Best 2023 Camping Water Filter – Guide & Reviews

Best Camping Water Filter – Guide & Reviews

Do you love going out camping for days? If yes, then, depending on where you go camping you can decide to carry your water filter or not. Before reading the whole article, you can check out our recommendation, below:


Sawyer Filtration System

If you are going somewhere where you will all be alone without homesteads and animals, then you are safe. Otherwise, if your destination is a place which gets crowded, then you must take care because of the waste produced by those people and the animals.

These wastes usually get their way to the water bodies, and if you consume the water without cleaning, then you put yourself at a risk.

A water filter for camping should be lightweight and affordable. Some people will find it hard carrying water filters to their camping sites because they are heavy.

I took my time and decided to write about the five best camping water filters. Continue reading to the end; you will appreciate my effort and experience with these filters and why you need one.

Factor to Consider When Buying the Best Camping Water Filter

The following are a few things that you should remember when you are out looking for the best water filter for camping.

Filter Weight

How much the water filter weighs matters a lot? Depending on the activity you are doing, weight can be of more or less concern. For example, if you are traveling to a nearby camping site then you will need a heavier but very efficient filter.

However, if the camping site location will require you to hike or walk for a long distance, then a small and light one will be suitable.

Time Taken To Filter Water

Time is money, and if you waste it, you can never recover it. The time it takes filters to treat drinking water varies widely from as little as 90 seconds to half an hour. It is evident you will always get occupied when you are camping, and you would not like to carry a filter which will take decades to treat water for you.

A filter that takes minimal time possible should get considered when getting one from the market.

Ability to Treat Large Quantities of Water

If you are a single person who only needs water, then this is not a huge problem. However, at the camping site, you will be many, and all those people will need water at some point, either to drink or for cooking.

Also, you will need to look at the quantity the filter can handle before purchasing one. That way, you will end up with a good, satisfying water-filter.

Micron Size

If you are shopping for a filter, you will continuously come across this term micron size. It is the measurement of the pore size in the filter media.

The smaller the micron size, the better the filter because it means more micro-organisms will be filtered out. The tiniest bacteria are 0.2 microns, so a filter should be around that size or smaller to be the most efficient.

Maintenance and Durability

When you are purchasing a filter, you should go for the one which is field maintainable; meaning you can be able to service it on your own. You will need a filter that does not need complex procedures to maintain like ceramic ones.

You should consider the duration the filter will take before it gets serviced. Ceramic filters, for example, can filter water up to 2,000 liters before replacement, unlike other filters that will need replacement after 500 liters of water.

Other Considerations

  • Filter medium
  • The longevity of the system
  • Types of organisms each filter can effectively eliminate

Recommended Best Camping Water Filter

The following are the recommended best camping water filter I have selected. The selection I did was based on the performance, price, and experience I have with them.

Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System

Editor Rating:

It is a second-generation filter which is the lightest and most versatile filtration system from Sawyer.

It has excellent features as described below.

Lightweight

As I mentioned before, the weight of the filter is a very crucial consideration. Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System has a total weight of only two ounces. It is small in size and fits in the palm of your hand with ease. It does the same job that Sawyer Point One does but in a more compact and personal size.

High Efficiency

It removes 7 logs (99.99999%) of all bacteria like salmonella and also other harmful bacteria which causes cholera. Also, it removes 6 logs (99.9999%) of all protozoa such as giardia and cryptosporidium present in water. The efficiency is very high and commendable. Note that the removal rate outdoes other filters.

Easy To Use

All you will need to do is to attach the mini to the included drinking pouch and then use the included straw to drink directly from the water source. Remember to connect it to the hydration pack tubing sold separately or you just screw it onto standard disposable bottle

High Rating

Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System rating is 100,000 gallons of water. It also comes with additional accessories; a 16-ounce refillable squeeze pouch, 7-inch drinking straw, and a cleaning plunger.

Multiple Uses

The Sawyer mini water filter is suitable for outdoor refreshment, camping, hiking, scouting, international and domestic travel and emergency preparedness. It is a high-performance filter.

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Lifestraw Go Water Bottle With Integrated 1000-Liter Lifestraw Filter

Editor Rating:

It is an award-winning water filter that has been incorporated into a sports bottle to offer users access to safe drinking water even when there are no sources of water around.

All you need to do is to use the bottle to scoop water from any pond, river or stream, and you will have a supply of fresh, clean drinking water.

It is ideal when you go for a hike, camping, or traveling to areas with poor water quality.

Tested and Passed Standards

LifeStraw underwent rigorous testing to surpass EPA standards for removing Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia, E. Coli, and many other waterborne pollutants. The LifeStraw Go filters water up to 0.2 microns without using any chemicals.

Sturdy and Ultra-light

Weight is crucial when it comes to carrying the filter going to camp. You will need a light filter so as to avoid fatigue. For that reason, it weighs only 23-ounce.

Leakproof Bottle

The bottle is leak-proof as it has a BPA-free Tritan which is reusable indefinitely. You will only need to purchase a replacement filter when it has reached its capacity.

Efficiency

It removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan Parasites thus making your water safe for drinking.

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LifeStraw Family 1.0 Water Purifier

Editor Rating:

LifeStraw Family uses advanced hollow fiber technology. Water gets forced through fine fibers under very high pressure.

The clean water exits through the small pores in the walls of the hollow fiber.

Protozoa, bacteria, and other contaminants are trapped inside the hollow fibers and are flushed out by backwashing making this a highly efficient method of filtration.

Easy To Use

This LifeStraw Family gravity filter is not complicated. Anybody can use it easily without any problems, just pour water in the top, and clean water comes out the bottom. Moreover, it arrives in a sealed bag, perfect for storing for emergencies.

Lightweight

LifeStraw Family is ideal for camping due to its lightweight and high portability. It makes filtering water a simple task at base camps, while car camping, or when camping with groups.

Easily Available

The LifeStraw Family water filter gets distributed to nearly every major international humanitarian disaster. It has been made available to almost all consumers.

Surpasses EPA Standards For Water Purifiers

LifeStraw Family removes 99.99% viruses, 99.9999% bacteria and 99.9% protozoan cysts to 0.02 microns

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MSR Mini-Works EX Microfilter

Editor Rating:

This is a great filter that I have it used on many hiking trips. It pumps faster which is great when filtering for more than one person. The filter is very easy to use and has a good output-per-pump ratio.

You never feel like doing more work than you should for the amount of water you are pushing through.

Especially, if you consider the fact that every pump is worth about one gulp of nasty water that you will not have to drink.

Maintainable

MSR Mini-Works EX Microfilter is easy to clean repeatedly for full recovery without the use of tools.

Durable Carbon/Ceramic

The carbonic element ensures safe, taste-free water even with frequent and heavy use. The carbon core also removes unpleasant tastes and odors caused by organic compounds, such as iodine, chlorine, and pesticides.

Effective

The MSR is effective against bacteria and chemicals. Since this filter eliminates most of the organics in the water, the taste is pleasant. This is what I do not get the people who love the chemicals.

You get the nasty iodine or chlorine tastes PLUS the awful taste of some of the water. I use this filter at home sometimes to refill water bottles and put them in my refrigerator.

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Sawyer Squeezable Pouch for Sawyer Point One Water Filter

Editor Rating:

The Sawyer Squeezable Filter Pouch Multi-Packs include replacement pouches for the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System in 16-, 32, and 64-ounce capacities.

These Sawyer bags can be filled in lakes or rivers, or under faucets. It is compatible with Sawyer Mini and Sawyer Point One water filters.

The product has offered the best, most technologically advanced solutions for protection against the sun, bugs, water, and injuries.

Lightweight

Sawyer Squeezable Pouch for Sawyer Point One Water Filter is light for easy portability and is also durable. It is also quarter the weight of the other pumps, and the bags can be used to store water for the hike too.

Compatibility

When it is attached directly to the Sawyer Squeeze filter; it is just compatible with Mini and Point One models.

Durability

The high-quality plastic bag is fused to the plastic threaded filler tube making a very reliable and watertight seal. The bag itself withstands way more pressure than I can apply without mechanical aid.

In fact, I am unable to make the bag or seal leak or fail to squeeze it by hand. I honestly believe that these bags are built to last as opposed to the older brown models that some reviews have negated.

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Final Verdict

We hopefully have succeeded in our best to provide relevant information about the best camping water filter.

We hope you have not only enjoyed reading the article but also gained knowledge about these filters including crucial factors to consider when buying one. I gathered enough information to provide you with some fantastic water filter systems that you can purchase.

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