Tested: 6 Compact Water Filters for Backcountry Mountain Biking
Bikepacking or bikecamping, gravel riding, and backcountry exploring are experiencing a massive surge in popularity. It’s like the millennial generation’s recreational back-to-the-land movement. We enjoy the urban lifestyle during the week but when it comes to the weekend, we’re off into the land of no pavement, no reception, no civilization, and thus, no amenities.
If you’re thinking of heading into the backcountry on two wheels, you may want to invest in a water filtration or purification system. Sure, you can carry all the water you may need, but that gets heavy and cumbersome quickly. And drinking straight from a river, lake, or stream is ill-advised. Even the clearest water can be teeming with bacteria.
Luckily, portable systems have come a long way. Not only are they highly effective in making the water human-safe, they’re also lighter and more compact than ever before.
Water filtration and purification systems are commonplace in the hiking market already, and there are lots to choose from. Prioritizing compactness, weight, and simplicity, I chose to review systems with the fewest number of attachments while also considering the limited space of a waist pack or backpack. This meant excluding pump or gravity-bag based systems, which are efficient for filtering larger quantities of water but they’re also quite bulky.
Also, a quick note on the difference between purification and filtration. Water filters, like the majority of the systems reviewed here, will effectively filter out 99.99% of bacteria (like E. coli) and protozoa (like Giardia). They won’t, however, filter out viruses (like hepatitis). If you’re traveling in North America or Western Europe, this isn’t a concern. But if you’re traveling in some developing countries, you’re going to want to back up your filtration with a Dioxide pill or a SteriPen as mentioned below.
Systems included in this review
- SteriPen American Red Cross UltraLight UV Water Purifier, $89.95
- Lifestraw Flex, $34.95
- Waterdrop Portable Camping Filtration System, $28.99
- Sawyer Micro Squeeze Filtration System, $28.99
- Sawyer Mini, $22
- Sawyer Squeeze Kit, $39.95
Find detailed reviews about each system written by Anne-Marije Rook here.
October 18, 2024
Njia za pekee
Singletracks.com ni chanzo chako cha habari ya baiskeli ya mlima, pamoja na hifadhidata kubwa zaidi ya ramani ya MTB ulimwenguni!
Chunguza Maudhui Zaidi
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
Sawyer’s donation of water filters represents a significant shift away from the cumbersome logistics of bottled water, offering a faster and more efficient solution.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
Summer tick season used to be a problem only in the southern part of Ontario, but tick populations are moving north as the climate grows warmer.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
Mosquitos are nasty creatures. They bite, they transmit terrible diseases to people and pets, and from what I read, they have absolutely no redeeming value in the ecosystem.
Kutoka kwa kikosi
Mazungumzo ya Campfire na jamii yetu, kutoka kwa Wanachama wa Squad na Mabalozi kwa Washirika wa Brand na timu ya Sawyer.
