One of the most important things to keep in mind this summer as you’re adventuring is staying hydrated. This is easy enough when you’re hanging around by the pool, but what about when you’re exploring the great outdoors? There’s not always clean water readily available and carrying several liters of water on your back can really weigh you down on your hike. We’ve rounded up 10 water purifiers that will help you take advantage of the water that is available while staying light on your feet.
1. Solar Thermos ($60): Solar gadgets are totally our jam. This bottle uses the power of the sun to boil your water and remove harmful bacteria. It’s designed to prop itself up so you can angle the solar panels toward the sun and let it work!
2. Steripen ($83): This uber-portable water purifier uses UV rays to make your water drinkable. Its battery can filter up to 50 liters of water on a single charge, which is more than enough for most outings. And, helpfully and adorably, the LED screen gives you a smile when the water is ready to drink :)
3. Hand Powered Filter ($100): No batteries required here, just a little bit of elbow grease! Created by the same brand as the Steripen, this also uses UV rays to purify your water. 90 seconds of cranking will give you 1 L of water. This is perfect for emergency situations when you’re not sure how soon you’ll have access to a recharge.
4. Lifestraw ($20): Drinking water right out of a stream sounds like a pretty bad idea. But with this straw, it’s totally legitimate! The Lifestraw filters bacteria and particulates from the water, making it clear and safe to drink. It’s lightweight and portable and you can use it regardless of whether you remembered to bring a glass or bottle to drink out of.
5. NDuR Survival Straw ($30): Similar to the Lifestraw, this device lets you drink safely from any fresh water source. The biggest difference between the two is that the NDuR can filter heavy metals, so we recommend this one if that’s a concern near where you’re travelling.
6. RainCatch (Concept): Harnessing rain water is a great way to get fresh H2O, but it isn’t very convenient when you’re hiking or moving from place to place while camping. This concept out of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design would allow you to catch that rainwater through your rain jacket, literally grabbing fresh water out of the sky while you’re on the go.
7. Katadyn Pocket ($302): This one is definitely more of an investment, but the durability of the device is ideal for the seriously outdoorsy out there. It filters microorganisms out of your water, making it safer to drink. It even has a lifetime warranty so you know it’ll be with you for a lifetime full of adventures.
8. Lifesaver Bottle ($180): With this bottle, you can have 750 mL of drinking water in just 60 seconds. The filters on the bottle are replaceable, but one will last you through 4,000 liters of water… which is a lot! The filter eliminates pathogens without the use of chemicals, just activated carbon, so you can sleep easy knowing clean water is the only thing you’re consuming.
9. Sawyer Squeeze ($50): This collapsible water bottle holds up to 2 L of water when full (it comes in three different sizes) and then rolls up when empty to prevent wasting space in your bag. You have the option to transfer the filtered water into a different container for storage or shared drinking, or drink straight from the filter with built-in drinking cap.
10. GravityWorks Filter ($120): Let the elements work for you! Just hang this filter from a tree, add water to the “dirty” reservoir, and gravity does the rest. In just 2.5 minutes you can have 4 L of clean, drinkable H2O. This one is great if you’re planning to set up camp for the night: it can hold up to 8L of water, great for even a fairly large group.
How do you quench your thirst while you’re out and about? Got any great outdoorsy tech we should know about? Talk to us in the comments below or over on Twitter.
