Best Backpacking Water Filter in 2023

SteriPen Water Purifier

The first item on our hit list is the SteriPen Water Purifier. This device uses UV light to remove more than 99.9% of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa.

However, the major selling point of this water purifier is its simplicity – just pop the ‘pen’ in your water bottle, turn it slowly for 1.5 minutes, and, hey presto, there’s your liter of safe drinking water.

Unusually for a water filter for backpacking, this device is battery powered – but don’t worry, you shouldn’t run out of juice in an emergency as it can be powered by solar as well as via power outlets. It’s also incredibly lightweight, so it won’t weigh down your backpack either.

It also has a modern interface that lets you know whether the water treatment has been successful, how far through it is, and, crucially, how much battery is left.

The main drawback of this filter is that, as for all UV light filters, it won’t work with murky water, so you’ll be limited to drinking clear water from streams rather than brown river water. It’s also a little on the expensive side but, for a high-tech super simple filtration system, we think it’s totally worth it.

MSR Trail Shot

If you’re after an easy way to filter water on the go, then we’d certainly recommend the MSR Trail Shot. You can finally say goodbye to long wait times with this pocket-sized pump filter that lets you drink water directly from the source via its intake tube (but you can fill a bottle or hydration pack if you’d rather!).

This method enables you to take up water from very shallow sources, such as puddles, which can be a huge advantage if you’re not by any large bodies of water. You’ll probably have to get pretty close to the water source as the intake tube isn’t super long, but in an emergency, we don’t think we’d mind.

It’s also pretty speedy – in just 60s you can filter up to 1 liter of water using the one-handed pumping mechanism. Just be wary that, as with all pump filters, you might get a little tired of pumping day after day if this is your main water supply.

This system can be used with murky water and is effective against bacteria and protozoa but unfortunately not against viruses so bear that in mind. It’s lightweight and portable as well – you can easily slip it into an outer pocket for easy access – and overall we think it’s a great option for backpacking adventures in the wilderness.

See our full review of the MSR Trailshot.

Platypus GravityWorks 4L

Introducing the one and only gravity filter on our list – the Platypus GravityWorks 4L. This ingenious system makes gravity do the hard work so you don’t have to – there’s zero pumpings involved (yay), simply hang the system from a tree branch and leave it to do its thing.

With the ability to filter 4L of water in 2.5mins, this is a great flow rate if you want to provide water for large groups with minimal effort. The kit itself includes a 4L dirty water reservoir and a 4L clean water reserve, plus the connecting hose, an off clamp, storage sack, and a universal bottle adaptor.

Unfortunately, this means this gravity filter isn’t the lightest out there (but at 11 oz, it’s by no means the heaviest either), but if you want something ultralight, then why not opt for the 2L system instead?

The cartridge of this gravity filter is effective down to 0.2 microns, which makes it effective against more than 99.9% of bacteria and protozoa. We also love that it’s BPA-free and has a carbon element designed to remove those odd tastes that sometimes make their way into filtered water. Even if you have added a water enhancer to make it taste better!

MSR Guardian

Introducing the MSR Guardian, a pump filter that can convert even the dirtiest of water into a safe, thirst-quenching drink.

This military-grade water purifier is, unsurprisingly, built like a tank, can handle being knocked around, and definitely won’t let you down in extreme temperatures.

Medical-grade fibers provide protection against the smallest of threats, including sediment, bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. In fact, this water purifier is so efficient that it meets the NSF protocol P248 standard of the US military – if that doesn’t fill you with confidence then we don’t know what will!

We love the MRS Guardian’s self-cleaning mechanism, which rids the water filter of contaminants on every stroke, so you don’t have to worry about flow interruptions. Plus the flow rate itself is pretty decent, pumping 2.5 liters every minute.

Sadly, the MSR Guardian is by far the most expensive water filter on our list, but in this case, we think you really do get what you pay for. Plus, the super-durable construction has the flip side of making this a very heavy bit of gear.

However, all things considered, if you want something that won’t let you down even in the harshest of environments, is super safe, and will most likely never need replacing, then this is a great investment and worth the extra weight.

Katadyn Hiker Pro

Katadyn is renowned for its expertise in producing reliable water treatment, and the Katadyn Hiker Pro has to be one of the best pump filters currently on the market.

The 0.2-micron water filter will protect you from bacteria and protozoa, and the intake tube can be placed directly into the source, enabling you to filter water from the shallowest of pools. It also has a sleek design and is fairly lightweight at just 11 oz. Plus, we love the activated carbon in the filter that improves the taste of your water – a feature you don’t always see in hand pumps.

We like that the Katadyn Hiker simple to use – you don’t have to be an experienced survivalist to figure this one out – but remember that hand-pumping can be a pain if you’ll be needing big quantities of water.

It’s also a little bit on the pricey side for a hand pump filter, but we reckon it’s worth the extra if you want a carefully designed and super reliable pump.

LifeStraw

Introducing the Life Straw, a super simple, affordable bit of gear that should be in every set of emergency backpacking kit.

The LifeStraw is, as you might have guessed, essentially a straw with an integrated water filter system. It doesn’t have a huge capacity, and it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take water with you, but it is an excellent bit of emergency kit. It allows you to drink water straight from the source and provides you with clean water quicker than tablets can.

Weighing just 2 oz, you can pop the Life Straw in the bottom of your bag and barely know that it’s there – although you’ll be glad it is if you run out of water. Don’t let the small size fool you though – it can still remove more than 99.9% of bacteria and protozoans from freshwater sources.

It comes with a storage bag included and we love that the materials are all BPA-free. The main drawback is that you have to use it very close to the source or fill a container with dirty water that you can then drink from using the straw.

However, if you’re in a pinch, you’ll be glad you’ve got it and, at this price, it’s hard to say no.

Grayl Geopress

The Grayl Geopress is a relatively new kid on the block and started out as a Kickstarter campaign. However, they have since evolved and grown and are now producing one of the most impressive water filters for backpacking.

It is actually a combination of a water bottle and filter in one. So, you can take it with you as a 24oz bottle, albeit a slightly larger than normal one because it has the filter built-in. It still fits in most backpack side pockets though, unless you have a tiny pack.

The Grayl Geopress works in a very simple fashion: fill the outer bottle, press down the inner – which filters the water, and voila! You have a bottle filled with filtered water. Ok, it’s not that fast – it takes about a minute to press it down in my experience. But it’s fast enough and you don’t have to worry about things like flow rate, because once it’s filtered – the water is just there, in the bottle.

The Grayl Geopress filters need to be changed about every 350 uses, so that is a downside and a cost you have to consider.

Grayl has designed the filter to remove just about anything – from pathogens and bacteria to heavy metals. And even flavors and odors! It comes in a stunning range of colors too.

See our full review of the Grayl Geopress.

Sawyer Squeeze

The Sawyer Squeeze is another squeeze filter option, and while it might not look as cool as the GRAYL Bottle, at just 3 oz, it weighs considerably less. It’s also collapsible (enough to fit in the palm of your hand!) so it will save you some precious space in your backpack.

To use, fill the Sawyer Squeeze pouch with potentially unsafe water and screw on the filter – you can now guzzle straight from the filter. Alternatively, you can also use this system on top of soft bottles (sold separately) to filter larger amounts of water, which is probably a good thing as the pouches don’t hold much water.

A major plus is a fact that the cartridges don’t need to be replaced if you clean them every now and then, cutting down on extra costs. However, you’ll need to keep an eye on your pouch as this might need replacing from time to time. It’s BPA-free too, which we love, and protects against 99.9% of bacteria and protozoa.

Another option is the Sawyer Mini which is a smaller version of the Sawyer Squeeze. The Sawyer Mini is great if you want to connect it to a hose on your drinking reservoir or to use as a gravity filter. Because it is only 16oz it does now work as well as a Sawyer Squeeze for filling larger bottles.

Katadyn BeFree

The Katadyn BeFree filtering bottle is another super simple way to make sure you can get fresh, safe drinking water wherever you may be.

Just fill-up the main bottle, give it a swirl and let the internal filter do its thing for protection from 99.9% of bacteria and protozoa (not viruses, unfortunately). The soft bottle is super lightweight, making it great to pop in any daysack, whether you’re in the city or up a mountain.

Again, the Katadyn BeFree is intended for personal use, not supplying water to the masses, and it’s not the most durable option out there. One other slight problem is the security of the flip cap – it sometimes opens accidentally, so it’s best to keep this bottle in an exterior pocket if you have one.

However, we still reckon this Katadyn BeFree bottle is a great option if you want an incredibly easy way to get fresh water in the wilderness or in the city. It’s easy enough to just have on you, and you won’t regret it when you see a suspect source of water you wish you could fill from!

Aquamira Water Treatment

Okay, so we know this is a water treatment rather than a water filter… but we thought the classic water treatment option deserved a shout-out anyway.

The Aquamira Water Treatment drops are a popular water purification option and are very affordable too. Plus, with a shelf life of 4 years, you don’t have to worry if you over-purchase and don’t use them all on your trip – simply save them until the next one.

These drops work using chlorine dioxide to kill harmful pathogens  (including viruses) and make water drinking friendly and, unlike other drops, they don’t make your water taste funny.

You will have to wait at least 20 minutes for the drops to work and, obviously, you’re going to need a container – if you don’t have one and all you can find is a puddle then they aren’t very useful – and we do prefer the filter options above. However, it’s always worth having some drops in your bag as a backup just in case.