Water purification is crucial while outdoors because consuming contaminated water can lead to serious health issues, including gastrointestinal illness and dehydration. When trekking, hiking, camping, or traveling in areas without access to clean water, it’s important to purify any water sources you come across. Water purification methods such as boiling, using water filters, or adding chemical treatments like iodine or chlorine can help remove harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites from the water. By purifying water while outdoors, you can ensure that you stay hydrated and healthy, and avoid any illnesses that could ruin your trip. There are many options available to filter and purify water so that it is safe to drink, and these items are a must have in Bug-Out bags, INCH bags, Trekking packs,
Water filters and filter straws
Filters and filter straws are a great way to filter out sediment, bacteria, viruses and more. Ensure you read the directions for which filter you choose and use the filter correctly for best results.
GRAYL UltraPress 16.9 oz Water Purifier & Filter Bottle for Hiking, Backpacking, Survival, Travel
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Lifestraw Personal Water Filter 4-Pack
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Sawyer Products SP105 MINI Water Filtration System, Single
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LifeStraw – Ultrafilter Membrane Water Purifier, Removes 99.99% Viruses, Bacteria, Parasites, 30L/hr Gravity Flow, 18,000 Liters Lifetime Capacity, B Corp Certified, Climate Neutral
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Survivor Filter Pro Water Purification System for Survival – 99.999% Removal of Tested Virus Bacteria Parasites – Lightweight Portable Water Filter for Backpacking, Camping
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Water Boiling
An alternative to purifying water with filters is to boil water. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that water needs to be boiled for 1 minute to make it safe for consumption. However, it should be noted that this is not 1 minute in total, but one minute from the point at which the water hits the boiling point! Stainless-steel SINGLE WALL bottles work great for boiling. Note: Single Wall. Insulated bottles are not recommended. The bottle shown below works great and the stainless-steel cup works as well. They both fit into the Condor H2O pouch along with the Sawyer Mini filtration system to create a nice kit.
Nalgene Stainless Bottle 38 oz.(Single wall. Can be used for boiling water)
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GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Lightweight Bottle Cup or Pot for Camping and Backpacking – 24 oz
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Condor H2O Pouch (will fit the Nalgene 38oz bottle, the GSI bottle cup, and the Sawyer Mini filtration system)
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Water Purification Tablets
Purification tablets can be used if there are no other means of purification available. Following the directions correctly will make water safe to drink but does not remove solids and will not improve taste or odors. Before adding the tablets, you could pour water through a cloth to help remove some of the solids. I pack a multipurpose Shemagh for this reason.
Potable Aqua Water Purification, Water Treatment Tablets – 50 count Twin Pack
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Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets With PA Plus – Two 50 count Bottles
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Texas Bushcraft Tactical Shemagh – Authentic Keffiyeh 100% Cotton for your Camping, Hiking and Backpacking Gear
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P&G Purifier of Water Portable Water Purifier Packets. Emergency Water Filter Purification Powder Packs for Camping, Hiking, Backpacking
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Some tips about hydration
- Start hydrating yourself the day before the hike.
- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Thirst is one of the first symptoms of dehydration.
- Cover your head, especially if it’s hot, it decreases your water loss and will protect you from sunstroke.
- On long hikes of a few days or more, eat soups for some meals. They will contribute to your hydration.
- Avoid alcohol, drinking alcohol actually causes dehydration.
- If you are hiking where drinking water sources are scarce, fill your water bottles and drink at least 1 liter of water before leaving each source.
Disclosures: All opinions are my own. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.