How to Choose and Use Water Filtration Systems
We know it can be intimidating to see all the water filtration systems out there and try and figure out which is best for you and your needs. We want to help take the guesswork out of the occasion! We have broken down the systems that we carry so you can get prepared for your next adventure.
- Level: This is a great filter for beginners
- Best Use: Hiking/Travel
- Individual/Group: Individual
- Filter Material/Type: Hollow Fiber (down to 0.1 microns)
- What You Get: a Mini filter, a 16-ounce pouch, a drinking straw, and a cleaning plunger
- How/Extra Comments: Our experts love this water filter because it is so versatile! It can be used in a variety of ways – screw it onto any regular water bottle, drink directly from a water source using the included straw, or grab the conversion kit and attach it to your hydration pack!
- Level: Again, easy to use and beginner-friendly, but this is more of a specific-needs filter designed for people who are more experienced on the trail.
- Best Use: Trail running/On-the-go or fast needs
- Individual/Group: Individual
- Filter Type: Hand Pump; Hollow Fiber (down to 0.2 microns)
- How/Extra Comments: This water filter works a bit like a mini hand pump, and you can pump water directly from a water source into your mouth, water bottle, or hydration pack! It is super lightweight (5 oz) and pocket-sized, so you can hydrate and get back on with the adventuring.
Sawyer 4 Liter Complete Water System
- Level: This system is perfect for beginners
- Best Use: Camping/Cooking
- Individual/Group: Group
- Filter Type: Gravity; Hollow Fiber (down to 0.1 microns)
- How/Extra Comments: This is the perfect kit to use at your campsite. You can fill it and then hang to use both for drinking water and cooking water. It takes about 3 minutes to filter 4 liters of water, so safe to say gravity is the real MVP here!
Purification Tabs or Filter?
Purification tablets disinfect water and are effective against viruses and bacteria, where filters remove matter and microbes (and are effective against protozoa and bacteria).
There are pros and cons to both mechanisms. Purification tablets are not always effective against all protozoa, there is a waiting period before water is safe to drink, it can leave a chemical taste in the water, and they can lose potency over time.
Filtering elements must be cleaned or replaced (how often depends on how much matter you are filtering out of your water), and they are not always effective against viruses.
In general, if you are trying to decide between a purification system and a filtration system, it is best to use purification tabs when you know that water sources have been affected by humans – areas with lots of visitors (where people may not have packed out their waste properly).
If you are in more remote areas, filtration systems work well – harmful viruses (some are smaller than what can be filtered) are not as common in our water in the United States. Filtration systems reliably remove the common contaminants like E. Coli and Cryptosporidium. Filtration systems are also basically fool-proof. There is no worrying about the tablet-to-water ratio.
If you want to be extra cautious, you can combine the purification tabs with your filtration system, OR boil your water (100% effective and simple) and combine that with a filtration system to ensure that any matter is filtered out.
As far as tea-colored water goes (water with tannins), it is best to avoid those water sources if possible. Your water will taste better and that will improve the life of your filter! You should also try and avoid water sources like mining tailing ponds or areas near agricultural operations.
We hope this makes it easier to choose the perfect water-cleaning agent for your activities and adventures!
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No matter which route you choose to make your water safe to drink, be sure to follow the package instructions exactly as listed! Any water that does not come from a tested source should be treated, no matter how clean it looks.
Happy hydrating!
