A quality water filter is an indispensable piece of camping equipment when you’re out in the bush or camping at a site that doesn’t have potable water available. There’s also a difference between a water filter and a water purifier. Knowing which one is best for you starts with understanding the risks and identifying the type of water source you’ll be tapping into.

The Potential Risks of Untreated Water

Without proper water filtration, there’s a high risk of contamination and water-borne pathogens in any source of natural water. Even the clearest creek can still harbor dangerous microbes like protozoa, E. coli, giardia, cholera, and even hepatitis. Just to name a few

There’s also a risk of agricultural runoff introducing chemical pollution to a water source or creating an environment in which microbes thrive. A farm miles away that allows runoff from fields and livestock to enter a river can wreak havoc in that clean-looking creek.  

What To Look for in a Camping Water Filter

The best camping water filter to meet your needs must be effective enough to prevent protozoa and bacteria from infiltrating the harvested water container. It also needs to have a reasonable flow rate, and enough capacity to get you from one natural water source to the next.

Filtration Method

A high-quality camping water filter will have a mechanical filtration system of .3 microns or smaller to block physical particles and sediment. Most will also have some type of chemical filtration or treatment to neutralize or absorb microbes.

Activated charcoal water filters have microscopic nucleation sites that capture potentially harmful microbes and some chemical contaminants. However, these filters have a limited capacity and need to be replaced and will need to be replaced more frequently in areas of high microbial contamination.

Flow Rate

The ideal flow rate for a good camping water filter is around 1 litre per minute. Any slower than that, and it can take a frustratingly long time to fill a large water tank or jerry can. Anything faster than 2 to 2.5 litres per minute likely has poor physical filtration and there’s a high risk of bacteria and other small microbes remaining in the harvested water.

Pro Tip

If your camping water filter’s flow rate is noticeably slower than it should be, it’s likely a sign of a persistent clog in the filter or the purification cartridge. The wise move is to dump out any recently harvested water, and then either clean or replace the filter apparatus.

Capacity

A good camping water filter needs to have a capacity that’s equal to or greater than the amount of water you’d need to filter and purify in a single adventure. Otherwise, you’ll need to replace the cartridge or filter multiple times, meaning you’ll have to carry those replacements with you on every trip.

Portability & Weight

If you want to use your camping water filter for hiking trips or deep bush camping, then lightness is a top priority. If you’re looking for a camping water filtration system for your caravan, you want to make sure that its dimensions will fit through into the cupboard or container it will live in.

Odor & Taste Removal

Some water sources carry off-putting flavours with them even after being filtered. If this is an issue with the natural water sources in your favourite camping areas, then you might want to prioritize a water filter with activated carbon, or some other type of proactive chemical filtration built in.

Reviews of the Best Water Filters for Camping

When reviewing the best water filters for camping, we looked for units that had a filtering tolerance of at least .3 microns or smaller. Preference was given to models that had a high capacity before needing replacement as well as those that were easy to use and maintain.

Whether you need a water filter in your backpack for bush camping, or to ensure the water in your caravan is clean, the water filter that best meets your needs will be on this list.   

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for Hiking & Camping

LifeStraw is one of the biggest names in camping water filters. This model has a .2-micron filter which will block out 99.9% of microbes. The filter has a lifetime capacity of up to 4,000 litres.

The promotional videos you see for LifeStraw show people drinking directly from dirty puddles, which is far from the ideal way to use this camping water filter. To maximize the capacity of the filter it’s best to draw the water from a hand-dug gypsy well or from a large container after letting the water decant for several minutes.

Swayer is another well-known name in camping water filters. This model is designed for hikers to use but is portable enough to go just about anywhere. To that point, it’s threaded to fit a typical consumer water bottle!

The filter has a .1-micron tolerance and a capacity of up to 540 litres. You get two mesh filters with the purchase, which is more than enough for even an avid hiker or bush camping enthusiast.

Waterdrop Gravity Water Filter Straw, Camping Water Filtration System

The Waterdrop is a multi-purpose water filter system that uses both a .1 micron 5-stage filter and a collection bag with a dispenser system. You can use it as a straw to drink directly from a stream or a spring.

You can also use the bag to collect up to 5 litres of water. It then passes through the filter system as a campsite water dispenser. This makes it great for hiking in your pack and letting everyone in the party refill their canteen. The filter has a capacity of up to 5,300 litres before it needs to be replaced. The filter also includes an active carbon cartridge, which helps neutralize odours and flavours.

Survivor Filter PRO Hydration Extender Series – Handpump Plus an Extra Set of Replacement Filters

This camping water filter is a complete kit with a hand pump and a three-stage filtration process. It has a prefilter that you insert into the natural water source. It has a .1-micron filter. You can even use the pump to backflush the prefilter, extending its lifespan to up to 100,000 litres.

The Survivor Filter PRO also has an internal carbon filter that helps eliminate odours and capture most chemical pollutants. Then the water finally passes through the .01-micron primary filter before being dispensed. You can use this camping water filter system directly from a stream, lake, or other natural body of water. You can just as easily fill a bucket to bring back to camp where you can filter the water as needed.

PureTec Quick Twist Caravan / RV Undersink Water Filter Kit

This water filter system by PureTec is designed to be installed in a caravan. It’s great for times when you need to draw from a questionable water source, or you’re not confident in the purity of the caravan park’s water hookups.

The filter is engineered to handle up to one micron. Yet it still has a flow rate of up to 5 litres per minute. The 38,000-liter capacity before needing to replace the filter also gives you the confidence to leave your caravan parked at a seasonal campsite, without having to worry about water every time you go camping.

Conclusion

The best camping water filters have filters with a tolerance of .3 microns or smaller. You should prioritize filters that have the highest lifetime capacity. This makes it easy to use them in the bush without needing to constantly replace the filter. Multi-stage camping water filters and units that have active charcoal canisters in the filter system are also handy for neutralizing odours, as well as off-putting flavours and reducing the risk of chemical contamination.

If you need a camping water filter that fits easily in your pack, then the LifeStraw might be your best option. If you need something that you can use to filter a water dispenser for your party’s campsite, but you can still bring with you in your pack for a day hike, then the Water Drop might be the best camping water filter to match your camping style.