It only takes at least two days and up to a week without water for one to succumb to dehydration. But if you have access to portable water filters or other means of cleaning and purifying dirty water, then you have a better chance of getting out of your predicament alive.
When you’re in a survival situation, one of your primary concerns should be finding clean, drinking water. But watch out for any collection of water, even the dirty ones. You can turn not-so-clean water into something that’s safe to drink using portable water filters, water purification tablets, boiling, and a few other methods. For now, let’s look at some of the best portable water filters on the market right now.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
The LifeStraw Personal Water Filter is easily one of the most popular portable water filters right now. In fact, it was once named “Invention of the Year” by Time Magazine. One reason why it’s one of the best is its ease of use. As its name suggests, you can use it like how you would use a normal straw. Simply place one end in the water and sip through the other end.
The magic happens in between the two ends. The water filter inside the straw-like device is capable of cleaning up to 1,000 liters of water. And when we say “cleaning,” we mean it can get rid of 99.99% of bacteria, parasites, and fine particles in the water. Another good thing going for the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter is its price. It costs just a shade under $20 making it easier for you to get everyone in the family their own LifeStraw.
LifeStraw Go Water Bottle with Integrated 1,000-Liter LifeStraw Filter
While the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter is pretty portable and easy to use, it is quite limited. If you don’t have a container, you can only use the LifeStraw by directly drinking from the river or lake, for example. Fortunately, the company understood the need for a container and thus came up with the LifeStraw Go Water Bottle.
The LifeStraw Go comes with a leak-proof BPA-free water bottle, which lets you carry 23 ounces of water. The food-grade silicone mouthpiece allows you to drink the water after going through the process of filtration. It is available at a discounted price of $36.84, down from the original price of $49.95.
LifeStraw Mission Water Purification System
LifeStraw also has its own gravity-fed water filter in its arsenal. The LifeStraw Mission comes with either a 5-liter or 12-liter roll-bag reservoir, which can be placed on a tree or other support. The LifeStraw Mission has an impressive filtration capacity of 18,000 liters during its lifetime. It can also pump out 9 to 12 liters of water every hour.
Sawyer Mini Filter
The Sawyer Mini Filter uses a 0.1 inline micron filter to process up to 100,000 gallons of water. The filter itself is pretty lightweight with a weight of only 2 ounces. Its productivity and portability make the Sawyer Mini Filter one of the best portable water filters around.
The Sawyer Mini Filter also boasts hose adaptors on both sides allowing different ways to retrieve water. You can split the components so you get a hydration pack. It can also be turned into a gravity-fed water filter while the small hose can be used to gather water through a small crack.
Katadyn Pocket Microfilter Water Filter
The Pocket Microfilter Water Filter by Katadyn is on the expensive side at $425 but you can be assured you have one of the best portable water filters in your hands if you choose to go with this one.
This essential piece of survival gear comes with one of the best refillable activated carbon cartridges on the market so you’re assured that waterborne pathogens are greatly reduced. It also features a silver impregnated ceramic element, which can filter up to 13,000 gallons of water.
Katadyn Vario Water Microfilter
If you’re in a solo survival situation, a personal water filter will do you good. Things may be a tad more difficult if you’re with a group, say your family. Unless each of you has his or her own water filter, you’re better off using portable water filters that can provide for everyone at one go. The Vario Microfilter from Katadyn uses a camel-back hose adaptor and adaptable screw at the top to filter water into a container. This lets you gather as much clean drinking water as possible for everyone in your family.
The Vario makes use of an advanced filtration technology that features three different filters. The ceramic pre-filters help get rid of the sediment and debris while the charcoal filter takes care of the taste and smell of the dirty water. The glass filter, meanwhile, takes care of the pathogens and hazardous chemicals. The Katadyn Vario currently sells at a discounted price of $119.97.
Katadyn Base Camp Pro Water Filter
Katadyn manages to outdo itself with every product it releases. This time, the company came up with the Base Camp Pro 10L, which is basically a water filter that lets you filter 10 liters of water at a time. Such gravity-fed portable water filters are perfect for campouts and survival situations.
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The Katadyn Base Camp Pro utilizes its own 0.2-micron Ultra Flow Filter Element, which allows two liters of water to flow each minute. This is enough time to get rid of sediment, bacteria, and cysts. The Base Camp Pro is capable of cleaning up to 1,500 terms of water. It’s also relatively easy to carry and use thanks to the carry strap and provision for hanging.
MSR MiniWorks Purifier System
Like the other portable water filters in this list, the SR MiniWorks Purifier System kills 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.99% of protozoa while also getting rid of the unpleasant taste and smell of the water. The AirSpring Accumulator microfilter can pump out one liter per minute. It is also capable of filtering up to 2,000 liters of water.
Portable water filters like the ones mentioned here are definitely great to have during emergency situations. It’s wise to have at least one of these in your possession at all times. Place them in your emergency kits or bug out bags.
Aside from portable water filters, everyone should know how to find, gather and purify water. Check out The Gentleman Pirate for more survival tips regarding the procurement of water.
Just a disclaimer – We have partnered with these companies because we use their products and/or proudly trust and endorse them – so we do receive a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for services. Often, we are able to negotiate special discounts and/or bonuses, which we will pass on to you via our links. We often get short notice on sale items available for 24-48 hours as we will pass these savings onto you.
