The Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2024

Little else ruins a good backpacking trip like a midnight run for the bushes. We’ve been there, and we’re not keen on going back, which is why our experts have scoured the scene and found the best backpacking water filters out there. We’ve spoken to thru-hikers, hunters, and mountaineers, and we’ve logged a not small number of miles ourselves, filtering our water along the way.

Our team collectively tested a plethora of diverse filters for the creation of this guide, from the classic Sawyer Squeeze to the budget-conscious LifeStraw Personal. We’ve been squeezing water through countless tubes and dropping tablets in Nalgenes each season to bring you the streamlined selection of 15 filters you see today.

Continue reading to learn more about the best backpacking water filters, written by Chris Carter, Mary Murphy and Will Brendza.

LAST UPDATED

November 1, 2024

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Chris Carter

Senior Editor

Wrought from a somewhat unconventional childhood in rural Kenya, Senior Editor Chris Carter derives his journalist inspiration from a life lived under the brutal but beautiful African sun. From a young age, he was exposed to an adventurous, nomadic lifestyle in the purest sense — and he strives to reflect that in his writing, art, and videography.  

After moving to America for college, Carter threw himself into the outdoor community as a way to connect with his roots overseas, and craft relationships with like-minded adventurers. Climbing, hiking, slogging through the rain — you name it. As long as it got him outside.

Since coming to the States he has thru-hiked the Triple Crown of long trails — the Pacific Crest Trail (2018), Continental Divide Trail (2021), and Appalachian Trail (2021) — and continues to pursue long-distance trekking and exploring around the world. Aside from hiking, he is an avid big-wall rock climber, motorcycle rider, and ultra-marathon runner.

His background in Africa not only gave Carter a desire to vehemently pursue unique, diverse experiences but also showed him the value of traveling light and efficiently. To that end, he is perpetually streamlining his kits and loves helping others make informed, wise decisions about the gear that keeps them comfortable and safe in the wild.

Carter comes from a history in video production and journalism in the outdoor industry. As a Senior Editor for GearJunkie, he is responsible for managing and creating content in the backpacking, hiking, and rock climbing categories. These days you can expect to find him dangling off tiny sandstone crimps, bopping along dusty trails, hopping planes — and trying to capture it all with either a lens or pen.

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