No matter how beautiful and unspoilt the scenery, how clear and pure it might seem, water taken from streams or springs can contain bacteria our stomachs can’t stand. These portable water purifiers let you drink water wherever you are, without getting sick.
Pocket Water Filter
Katadyn’s Pocket Water Filter is small and weighs 550 g. A ceramic cartridge removes waterborne pathogens through chemical-free filtration. It is fast and can treat 1 L per minute. The cheapest we found was $188 from campingsurvival.com.
Katadyn also make the Hiker Microfilter. It’s much cheaper, at $54 and also smaller and lighter (330g). It’ll remove big bacteria only and is good for day trips.
MSR WaterWorks Ex ceramic filter gets good reviews. On top of the ceramic cartridge it has a membrane to remove viruses and very small particles, so it’ll be excellent for use in countries where water quality is particularly bad. Price $140, from MSR online store
Links
Mountain equipment co-op
Hiking Forum
Rei.com online camping store