that "looks" translucent but you kow, it can be better. No body care more than you for the "yours" but yourselve. So, take a Sawyer for you and the beloved. Health is all about! Try it for a week and you, about good drinking water, well you will think different. By the way, I'm a just a teacher, I don't sell filters.haro-moli

I bought the Sawyer Squeeze filter a few years ago after hearing rave reviews from other hikers and bought the Mini to replace it after it failed. I had trouble filling the bags in ponds and springs (it really only works well if there's a vertical drop in the water like a small waterfall or cascade) but could work around that by using another container to pour water into the bag so that was not a deal-breaker. No, the real issue I have had with both filters is that they are impossible to clean if they get moldy. Sure, if you're extremely careful and backwash it before storage it'll stay clean but how many times do you arrive home from a hike exhausted and unable to do anything except sleep and maybe shower first and completely forget to backwash your filter? After a trip where I noticed my filtered water tasted foul, I attempted to clean the filter with bleach and also vinegar. Neither worked, the filter was still moldy and when I wrote to the Sawyer company for advice they never wrote back. (I suppose I should have called but I didn't get a chance to.) The same thing happened with the Mini when I replaced the regular Squeeze. Both times I'd only used the filter a handful of times. In any case, even if you are a diligent post-hike cleaner and backwash and dry out your Sawyer every single time you use it, it's bound to get moldy at some point and not being able to take the device apart and clean it at all is a major design flaw. I am seriously considering buying an old-school pump filter because I know they are easily cleanable (and that they work better in standing water doesn't hurt either).Slow Gin Lizz

Love the Sawyer mini filters. They can be used for travel or around the home. There are some countries where I filter the bottled water and these are great. The versatility of these things is great. They can be used as a straight filter, in line with a camel back, put on a water bottle or setup for larger filtration. If they get clogged over time, there is a syringe to simply back wash the filter.Spooker

Got our lifestraw home last home. I was really excited to find one that was glass because we try not to use plastic. It came in the mail and it was plastic. I was disappointed. Tried contacting lifestraw and the shipping to return it was almost as much as the item itself so we decided to keep the plastic one. We've been using it about a month and I noticed it was leaking. There are multiple cracks in it and the water is leaking out. Not looking forward to trying to get a refund since my experience with customer service when they sent us a plastic one instead of glass was not helpful at all.Blakely M.

First off…I don't normally write reviews. But after reading Granpas review today I had to say something…After spending three months in the Philippines where clean water for cooking, cleaning and drinking is a truly scarce commodity I can safely say that the life straw family is superior in all ways that matters than a Brita. The statement that a Brita filter is better is misleading and dangerous. From the Brita site ‚ÄúThe Brita¬ģ LONGLAST¬ģ filter is not intended to purify water. Do not use with water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality without adequate disinfection before or after the system. Individuals requiring water of special microbiological purity should follow the advice of their doctor or local health officials regarding the use and consumption of their tap water and Brita filtered water.‚ÄĚ. Lifestraw is a must for anyone going to a third world country, who has relatives there or for any flood victims this is far more practical than bottled waters on any kind of long term basis I don't normally write reviews period todayAfter spending three months in the shopping we are clean drinking water is there into premiumP H.

We purchased one of these back in 2019 for a family member and it changed their life. They no longer need to boil their water for safe drinking- which cuts down on local air pollution and asthma symptoms. Our young son looked at their water from the bore hole and then the filtered water and was astonished by the amount of dirt they had been drinking. I've also noticed, we aren't hearing about family members being sick as frequently. About 6 months later, we sent another filter back for another family member and it has also been life changing – no more boiling drinking water and no more purchasing bottled water. And now, in 2021, here I am in Kenya with a 3rd filter I purchased for our travel. We have been in hotels, apartment, and home stay. We've brought the filter to each place and been filtering it into a large empty water 10liter jug. While purchasing bottled water here is not expensive, it does contribute to single-use plastics and a considerable amount of litter alongside side roads, throughout the villages, and even inside home compounds. There is no recycling here, so anything we can do to cut-down on the environmental impacts is a positive. Empty water bottles end up as litter or are burned- either way its creating pollution. We will leave this filter for another family member when we leave.Erin H.

This is a superb filter. It is ultralight, and well thought out. I strongly disagree with the other comments about flow rate. I can get a bout 1L in 20-30 seconds with significant pressure. Sure, maybe if you have weak wrists it is slower, but really what difference does 30 more seconds make on your hiking trip? The first few liters of water do come out slow until all of the air is out of the filter tubes, once it is saturated it is much faster. I use this for hiking, trail running, cycle touring, travelling and camping. it is the best filter i have ever bought and i can see anything better being made anytime soon. i liked my Katydine hiker pro, but it is way heavier, bulkier and unnecessary for a mostly solo adventurer like me. i also like the pump bladder, it can double as an auxiliary water reservoir on the trail. Don't let it freeze, i accidentally let mine freeze and will happily buy another.Jason

I just got done hiking the Presidential Range of the Application Trial in NH. It was an amazing hike. Being the toughest part of the AT, I did not want to carry lots of water with me each day, so I purchased the QuickDraw™ Microfilter System. I was excited that I could fill up in the small streams on-the-go. The filter worked great and was convenient. I was even able to get clean (& cold from the stream) water to others hiking who needed more water. A gentle squeeze of the bag would get the "dirty" water flowing through the filter well enough to drink while hiking. I really enjoyed the "lid/cap" part of the filter. It closes when not in use and makes sure that "dirty" water does not get into the clean side of the filter. It is contoured well to drink out of. I would recommend the QuickDraw™ Microfilter System to anyone. I love that I can take the filter part off and attach it to the most common plastic water bottles available and use it there as well as their lightweight bag(s).Matt M.

I like the mechanical design and the idea around making the filter work with standard water bottles. But there are a few things I noticed: 1) My filter was slow with test filtering tap water right from the start. Out of frustration, I back-flushed and some brown liquid came out. It now filters fine. Could be manufacturing issue. 2) The filtering performance is lower than competitors. They use 0.2 micron pore size filter compared to 0.1 micro for Befree and Sawyer squeeze. Note only log 3 reduction (99.9%) in protozoa versus log 4 (99.99%) for Befree and log 6 (99.999%) for Sawyer Squeeze. This matters for long trips, since you accumulate the risk of infection. Overall not bad, but I likely won't be taking it with me on a long thru hike.TanV

I have the 24 oz Geopress for hiking and camping. I also use it at home to ensure safe drinking water, safe cooking water, and delicious ice cubes in my freezer. But at work the 24 oz is a little much to bring with me. Enter the new 16.9 ounce UltraPress. 16.9 ounces is 500 milliliters for those who use bottled water to drink at work (or at home). Reviewing online levels of heavy metals, particularly arsenic in bottled water, I was alarmed at the high levels. Some brands are better than others, but consider this: using the 16.9 ounce UltraPress at work, whether you fill it from any sink or even any water cooler or filtered water cooler at work, you are ensuring that you will be drinking the finest, healthiest water available on the planet in mere seconds by putting that water source through the UltraPress before drinking it. I won’t go anywhere locally without my conveniently sized 16.9 ounce UltraPress.Jeffrey G.

I purchased the Ultrapress to use primarily when traveling domestically, for the purpose of not having to buy $4 bottles of water in airports, etc. I’ve used it on three such trips so far. Pros: – Water tastes great – I travel light (never check bags) and this is compact enough to fit in both my overnight as well as day trip bags – Cup itself is very solid, well-made; color looks even better in person (I went with blue) – Love the size of the hole for drinking. Can take a good swig without fear of spilling, etc. Cons: – I frequently have small spills of water during the initial press (to begin the filtering of water from the outer reservoir through the filter and into the drinking reservoir). And yes, I follow all directions, I vent the cap, etc. This is a bit of an anomaly though because I’ve had some presses where I don’t spill a drop, and others where I only capture 350 ml of the total 500 ml I started with (the remainder being spilled). I’ve tried pressing slower, etc, and just can’t quite identify yet the secret touch to make it work. – The press takes about 15-20 seconds. Going off memory I think advertised time was 10 seconds, but not a big deal either way. – Again I love the size of the drinking hole, but the cap should have some sort of tether. Just too easy to lose otherwise. Maybe Grayl can produce one for purchase. Summary: I like the bottle, but I’m still trying to figure out if domestic travel in airports, etc is it’s best application. The advertising seems to highlight the filter’s ability to handle natural water sources, where for example a spill on a hiking trail doesn’t matter, unlike on an airport concourse. Also, if you are in an airport the requirement to press requires you to set your bag down and find a suitable place; I no longer use the floor, as recommended by instructions, because of the potential for spills. I don’t want someone to slip in it and I don’t always have the means to clean it up right on the spot. Most airports now have water bottle fillers at the drinking fountains and so I just use the surface of the fountain, or go into the men’s room. All this said, the water itself tastes great and I think the filter is doing a great job. I think this bottle will really shine in an outdoor environment, which of course is the application for which the bottle is marketed in the first place. I will continue to experiment with the pressing and try to perfect, but ultimately may look for another option for airports, etc. The last thing I’d like to note is that customer service was outstanding. I had contacted them regarding the spilling issue I was having, just to make sure I was doing everything correctly. Via an email exchange the rep asked a few questions and verified I was in fact doing things correctly, etc. But again, was very responsive, and a big reason why I decided to keep the bottle, which is expensive, in spite of these imperfections.Chris H.

This is not my first water bottle with a purifier. I have used them for international travel to places where I needed to be concerned about drinking the local water (3rd world countries, etc.). It's honestly fantastic to be able to fill up literally anywhere and not worry about getting sick. No plastic rubbish from purchased bottles, but also you don't have to worry that you'll run out of water and not be able to buy any either. My previous bottles had a filter attached to a straw. I found that the straw leaked – especially with changing pressure due to altitude (including flights), but sometimes just random leaking. Also, you have to suck the water through the filter – sometimes squeezing, which slows down and complicates drinking. Note: also important to me is a quality filter – not just your basic impurities, but viruses and more. All of my bottles have had top filters, including this one. I love that the Grayl is "French press style" filtering. You filter as you fill/assemble, then can drink and/or pour – no sucking. And no leaks. The only thing I don't like about the Grayl: it's heavy for a water bottle. Everything else is perfect, so I won't be giving it up anytime soon. Highly recommend.Wendy R.

We've been using the Berkey Water Filtering System for two years now and have been very happy with it's quality of water and overall product quality. Surprisingly, this product was a big disappointment. There are two issues we had with this portable water purifier bottle: 1) It leaks like crazy from the threaded seam where the cap is screwed onto the body, regardless of how snug and properly seated the cap was twisted on. My wife has arthritis in her hands and twisting it as tight as possible only minimized the leak at best, while defeating its functionality in making it easy for her to refill the bottle without my help. 2) The water from our large Berkey system yields water that tastes great and consistantly remains free of any chemical or unpleasant taste. This portable system's filtered water has a distinctly metallic and otherwise unpleasant taste; the opening of it's larger-than-average sized plastic straw is roughly cut, which makes it uncomfortable to wrap her lips over, and requires an excess of effort in drawing water through it's connected filter pack without squeezing the bottle–not great for someone with poor hand strength or who has arthritis AND each resulting squeeze sends spurts of water shooting out of where the cap thread meets the bottle. All-in-all, a really big disappointment from a company we have come to trust for making a quality product.Peter

I have owned and used the Big Berkey water filter unit for years, and absolutely love it. Fits easily on my kitchen counter, and the quality of water is excellent, removing harmful chemicals etc. This is my second sport Berkey, the first one I gave to my friend. Superior quality materials. easy to use, fantastic for hiking and traveling. I put it in my travel bag, and wherever I go, I can simply add tap water and the filter inside the bottle, quickly becomes purified healthy water. No more bottled water while traveling! I highly recommend this superior product!Deborah P.

I have been using my Vario for 10 years of backpacking/hunting and am very happy with it. I've never been sick from the water I processed through it even when drawing from springs and creeks that livestock have used. The paper filter is expensive but it can be made to last a long time by never bypassing the Ceramic filter. People mention that the pump will leak around the head but this is just a sigh that the ceramic filter is plugged and needs to be cleaned with the supplied pad. It's easy to do in the field. Pumping with a clogged ceramic filter causes a pressure build up in the pump and that is what eventually lead to the demise of my Vario. The pump head broke around the thread lugs that hold the works together. I couldn't find a replacement part available. This is the only reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five.YolloBolly

I owned this same filter in my first 9 years of hiking. In an effort to lighten my load (from 15 oz down to about 4 oz), I went to a different filtering system and gave this one to my daughter. After about 5 or 6 hikes, I've decided to cut weight from my pack elsewhere. I missed the speed with which I could gather/filter water. Am excited to have this one back in my pack!Buz

I love this water filter and the fact that it can be attached to my wide-mouth Nalgene bottle. I mainly use the lesser filter setting and it always works perfectly for most water I've come across. I've only had to use the heavier filter setting when I was stuck having to use some swampy-looking water. After filtering, the water still had a bit of a light-brownish tinge, but was clear and to my surprise, actually tasted fine. Would highly recommend!Laura S.