Everyone should agree that water is a top priority in any survival situation. You can only survive for a maximum of three days without it, and within just one day, you’ll already feel the devastating effects of dehydration.
While you can technically drink water directly from the source you find it in, such as a lake or a stream, you run the risk of that water being filled with harmful bacteria that could make it more dangerous to drink than to not drink any at all.
Fortunately, with the aid of a simple water filter, you can filter out any hazardous bacteria and other negative substances to make the water safe to drink and keep yourself hydrated throughout your survival efforts. You must have a water filter in your bug out bag or survival kit at all times.
Here are the top ten bug out bag water filters currently available on the market:
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
On the outside, the LifeStraw is nothing more than a blue tube with a neck lanyard. On the inside, however, it’s one of the most effective and portable water filters on the market. When you pick up the LifeStraw for the first time, you’ll notice right away how lightweight it is. This, combined with the neck lanyard, is why you can carry it effortlessly with you wherever you go. To use the LifeStraw, simply remove the caps and drink directly from the water source. It is capable of filtering 99% of harmful bacteria for up to 264 total gallons.
LifeStraw Go Water Bottle
Another water filter product from LifeStraw is the Go Water Bottle. Following the massive success of their personal water filter, LifeStraw incorporated the filter into a bottle. You can then pour water from any natural source into the bottle and drink directly from it as you travel, which is arguably more practical than just having the personal water filter itself.
Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System
If you want your water filter to be as compact and lightweight as possible, the Sawyer Mini is your choice. Despite being two ounces in weight, it’s perfectly capable of eliminating all dangerous protozoa and bacteria (though, like most filters, it can’t remove chemicals). If it starts to become clogged up, simply backwash it out with clean water.
Pinty Army Green Purification Water Filter
The Pinty Army Green Purification Water Filter is capable of removing 99.99% of parasites, bacteria, and other harmful bacteria in up to two hundred and eleven gallons of water. At seven inches in length, it will fit neatly in any bug out bag. Simply shake it periodically in order to clear it of any water or other debris.
Versa Flow Lightweight Water Filter System
Perhaps the most versatile water filter in this list is the Versa Flow. This is because you can use it to drink directly from a water source, or you can also screw it onto a hydration pack or a plastic water bottle. Built to exceed the standards set by the EPA, the Versa Flow utilizes multiple tiny hollow fiber tubes that can block over 99.99% of all protozoa, parasites, and bacteria. To increase the lifespan of the filter, simply backlash the filter with water to remove any debris.
Survivor Filter
The water filter with perhaps the fastest flow rate is the Survivor Filter, with a flow rate of seven ounces of water a minute. With a weight of only three and a half ounces, the Survivor Filter can fit just as easily in a bug out bag as it could in a glove box or your pocket. To use, simply flip off the cap and drink directly from the source.
Tactical Health Survival Straw
While the Tactical Health Survival Straw costs a little bit more money than other water filter straws, you will definitely get what you pay for. This is because Tactical Health has built the Survival Straw with numerous micro fibrous tubes and many layers of filters for the water to travel through. Furthermore, the Survival Straw is also installed with a poly-iodine treatment that will eliminate viruses and metal contaminants, which is something that many other water filter survival straws are unable to do. In other words, the Survival Straw is essentially a combination between a water filter and purification tablets.
MoKo Portable Water Filter
With the capacity to filter through over six hundred and sixty gallons of water with each carbon filter (which are replaceable), the MoKo Portable Water Filter will be an excellent product to have with you in your survival kit or bug out bag. It’s incredibly simple to operate, as all you have to do is submerge the filter under a natural source of fresh water and then pump the handle. The water will then travel through three filtration stages before exiting out the other end: a pre-filter, a carbon filter, and a hollow membrane filter. The Portable Water Filter also ships with a one year warranty from MoKo.
MSR MiniWorks EX Microfilter
One of the bestselling microfilters currently on the market is the MiniWorks EX. It’s designed to be produce clean water frequently in extreme environments, with a flow rate of one liter a minute thanks to MSR’s AirSpring Accumulator. What’s better, is that the water will be entirely taste free when you drink it.
Katadyn Pocket Water Filter
The most expensive water filter on this list is the Katadyn Pocket Water Filter, and that’s why we’ve saved it for last. It’s capable of filtering through all microorganisms, protozoa, and bacteria that are greater than 0.2 microns to produce water that is clean, free of taste, and drinkable. How the Katadyn works is an outlet hose connects via a clip to the container. You then pump the round handle to allow the water to travel through the hose to the container where it will be filtered. Since the Katadyn is small enough to be carried in your pocket, it’s certainly small enough to be carried around in your bug out bag as well.
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