When hiking or backpacking, potable water is necessary for hydration and also often needed for cooking and personal hygiene. Hikers can carry all of their water with them from the trailhead or obtain water from backcountry sources. Packing out your water may work on short day hikes but is rarely practical for overnight backpacking trips. (One liter of water weighs more than two pounds!)

It is recommended that water from backcountry sources in the United States be treated to eliminate bacteria and organisms that can make you sick. The four most popular ways of treating water on trail are boiling, filtering, chemical treatment, and UV light purification. This post will outline the pros and cons of each method and suggest some commonly used pieces of gear to help you choose a backcountry water treatment method that works for you.

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Boiling

Boiling water is a tried and true method of killing bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Water should be brought to a rolling boil for at least a minute.

Advantages Of Treating Water By Boiling

Multi-use Gear Backpackers love gear that has multiple uses! If you are already carrying a stove for cooking it can double as your water treatment.
Reliability Boiling is a reliable and flexible method of water treatment. If something should happen to your stove, water can also be boiled over an open fire.

Disadvantages Of Treating Water By Boiling

Time The most time consuming part of the process of boiling water for drinking is waiting for it to cool down afterwards. The amount of water you can boil at once is limited to the size of you pot so you will most likely be repeating the process of boiling and cooling multiple times each day.
Fuel Consumption Any weight you save by using your stove for water treatment could be countered with the weight of extra fuel you will need for boiling drinking water.
Sediment Boiling your water does not remove sediment that may be present in some water sources. You may want to pour collected water through a bandana or other piece of cloth to remove some sediment before boiling.

Filtering

Water Filters remove bacteria and organisms from water rather than killing or inactivating them. There are a wide variety of filters on the market to meet different needs.

Advantages Of Filtering Water

Many Options And Customizations Whatever your filtration needs are there is probably a backcountry filter available on the market to meet them. Your can pump or squeeze your water through the filter, let gravity do the work, or even filter in line from your hydration bladder. Filters also vary in their speed and methods of filtration.
Sediment Removal Filters also remove any sediment that may be present, making your water more pleasant to drink.
Long Lasting Some filters have a replaceable filter cartridge while others should be cleaned as recommended by the manufacturer. You should expect any reputable water filter to last a long time as long as it is not lost or damaged.

Disadvantages Of Filtering Water

Weight There are lightweight filter options available but many are heavier than other treatment methods. I love my highly effective and efficient pump filter but it weighs almost a pound with all of its tubing and attachments.
Susceptible to Freezing Some filters can be damaged by freezing temperatures. This may be a concern if you are backpacking in cold weather.
Many Options Because of the wide variety of filter options, you should thoroughly research before making a purchase. Most filters eliminate bacteria and protozoa but many are not effective against viruses.

Popular Filter Options

Chemical Treatment

There are multiple ways of chemically treating water to make it safe to drink. Most commercial formulas come in the form of tablets or liquid drops that are added to your water.

Advantages Of Chemical Water Treatments

Lightweight Chemical treatment options tend to be lightweight and compact.
Easy To Use The packaging should include simple instructions that are easy to follow with little or no experience.

Disadvantages Of Chemical Water Treatments

Taste Some people report that chemical treatments give water an unpleasant taste. This will vary between treatment products.
Time All chemical treatments require some wait time after treating the water. This will vary depending on the product and the desired results and could be anywhere between 30 minutes and four hours.

Popular Chemical Treatment Options

UV Light Treatment

In UV light treatment, a small electronic device is used to produce UV light that eliminates bacteria, protozoa, and viruses.

Advantages Of UV Light Treatment

Virus Elimination UV light destroys viruses as well as bacteria and protozoa, making UV treatment popular with international travelers.
Potential Multi-Use In a pinch your UV device could be used as an emergency light source.

Disadvantages Of UV Light Treatment

Battery Some devices take disposable batteries and others are rechargeable. On any extended trip it is necessary to carry extra batteries or a means of charging the device.
Durability An electronic device may not stand up to wet or rugged trail conditions and is not serviceable in the field.
Sediment UV devices do not remove sediment from the water but some models do include a prefilter to use before treatment. UV light may also not be fully effective in cloudy water.

Popular UV Light Treatment Options

Regardless of which water treatment method you chose, it is wise to have a back-up plan in case your main method of treatment should fail. This can usually be done without adding a lot of extra weight to your pack. For example, if you are filtering your water but also carrying a stove for cooking, you could treat water by boiling if you experience a filter malfunction. Individually wrapped treatment tablets are also extremely lightweight and easy to toss in your first aid or toiletry kit in case of emergency.

Do you have any questions or additional suggestions about treating water in the backcountry? Are there any additional factors that you think beginners should consider when choosing a treatment method? Please leave a comment below!