The Finest Backpacking Water Filters of 2025, Examined and Reviewed

A favourite of ultralight hikers, backpackers, bikers, and vacationers, the Sawyer Squeeze filter is the gold normal in water filters for anybody involved about weight and common compatibility. The Squeeze weighs simply 3 ounces, has a filtration stage of 0.1 microns (which will get rid E. coli, salmonella, giardia, cryptosporidium, and different frequent issues), and claims to filter 100,000 gallons of water earlier than it wants changing. The Squeeze additionally connects to any 28-mm diameter soda bottle (your primary 20-ounce Coke bottle, for instance), which implies you by no means have to fret about damaging a bottle, since a substitute might be simply discovered wherever on the planet.

You should buy the Sawyer Squeeze as both the filter alone or as a equipment with a few water bladders and connecting hoses. The kit-included bladders work high quality, however I usually skip them and filter right into a Sensible Water bottle. Because the title suggests, the Squeeze is supposed to be squeezed, although it does work high quality as a gravity filter, simply slower.

After years of testing and tweaking, my setup for the Sawyer Squeeze is a 2L Cnoc VectoX water bladder ($25) for soiled water, which connects on to the Squeeze, after which two Sensible Water bottles for my clear water, which join on to the filter outlet. For journeys with rare water sources, I carry an extra 2L HydraPak bladder ($25). This setup permits me to get two liters of fresh ingesting water in about 4 minutes if I squeeze, and extra like 6 to eight liters if I grasp it and let gravity do the work. The pace does fluctuate fairly a bit based mostly on how clear the filter is, and these numbers are based mostly on a freshly cleaned filter.

Cleansing is the one draw back to the Sawyer. To provide it a very good cleansing you will want the included back-flushing syringe, which is regrettably cumbersome. My expertise has been that, if you will discover good, clear sources of water, with no ton of silt or particles, the Squeeze simply goes seven days without having a cleansing. For longer journeys, I pack the syringe. It is also price noting that there’s Sawyer Mini ($17) is even lighter however much less strong. In my testing, the load financial savings of the Mini is trumped by the quicker circulate price of the Squeeze, however in the event you’re on the cutting-the-handles-off-toothbrushes stage, the Mini is a better option.