Hiking Water Filters

For people who enjoy hiking, water filters are valuable accessories to own. For short hikes close to civilization, carrying a bottle of water is usually sufficient, but in hot weather you might be amazed at how quickly you drink your bottle of water.

If you are in a situation where you want to refill your water supply but the only available source of water is a cool, refreshing mountain stream, stop! That innocent looking stream could contain all sorts of invisible contaminants that can make you very sick or, in an extreme case, can kill you.

Because you have no way of knowing what is in the water that you are about to drink, it is vital to protect yourself by carrying some form of water purification when hiking. Water filters are now built right into special water bottles made for hiking or survival in extreme conditions. All you have to do is fill the bottle with water from any source and the filter does the rest.

The best filtered water bottles are the ones that use a combination of ceramic and carbon in their filters to ensure maximum purification. Ceramic micro filters can remove nearly all contaminants one might find in outdoor water sources, including common bacteria such as cryptosporidium and giardia. Carbon filters alone can remove metals, sediment and some bacteria, but they might not catch all of it.

You should also keep in mind that viruses are much smaller than bacteria and may pass through some filters. When in doubt about the safety of any water source, it is best to use a secondary form of purification such as boiling or water purification tablets rather than rely on just a carbon filter.

Avid outdoor enthusiasts may prefer more sophisticated hiking water filters to ensure a reliable supply of clean water while spending time in the wilderness. An experienced hiker knows very well the danger of getting lost or injured when hiking in remote areas and knows the importance of being prepared. Carrying a few essentials with you on a hike can mean the difference between life and death if you find yourself unexpectedly spending more time in the outdoors than you had planned.

A portable reverse osmosis water purifier can transform virtually any water into clean drinking water, regardless of how contaminated it might be. When travelling in foreign countries, you should always be sure that water is thoroughly purified before drinking it. A reverse osmosis purifier works by allowing the water to seep through a semi-permeable membrane then collecting it on the other side. Only water is able to pass through the membrane; all pollutants are left behind.

Reverse osmosis is one of the most effective methods of water purification, but it is a slow process that leaves behind a lot of waste water. If water is in short supply, this might not be the best method. In most cases hiking water filters made with ceramic will be sufficient, and ones that include a layer of charcoal will also vastly improve the taste of the water.