Best Backpacking Water Filters
Water Treatment
What good is having a water container if you cannot drink the water you put into it? Treating your water is highly recommended. There are several options for treating water. The decision is mainly personal preference. I prefer chemicals for their minimal weight.
1. Boiling
- Kills all the bad things
- Only option when water sources are frozen
- Time consuming
- Requires pot and stove
- Does not remove sediment
2. Iodine
- Lightweight and compact
- Effective against Giardia, protozoa and viruses
- Has a taste
- Prolonged use may be harmful to your thyroid
- Requires a 30 minute wait time
- Does not remove sediment
3. Chlorine Dioxide
- Lightweight and compact
- Effective against Giardia
- Requires a 30 minute wait time
- Does not remove sediment
- Example: Potable Aqua
4. Filtering
- Tastes good
- Removes sediment
- Chemical free
- No wait time
- Does not kill viruses
- Heavy
- Requires maintenance
- Example: Katadyn Hiker Pro
5. Ultraviolet Light
- Tastes good
- Chemical free
- No wait time
- Effective against most bad things
- Does not remove sediment
- Not field maintainable
- Requires batteries
- Example: SteriPEN Adventurer
