Water filter Portable, a must-have tool for hiking?

Water, like rest and food, is one of the basic needs of human beings. On a day hike, during a bushcraft experience or during a trek, drinking water even becomes one of the major concerns. Omnipresent in nature, the water is however rarely drinkable. It must be boiled and then filtered through various sieves to remove sediment, bacteria and sometimes viruses. But did you know that portable water purifiers exist? Effective, light and inexpensive, they become indispensable as soon as we try them. Want to know everything about the water filter portable? You are in the right place !

What is a water filter portable?

A portable water purifier is an object or tool that transforms used or dirty water into drinking water by means of several sieves and mechanical and chemical filters. It is portable when it takes up little space and can be carried everywhere with you.

Composition of simple filters

Portable or not, outdoor water filters use the same filtration process. They then consist of several filtration sieves with decreasing mesh. In other words, the first filter will stop the largest waste and the last filter will stop sediment and very small waste. In this case, water filters are said to be mechanical, that is, they do not use any chemicals to purify the water. This very effective method removes limestone particles, but also sediments such as sand and mud, or even microscopic plastic waste. However, not all water filter models have the same degree of fineness. While many manufacturers offer 99.99% bacteria and protozoa filtration using 0.2 micron pores, other models only stop sediment and waste.

A portable water purification, top filtration

The fundamental difference between water filters and water purifiers can be summed up in one word: viruses. Filters and their 0.2 microns mesh are unable to stop them, where purifiers and their microporous 0.02 or even 0.01 micron mesh are able. This is the case with the Lifestraw purifier models that we have already discussed. Thanks to the addition of an activated carbon filter or specific chemicals, some models of water purifiers are even able to remove heavy metals, pollutants, and bad taste from water taken from the natural environment.

Key to selecting the water filter portable

The types of water purifiers, manufacturers and models are so numerous that it is necessary to ask the right questions before buying a particular filter. Let’s review the most important selection criteria in order to calmly make your choice:

The volume: this criterion also depends on the use you will make of the water purifier. If you are looking for one to try a survival or bushcraft experience, go for a filter bag of 5 liters or more. On the other hand, if you go for a hike, choose a 50 cl or 1 liter filter bottle.

Weight: some purifiers weigh only about twenty grams where other models exceed 300 grams. While every gram counts during a light hike or during a trek, you will understand that this criterion will be very important.

The lifespan of the filters: some must be recharged, this is the case for activated carbons. Others are purely mechanical and last much longer. When buying, you will notice that durability is often expressed in liters of total filling. That is to say that some gourds can be filled with 1000 liters during 'their life' while pockets approach 20,000 liters.

Filtration fineness: purifiers rarely filter all products and waste, they often specialize in this. Some are particularly renowned for the filtration of heavy metals while others remove viruses with 99.99% success. It's up to you to see what seems most important to you.

The way of water collection: here we come to the practical aspect of the purifier. You just have to keep in mind that several ways to fill the filter exist, such as pumping, suction with the mouth and filling directly in a body of water. It's up to you to see what you prefer!

The price: this criterion is subjective since inexpensive purifiers will have a shorter lifespan than other more expensive ones. In general, the quality/price ratio is a criterion that we will discuss in more detail a little later.