Reliable Water Treatment Options to Use When Hiking
Water treatment is crucial when hiking, as untreated water can lead to serious illnesses, such as giardia, IBS, and long-term issues with nutrient absorption that could persist for years. These health risks are not only uncomfortable but can also derail your entire hiking trip. To avoid them, we always treat our water.
Choosing the right water treatment method depends on your location, resources, preferences, and hike conditions. Some methods are better for groups, others for solo hikers, and some are best reserved for emergencies. Below is a list of some water treatment options to consider. In our experience, combining two of these methods is often the most practical approach.
Boiling
Boiling water is an effective way to kill most bacteria, viruses, and parasites, making it one of the safest methods for water treatment. To be effective, the water must reach a rolling boil (not a simmer) and be maintained for at least 1 minute.
We typically don’t rely on boiling for water treatment because it consumes fuel and time—especially at high altitudes where boiling time is longer. The water also needs time to cool before it’s drinkable, causing further delays.
Additionally, boiling doesn’t remove sediment or heavy metals. If the water is muddy, you may need to filter it beforehand. That said, boiling can still be a good backup if your primary water filtration system fails. Unlike chemical treatments, boiling only needs heat and a pot, so it is a good emergency option.
Chemical treatments
There are two common types of chemical water treatment options: liquids and tablets. Both can kill most bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in 15–30 minutes, depending on the product you use. Tablets like Aquatabs are lightweight, easy to use, and cheap. On the other hand, liquids like Aquamira are heavier, require pre-mixing, and are generally more expensive.
Liquids act slightly faster than tablets and are effective against a wider range of pathogens, including Cryptosporidium. However, they require mixing the chemicals beforehand, which adds extra effort (though premixing is a common shortcut).
Overall, when using chemical water treatments, you must pay close attention to the details and follow the recommended wait times for each product. Aquamira kills most pathogens in 15 minutes, however in cold water, it takes at least 30 minutes to be effective. Additionally, Aquatabs aren’t rated as effective against Cryptosporidium, but Katadyn Micropur Forte tablets are (though they take 4 hours to kill it).
Other major drawbacks of these chemical water treatments are that, like boiling, they don’t filter out sediments. Additionally, they may also leave an unpleasant taste.
Filters
Filters physically strain out bacteria and protozoan like Cryptosporidium and Giardia lamblia. There are three types to choose from: gravity, pump, and straw filters.
- Gravity filters rely on gravity to push water through a filter, like the Berkey Filters or Katadyn BeFree Gravity. Ideal for groups, they produce large amounts of water. The downside is that they can be bulky and have a slow flow rate.
- Pump filters, such as the MSR Hyperflow Microfilter, work by pumping water through a fine filter to trap contaminants. It is faster than a gravity filter but needs frequent backflushing to extend its lifespan.
- Straw filters allow you to drink directly from the water source (e.g., Sawyer Mini and Platypus Quickdraw). We generally like using these because they are compact, lightweight and very easy to use.
Whilst filtering removes sediments and many harmful microbes, it doesn’t eliminate all contaminants. Keep in mind that chemicals and viruses are often too small for many filters to catch. Finally, filters can clog over time and eventually become slow. They need regular cleaning or backflushing to maintain their performance. However, they do not leave an aftertaste, like many chemical treatments do.
UV treatment
UV water treatment devices, such as the SteriPen, use ultraviolet light to damage the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, preventing them from reproducing and causing infection. These devices are typically lightweight and compact, making them easy to carry without significantly adding to your pack’s weight.
The UV treatment feels almost magical, where you press a button and wave a wand to treat the water. The effects are not instantaneous, but they are relatively quick, with most devices purifying water in just 1–2 minutes. Another advantage is that UV treatment doesn’t leave an aftertaste.
However, as with the water treatment options above, UV devices come with some drawbacks. First, they rely on batteries or recharging. So, they can run out of power and require replacements or recharges. You would have to factor the device when planning your power supply.
Additionally, UV treatment is limited to treating small water volumes at any one time and isn’t compatible with hydration bladders. Another drawback is that it doesn’t remove sediment or large particles, so pre-filtration may be necessary when treating murky water.
Given its relatively high cost and reliance on power, UV treatment may not be a practical option for most people.
What we like to do
We like to use a combination of chemical treatment and filters when purifying water. Chemical treatments are particularly useful when we need to treat large amounts of water, such as filling up before a dry camp.
However, we always carry a filter so we can drink water immediately when we come to a fresh water source. This is very convenient, as it reduces the amount of water we need to carry and easily offsets the additional weight of the filter.
If the water source looks especially questionable, we will use both methods. This is why we are generally less concerned about the long time it takes for chemical treatments to kill Cryptosporidium. We also occasionally pre-filter using a buff to remove as much sediment as possible. This step helps prevent the filter from clogging up.
Conclusion
There are many water treatment options to choose from, each offering its own set of benefits and limitations. Your choice may ultimately depend on your hiking location, personal preferences, and budget. Whether you will opt for boiling water or carry a UV treatment device, the key is to create a reliable system you can trust in any situation.
In our experience, a mix of chemical treatments and filters often works best—balancing speed, cost, weight, and effort. This combination offers peace of mind, knowing that no matter what type of water source we encounter, we are can safely hydrate.
