Your Water Filter SUCKS! - Water Filter Comparison

There are two main ways to filter and carry water when backpacking. You can get some smart water bottles and a sawyer squeeze filter, or you can get a hydration bladder and a Katadyn pump filter. Or any combination of the four. But a lot of people seem to think there is only one best way to filter water when backpacking and they hate on hydration bladders. Here is a water filter comparison that will show the pros and cons of both.

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0:27 The Two Main Ways to Filter Water While Backpacking
0:36 Ease of Access
1:03 Bottles are awkward to access
1:28 Bladders are hard to access in your pack
1:58 Camelbak Hydrolink Adapter
2:32 Ease of Use
2:46 Cnoc Vecto Bladder
3:11 Sqeeze Filters Need Steady Bottles
3:29 Weight Comparison
3:49 Life of the Filters
4:07 Back Flushing
4:14 Price Comparison

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[MyLifeOutdoors]

How do you carry and filter your water when you are backpacking?

[Not_on_u_tub]

Gravity. I have had several pump filters. I bought a Sawyer gravity filter. WOW. Then I learned about Sawyer's water mission. INCREDIBLE!

[Oldsparkey]

I do something to help my filter last longer, especially when filtering dirty, nasty, water. Amazon has the ( 1 Micron 4"x8" Singed Polyester Felt Filter Bag PESP3S Size 3 ) filter bags. They come in micron sizes from 1/2 micron up to 100 micron. If you take one and use it when adding water to the dirty water bag it actually filters the water in the micron size you purchased. Use it at the opening of your dirty water bag. Do the dip and fill system with a cut down plastic bottle or cup.
They can be reused and even cleaned. Just mark one side either dirty or clean so it is used the same way every time. Also if you wet the bottom before using it the water flow is a lot greater then starting with a dry one.
This way you pre-filter the water going in the dirty water bag, then filter that cleaner water threw your filter. Say a 5 micron size in the bag to stop a lot of dirt, algae, floats, crud and anything else. Then the 1 micron of your filter with that cleaned water. The gravity system works great this way and I like Smart Water bottles, light weight, come already filled, replaceable and reliable .

[leonpalnau]

Something that seems to be left out of these discussions, but is probably the most important factor IMO is the terrain you're hiking in. A single Grayl would be a great choice hiking in the smokies where the water is very clear and you cant walk more than 5 minutes without hitting a stream. When we hiked north Zion, there was exactly 1 water source within 16 miles and it was a murky, dirty "Spring" (mudpuddle). If you brought a Grayl or a squeeze and only a liter or two capacity, you might've found yourself in a world of trouble. I always have a unused squeeze even in my daypack as an emergency backup, but for deep trips ill take a pump/bladder so I can get a days worth of water when I find it.

[GhostOfSnuffles]

One major advantage of the pump is getting water out of small places. I'd gone packing to a new area that had a year around spring clearly marked on the map but when i got there the spring was all but dried up and the only source of water was a cenote carved between two boulders with an opening not even large enough to fit an adult sized hand in the bottom of the spring's river bed. If i had a squeeze type filter it could have been a multiple hour long issue trying to figure out how to get to the water but i had my Katadyn Hiker and i was able to drop the feed tube down into the opening and get all the water i needed. If you can get the small rubber hose of the feed tube to fit into the water source you can get water out.
It's not a common thing to happen but that once in a life time event where it does really makes you appreciate having the perfect tool for the job in hand.

[ALIVE-Company]

So suprised that this channel hasn’t blow up! Your videos are great quality and you definitely know what you are talking about. Here from tiktok by the way!

[timcastagna]

I’ve been using a sawyer squeeze with 1L smart bottles and a Cnoc bag to gravity filter when I’m at camp. I feel like it’s the best of both worlds. Got rid of my bladder in my bag and honestly didn’t miss it at all.

[VamosViverFora]

I had a sawyer once. I think the pump filters are better because you can avoid to be in contact with dirt water. Using squeeze filtration it’s harder to prevent drops of dirt water when handling it.

[SouthernHike]

1L Befree has been my go to for a good while now. Compresses and filters fast. Great video!

[jazzwyld]

I came upon this video and loved it so much. I had to create a spreadsheet comparing multiple options for water. One of these least expensive and most flexible options is a "Squeeze" + Reseveroir with 1 or 2 smart water bottles. The best of all worlds, and it has redundancy.

[RvB_Fan_since_]

At a camp I went to we used Katadyn pocket Water Filters, the one with the ceramic filter. Turned creek water into tasty drinking water like it was nothing. Katadyn has my heart.

[iancarson]

I personally use pump filters. One of the reasons I like them is due to ease of access.
It's not always possible to easily reach the water source so I carry a longer scavenge hose with a prefilter and weight, so instead of trying to scramble down a bank, through mud, or over rocks I can throw the hose out to the water source and start pumping.
It's also nice to be able to sit and relax for a few minutes whilst pumping water which longer hoses allow you to do.

[artallen]

I use a CNOC 2 liter dirty water bag, Sawyer Squeeze with blue connector to gravity filter into 2 one-liter Smartwater bottles. A cut off bottom of an old smartwater bottle is part of the kit for scooping water. I have no issues carrying and accessing smartwater bottles from my HMG packs. Sawyer squeeze is rolled up in empty CNOC bag then stuff into the scoop, and the whole kit is stored together in a zip lock bag, for easy grab and go, or for Storing inside my sleeping bag during those cold nights.

[charliemcdowell]

Most ppl would consider it heavy, but I friggin’ love my platypus gravity works. It’s great for large amounts of water, and even solo I find I have need of filtering 1-2 gallons at a time between needing water for cooking, cleaning, refilling my 2 1 liter bottles, and making lots of coffee and tea

[shmroadtrips]

My bag has a perfect spot for two water bottles - easy to access while hiking, no clogged or broken bite valves, no complicated cleaning brushes or chemicals, no problem with mixing a different flavor into the bottle, etc. Bottles are far superior for me. And while the flow rate on the sawyer mini isn't the best, it weighs nothing and does the job fine.

I love your approach to these videos, even if our own results and preferences vary. Good stuff!

[Jellybird]

I remember using a product when I was younger that seemed the best of both worlds. It was a camelback hose that hooked to a Nalgene bottle. that way you have convenience of a bottle to fill up outside the pack while on-the-go drinking from the hose

[logibearbaseball]

@MyLifeOutdoors I use a Sawyer Micro Filter with a 3/16" hose with a quick-connect to hook it right to my bladder inside my pack. I use the CNOC 3l bag to fill my 3l bladder when it is full. This setup allows me to gravity filter my water bladder inside my pack. I have also made a couple of bottle cap adapters to use the hose with SmartWater bottles or even 1g glacier bottles. If I can I will show you some pics of my setup.

[rxh]

I enjoy a bladder and my katadyn filter. More volume, faster flow and better tasting water. I'm never in a rush when backpacking anyway.

[jakob]

I use a katadyn befree strapped to my chest strap so i can drink without taking it of. I only keep 0.6 liters there so it doesnt bother me while hiking, but i keep a 3l blatter in my pack to refill the befree

[garyib]

I use the squeeze filter with bags. I have a gravity setup using quick disconnects. Filtering time is zero, because it filters while I set up camp. Refill the top/dirty bag to filter more when I make dinner. If its cold I blow out the water before going to sleep.
Thanks for the video.