6 Ways to Purify Water While Backpacking and Hiking (2025)

FAQs

6 Ways to Purify Water While Backpacking and Hiking? ›

Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes), then allow it to cool before use.

Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes), then allow it to cool before use.

The 10 best ways to purify water are boiling, chlorination, desalination, distillation, filtration, reverse osmosis, solar water disinfection, UV purification, and the addition of water purification tablets or iodine. Water is an essential resource that we need for our daily activities.

Boiling. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute is the simplest way to kill most types of germs, even if the water is cloudy and at high altitudes. If water is cloudy, allow it to settle and filter through a clean cloth or coffee filter before boiling.

Luckily, there are now many simple and convenient ways to purify water obtained along the trail when you're out for a nice hike. You can choose from chemical treatment (iodine or chlorine), filtration, ultraviolet light, or boiling. Each of these methods is very effective when used properly.

If you're at an elevation below 6,500 feet, put the water in a container over a heat source, such as a campfire or propane stove, and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. If you're at an elevation over 6,500 feet, bring the water to a rolling boil for 3 minutes.

Techniques include heat (including boiling), filtration, activated charcoal adsorption, chemical disinfection (e.g. chlorination, iodine, ozonation, etc.), ultraviolet purification (including sodis), distillation (including solar distillation), and flocculation.

How to purify water while camping? ›

Bring water to a rolling boil for one minute (or three minutes in apline conditions), and it will kill most bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

You can get water while backpacking from streams, lakes, water caches, waterfalls, rivers, and even animal watering basins along your trail. You can purify water by boiling it or using purification tablets, a UV pen, a sip or squeeze filter, or carrying a bottle with a built-in purifier.

Boil your water for 1 minute.

At elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes. Let the water cool. Most portable water filters do not remove bacteria or viruses. Choose a water filter labeled to remove parasites, and follow manufacturer's instructions.

The Top Water Filters for Backpacking, Bikepacking, Camping, Hiking, and Trail Running. Clean drinking water is essential when you head into the backcountry, and an effective, reliable water filter or purifier ensures that you have it.

But while some wild water is safe to drink straight, even clear-looking streams, lakes, and rivers can contain bacteria and illness-causing parasites such as giardia, especially in high-traffic areas There are a handful of different methods for killing germs and removing contaminants from water: filters and purifiers, ...

Carrying all the water you need would weigh your backpack down and take up valuable space. Instead, bring a single refillable canteen and plan your route around natural water sources like streams, lakes, rivers, waterfalls or even animal basins. You can refill your canteen along the way.