The Sawyer Squeeze Point One and Sawyer Mini Water Filters are the most popular water treatment and purification systems used by backpackers today (approximately 40% use them according to a recent survey). The Sawyer Squeeze Water Treatment System (which includes 2 x …
Read More »Water Filters and Containers
SteriPEN Adventurer Opti Water Purifier Review
When the weather gets cold and temperatures drop below freezing at night, I like to switch from using a water filter like the Sawyer Squeeze which will break if frozen (even a bit) to the SteriPEN Adventurer Opti Water Purifier. It works …
Read More »Sawyer Select S1, S2, S3 Water Filter and Purifier Bottles Review
Sawyer’s Select Water Filter and Purifier Bottles combine a Sawyer’s 0.1 micron absolute hollow filter membrane filter (same as a Sawyer Mini, just smaller) with a foam purifier to remove contaminants found in fresh water. Labelled S1, S2, and S3, you can …
Read More »Platypus DuoLock Soft Bottle Review
The Platypus DuoLock Soft Bottle is a soft bottle with a locking cap that’s designed to prevent leaks and lost caps. The DuoLock bottle also comes with a carabiner that you can hook around your finger, use as a pour handle, or attach …
Read More »Aquamira Frontier Pro Water Filter
The Aquamira Frontier Pro water filter is an exceptionally lightweight 2 oz. alternative to the more bulky water filters and water purifiers available on the market today. The Frontier Pro connects to platypus bladders or plastic bottles. To get water, you suck …
Read More »Hiking Hydration Systems vs. Water Bottles – Survey Results
Hydration reservoir pockets and drinking tube ports are a common feature on most daypacks and overnight backpacks. But as far as we know, no one has ever studied how prevalent their use is and whether using a hydration reservoir and hose is …
Read More »Best Backpacking Water Filter and Treatment Systems
What are the best water filter and purification options for backpacking? We put that question to 565 backpackers in a recent survey on SectionHiker.com to get an updated view into the types of solutions that backpackers use today. Most Popular Water Treatment …
Read More »Winter Hydration Systems and Water Bottles
While there will always be a heated debate about what the best water bottles or hydration system required for winter hiking is, I think we’d all agree that the minimum requirements for winter use are as follows: The water you bring on …
Read More »Dump the Pump Water Filter
The first time I tried filtering water from a stream, I knew that the distance I could hike in one day would never again be constrained by the amount of water I could carry. I remember the scene vividly: getting water out of a …
Read More »Hydrapak Seeker 3L Soft Water Bottle Review
The Hydrapak Seeker 3L is a 100 ounce (3 liter) soft water bottle that weighs 3.1 ounces empty and has a 42 mm opening. The big benefit of using a soft bottle for backpacking is that it can be rolled up and …
Read More »First Need Water Purifier – General Ecology
The First Need Water Purifier is one of the few filters on the market today that filters out all viruses, crypto, and protozoa without the need for additional purification tablets like Chlorine Dioxide. The only downside to this filter is that it weighs …
Read More »Seychelle Water Bottle and Purifier Review
I got a new water purifier a few weeks ago from Seychelle.com that works with a screw top bottle. The filter element qualifies as a purifier because it is EPA approved to remove viruses and bacteria to 99.9999%, and other biologicals like …
Read More »Camelbak Hydrolock
I am not a fan of Camelbak hydration reservoirs, but I love their locking valves. So much, that I tear off the wimpy mouthpiece that comes with the Platypus hydration reservoir drinking system and add a Camelbak hydrolock valve to it. …
Read More »First Need Water Purifier Upgrade
This past year, General Ecology, makers of the First Need Water Purifier system, changed their water purifier cartridges. The old cartridge model was called a First Need Deluxe (left) and the new one is called the First Need XL (right, in photo.) …
Read More »