When planning your next outdoor adventure, being well prepared means making sure that you will not only be comfortable, but healthy as well. Water purifiers are a great way to stay safe from disease while you’re in the wilderness, but choosing one can be a tricky task. Besides making sure that your water purifier will keep you safe from waterborne illnesses, there is a whole host of other concerns to take into account.
In the great outdoors, time is often of the essence. If you foresee being in a situation where you won’t have a lot of time to devote to purifying your water, it will be important to make sure that you choose a water purifier that won’t take much time to use.
Weight
If you are concerned about the weight of your pack, you certainly don’t want any extra bulk weighing you down. Most water purifiers are relatively small, but if you really have to pack light, you’ll want to ensure that your water purifier is compact and not too heavy.
Convenience
When you’re out hiking, biking or camping, the last thing you want to be thinking about is devoting lots of effort to making sure that you have clean water. It’s important to make sure that your water purifier not only works well, but isn’t complicated to use. Staying safe from waterborne disease shouldn’t be rocket science!
Effectiveness
This is perhaps the most important factor to consider when purchasing water purifiers. Because it’s impossible to tell whether or not water is contaminated by looking at it, it’s important to have a water filter that you know you can rely on to keep you healthy. It’s important to be aware of problems witheffectiveness that you may encounter as you are shopping.
Best Water Purifiers
Once you’ve decided which qualities are most important to you in water purifiers, it’s time to start shopping. While everyone has different needs that may be best suited by specific products, these are the products that will be best suited to outdoor enthusiasts of every sort.
Platypus GravityWorks
Weight: 12oz
Price: $100-$120
Platypus’s 2L gravity filter system is very popular for use in groups. Because the system is able to handle relatively large volumes of water, it is perfect for use in a camp scenario. It is also fairly easy to use, and doesn’t require any sort of pumping or squeezing. All you have to do is fill the dirty water bag, hang it from a tree, and wait for the water to drip into your desired container. Unfortunately, Platypus’s many small parts can easily be lost in a rough-and-tumble hiking situation. However, for a standard camping situation, this purifier is a very safe bet.
SteriPEN
Weight: 4.61oz
Price: $70 – $100
Considering a UV filter is a good idea for several reasons. UV filters neutralize organisms in water, and they are also quite fast. SteriPEN’s Adventurer Opti UV Water Purifier is a great option for hikers interested in getting clean water quickly. The lithium batteries that this model requires can be a bit of a challenge to navigate. If you’ve planned ahead, though, it shouldn’t be a problem. Overall, this purifier is great for anyone who is very concerned about their water quality.
Katadyn
Weight: 12.5 oz
Price: $70 – $100
If you prefer pump water purifiers, the Katadyn Hiker Pro is probably your safest bet. This pump filter is relatively compact and easy to use. Despite a larger than usual pore size in the filter mechanism, many users report that Katadyn is a very effective filter and makes water taste great! It requires relatively little maintenance, which means you’ll have more time to enjoy your outdoor experience.
Sawyer
Weight: 1.8oz
Price: $20-25
By far one of the most popular water purifiers among hikers, Sawyer products are well-loved far and wide. The Sawyer Mini is extremely lightweight, reliable and effective. Though Sawyer’s small size makes it difficult to provide water to large numbers of people, this model is perfect for individuals or small groups. The Sawyer Mini is inexpensive and extremely durable – perfect for anyone planning an extended outdoor excursion.
When she's not writing, you can usually find Phoebe making music, reading, or enjoying the great outdoors. Phoebe studies literature and linguistics at a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.
