Ready for an unforgettable backpacking adventure? Don’t let a lack of safe drinking water ruin your trip! With 60% of backpackers relying on natural water sources, a reliable water filter is essential.
Our guide to the top 5 best water filters for backpacking in 2024 has you covered. We’ve reviewed and tested the top filters and purifiers, from compact travel bottles with built-in filtration to high-performance portable filters.
Whether you’re looking for the best value or the most advanced options, our selection ensures you stay hydrated and safe on your next outdoor trip.
Dive in and find the perfect water filter to make your 2024 backpacking experience both safe and enjoyable!
1) Platypus GravityWorks Group Camping Water Filter System
Features
- High-capacity, gravity-fed, hollow-fiber water filter system is ideal for group and family camping, outdoor adventures, and emergency preparedness
- Meets all EPA/NSF guidelines for removal of 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoa, including giardia, cryptosporidium, E. coli, salmonella, cholera
- No pumping required; reservoir fills easily and hangs from a tree to deliver four liters of filtered water for cooking and washing in 2.5 minutes
- Includes 4-liter dirty water reservoir, 4-liter clean water reservoir, hollow-fiber microfilter, hoses, shutoff clamp, and storage sack
- Replaceable cartridge filters up to 1,500 gallons; produces flow rate of 1.75 liters/minute; kit weights 11.5 ounces; made in the USA
Product Review:
When backpacking, ensuring access to clean water is crucial. The best backpacking water filters offer reliable water filtration to convert dirty water into safe drinking water. Popular options include the Sawyer Mini, a portable water filter known for its compact design and efficiency. This squeeze filter can treat up to 100,000 gallons, making it a top choice for many.
For those needing to filter large amounts of water, a gravity filter is an excellent filtration system. It allows water flow from a water source to a reservoir, providing clean drinking water with minimal effort. Straw filters are another portable solution, ideal for sipping water directly from streams or lakes.
A water bottle with an integrated water purifier is also a great backpacking water filter option, ensuring you always have access to clean water. The best water filters are versatile, offering effective water purification for both tap water and natural sources, ensuring high water quality wherever you are.
When selecting the best option for your needs, consider the amount of water you’ll need to filter and the specific water source. A water filtration system that suits your situation can ensure that you always have safe drinking water on your adventures.
2) SAWYER Squeeze Water Filtration System
Features
- Lightweight, easily portable PointONE 0.1 absolute micron hollow fiber membrane inline water filter
- Highest level of filtration on market – removes greater than 99.9999% of all bacteria and 99.999% of all protozoa cysts
- Built-in and removable push/pull cap; spray water into mouth or bottle from included pouch; attach to standard threaded water bottle
- Comes with one 32-ounce, BPA-free collapsible pouch that rolls up tightly for easy packing; can be resued hundreds of times
- Backed by manufacturer’s lifetime limited warranty (Independent
- Testing Laboratory Hydreion, LLC.; Microbiological Report S05-03)
Review
If you’re looking for the best portable water filter of 2024, the Sawyer Squeeze should be at the top of your list. This personal water filter is lightweight and versatile, making it a standout choice among water filters available. It excels in the world of backpacking water filters for 2024 with its 3-in-1 design. You can drink water directly from the source through the filter, connect it to your hydration bladder, or squeeze water into another bottle. It’s ideal for one or two people and packs down small, fitting easily into your backpacking bag.
While the included bags have some issues and may break after many uses, this flaw isn’t fatal. The filter is compatible with a variety of vessels like a plastic water bottle or hydration bladder, making it a reliable option. This is why it’s considered one of the best portable water filters and water purification systems on the market, offering exceptional value for purifying water on the go.
The filter cartridge effectively filters out bacteria and protozoa from water, ensuring you have access to clean, potable water, even from murky or contaminated sources. For those seeking water filters and purifiers in 2024, the Sawyer Squeeze is a top choice due to its lightweight, affordable, and efficient design.
3) WaterWell Water Filter Bottle
Features
- DITCH DISPOSABLE BOTTLES – Stop using single-use plastics! The WaterWell 700ml Travel Water Filter Bottle lets you drink clean, filtered water from any source, ideal for camping and backpacking.
- FILTER 99.9% OF PATHOGENS – Its 2-stage filter removes 99.9% of waterborne pathogens, including bacteria and protozoa, ensuring safe water wherever you are.
- STAY HYDRATED – Perfect for camping, hiking, or travel, the WaterWell bottle filters out 99.9% of pathogens and microplastics, keeping you healthy.
- NO AFTERTASTE – Made from BPA-free plastic, it avoids nasty aftertastes. Its filter lasts for 1,000 litres, replacing about 3,000 disposable bottles.
Review
The WaterWell bottle filter is user-friendly and convenient. It fills up effortlessly and is simple to clean, thanks to its good flow rate. The filter can be quickly removed for reverse flushing with a syringe, which helps extend its lifespan.
The bottle features a wide 55mm neck, making it easy to fill from streams or rivers and facilitating straightforward cleaning. The filter detaches from the hose with minimal effort, and backflushing is quick and efficient. For optimal maintenance, it is recommended to backflush twice with the syringe once home.
In testing, the WaterWell bottle was dropped multiple times from various heights and surfaces, including ten deliberate drops during the review process. Despite these tests, the bottle remained intact with no cracks or leaks. The plastic construction is robust yet flexible, absorbing impact energy effectively.
While the WaterWell bottle holds only 700ml, which may be insufficient for long hikes where 1-7 liters of water might be needed, its practicality surpasses that of the LifeStraw and avoids the complexity of the Sawyer Filter with fewer small parts. For extensive hikes, carrying an additional bottle may be necessary. A 1.5-liter option would be ideal for such situations. Overall, the WaterWell bottle filter is durable and reliable, suitable for up to 61-146 uses and capable of filtering water 21-31 times effectively.
4) LifeStraw Peak Series
Features
- Protects against 99.999999% of bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella), 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), 99.999% of microplastics, silt, sand, and cloudiness
- Enhanced microfilter performance: Our re-engineered membrane and custom backwash accessory means better performance against sand and silt, maintaining great flow over the long haul
- Extreme durability: premium materials make it tougher and ultra leak-proof
- Highly versatile means the gravity system is designed with every occasion in mind; Use as a gravity system, large squeeze bottle, as a straw, or use the filter with a water bottle
- Your purchase has impact: one purchase, one child, one year of safe water
Review
If you’re in search of a high-quality gravity-fed water filter that balances affordability with performance, the LifeStraw Peak Gravity 3L is one of the best options available. This water filter stands out for its durability and ease of use, making it an excellent choice for outdoor adventures and various other situations.
The LifeStraw Peak Gravity 3L is crafted from BPA-free materials, ensuring both safety and resilience. This portable water filtration and purification system excels at filtering out viruses and contaminants, providing drinkable water even from murky or contaminated sources. It can handle large volumes of water efficiently, making it suitable for filtering up to 3 liters of water quickly.
Featuring a leakproof design with an easy-to-use cap, you can set up the water filter in under 30 seconds, ideal for quick hydration or extended trips where you need to filter water for a group. The included backwash syringe helps maintain optimal flow with minimal maintenance, which is crucial for long-term efficiency. However, the water bag’s opening can be tricky to fill from shallow or murky water sources, which might be inconvenient when drawing water through the filter in such conditions.
This water filter is effective at removing contaminants, and while it may not match the versatility of UV water purifiers or pump filters, it provides reliable performance in filtering out harmful substances from water. The LifeStraw Peak Gravity 3L is designed to handle lots of water efficiently, making it a top choice for backpacking water filters and purifiers.
Replacement filters are readily available, ensuring continued effectiveness and longevity. Although it may not be as quick or versatile as other options like bottled water or chemical water treatments such as Aquamira water treatment drops, the LifeStraw Peak Gravity 3L stands out for its effectiveness and ease of use. For those who value convenience and reliable water purification, this filter is a great investment for safe, clean drinking water directly from a water source.
5) MSR AutoFlow Gravity Filter
Features
- 10-Liter gravity water filter for larger backpacking and camping groups and basecamps
- Filter delivers clean water at 1.75-Liter per minute without pumping, and removes* bacteria (99.9999%), protozoa (99.9%), and dirt and debris
- Separate hang strap and bag clip allow for easy hanging for maximum convenience
- Durable 3-dimmensional film reservoir with flat base that resists wear-and-tear; includes sediment trap in bottom of bag; filter is easily cleaned
- Weighs 12 ounces and measures 11 x 7 x 3 inches; packs down to 8 x 4 inches; manufacturer’s 3-year limited warranty; made in the USA
Review
When managing clean water for large groups, especially in backcountry settings, the MSR AutoFlow XL gravity filter stands out among the water filters and water purifiers available on the market. Designed to handle substantial quantities of water with ease, this system can filter up to 10 liters—or about 2.6 gallons—of water with minimal effort. It’s ideal for scenarios where you need to process much water quickly, such as when guiding a large group through remote areas.
The process is simple: scoop water from a source using the included water bag, and then use a hose to transfer the water into the filter. Hang the water bag, and gravity will naturally pull the water through the filtration system. This setup allows you to filter water without having to suck water through a straw or manually pump it. Despite the convenience, one of the best ways to ensure the taste of the water remains pleasant and the system remains efficient is to regularly backflush the filter to maintain a reasonable flow rate.
While the MSR AutoFlow XL is effective in dealing with both clear and contaminated water, it is still crucial to replace the filter when necessary to guarantee that the water isn’t compromised. The system’s ability to handle large volumes of water and its packability make it a top choice among the filters on the market for base camps and extended trips. Even though no filter can guarantee 100% safety without proper maintenance, the MSR AutoFlow XL ensures that you consistently have clean, filtered water at your disposal.
