The Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

A favourite of ultralight hikers, backpackers, bikers, and vacationers, the Sawyer Squeeze filter is the gold customary 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 widespread 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 fundamental 20-ounce Coke bottle, for instance), which suggests you by no means have to fret about damaging a bottle, since a alternative might be simply discovered wherever on the earth.

You should purchase the Sawyer Squeeze as both the filter alone or as a package with a few water bladders and connecting hoses. The kit-included bladders work tremendous, however I usually skip them and filter right into a Good Water bottle. Because the identify suggests, the Squeeze is supposed to be squeezed, although it does work tremendous 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 Good Water bottles for my clear water, which join on to the filter outlet. For journeys with rare water sources, I convey a further 2L HydraPak bladder ($25). This setup permits me to get two liters of unpolluted ingesting water in about 4 minutes if I squeeze, and extra like 6 to eight liters if I dangle 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 offer it a very good cleansing you may want the included back-flushing syringe, which is regrettably cumbersome. My expertise has been that, if you could find good, clear sources of water, with out a ton of silt or particles, the Squeeze simply goes seven days with no need 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 sooner movement fee of the Squeeze, however in the event you’re on the cutting-the-handles-off-toothbrushes stage, the Mini is a more sensible choice.