The Most Efficient & Reliable Water Filter for Backcountry Hunting
Backcountry hunting is one of the most primal things a Rugged Man can do in these modern times to retain his connection to the wilderness and maintain his ability to provide food beyond the supermarket.
Leaving the mundanity and insanity behind and walking briskly into the great wide open with nothing but our hunting packs and survival essentials is exhilarating to say the least.
For some of us, it is a necessity and we spend most of our time, when we’re not out there, dreaming about being out there.
These long trips into the wild are usually grueling and they challenge us to be our very best. Getting our gear ready is an enjoyable and important part of planning our journey. Packing smart and light are key to meeting that challenge prepared and confident to head into the field.
Water, as is echoed throughout the survival community, is essential to our survival and we cannot go more than roughly 3 days without it. However, if you are reading this article, I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about it.
Another thing about water, it’s heavy. Coming in at a whopping 8.34 lbs/gallon, it doesn’t take a mental heavyweight to realize we can’t be hauling a ton of it into the backcountry.
However, we need to be on top of staying hydrated out there. This is where a good quality, lightweight, small water filtration system comes into play and it is one of the biggest little inventions of our time.
Boiling or purifying water is a viable means of keeping your body hydrated. But, boiling water takes some set-up and time, and chemical treatments should only be for limited use or if you find yourself in a bad situation.
I think having some water purification tablets in your pack is a good thing to do, but I would not want to rely on it. Same with boiling water. You’re going to want more hydration on a backcountry hunting trip than these two methods can realistically keep up with if you’re looking to optimize your hunt.
For the amount of water a backcountry hunter needs to thrive, the only answer in my opinion is a filtration system. Good news is, they’re highly effective, last nearly a lifetime, fast and easy to use, and inexpensive.
Things to Consider Before Your Backcountry Hunt When it Comes to Hydration
When hunting the backcountry, we often find ourselves in some pristine places full of fresh air and untouched beauty. It is ALWAYS tempting to dip my water bottle straight down into a mountain stream and drink away.
However tempting this may be, use caution. You may not get sick. But, if you do, that trip you’ve been planning and looking forward to for so long can be cut short due to an error in judgement. For some guys, that means waiting until next year!
Another thing, know the areas and terrain where you will be setting up camp and hunting, at least by map. If you don’t know the area, water may be harder to come by than you think. OnX Hunt is an great app that has loads of features and the ability to make area maps available offline.
Last, but not least, freezing temperatures will render the filters on our list today useless unless they are cared for properly. Once the water freezes and expands inside the filter it will destroy the element.
It’s not enough to just blow or shake the water out. I have known a fair amount of guys who lost their ability to get good filtered water because they were certain they got all of the water out, just to find that they didn’t, and were left with a useless filter.
A good method for keeping your filter safe in freezing temperatures is to figure out a way to keep the filter close to your body. You still want to try to get the water out, but using your body temperature to protect the inside of your water filter is a surefire way to insure you won’t be going thirsty or have to risk drinking contaminated water.
As goes for just about everything where this rule makes sense, have a backup, and if you can, a backup for a backup!
So, with all of these things in mind, let’s take a look at the The Most Efficient & Reliable Water Filter for Backcountry Hunting!
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The Most Reliable Water Filter for Backcountry Hunting
The Sawyer Mini
This is hands down our top choice for just about any outdoor excursion.
The Sawyer Mini is lightweight, small, and will last you a lifetime if cared for properly.
It removes 99.99999% of all bacteria (salmonella, cholera, and E. coli) and protozoa (giardia and cryptosporidium) while completely removing 100% of microplastics.
The Sawyer Mini is rated to filter up to 100,000 gallons! Again, it can last you a lifetime!
It attaches to the included drinking pouch, standard disposable water bottles, hydration packs, or use the straw to drink directly from the source.
This filter is not only for backcountry and outdoor excursions, but is also just a wonderful general preparedness item to keep in your preps.
FEATURES & SPECS:
Weight: 2 oz.
Material: Hollow fiber
Filter: Rated to filter up to 100,000 gallons
Includes: MINI filter, 16 oz. pouch, Drinking Straw, Cleaning Plunger
Removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera, and E.coli
Removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium
Removes 100% of microplastics
Independent testing by Laboratory Hydreion, LLC.; Microbiological Report S05-03
Independent testing by certified authorities Aquadiagnostics Laboratories and Envirotek Laboratories (S1 – 2512B-12512C; S3 – 12514-12514A), 2017
We’re always fans of backups. In fact, we actually love to have backups of backups. 2 is 1, 1 is none, 3 is for me, and 4 is more.
The Sawyer 1 Gallon Gravity Water Filter is not only a great backup system, but it can be the primary filter at base camp if you have a lot of thirsty mouths or just want to go ahead and have a gallon of good fresh water ready to drink.
If you have another Mini, then you have the perfect backup for this system.
It does ALL the same things that the Mini does when it comes to it’s filtration process and performance. It is also very lightweight and takes up little space in your pack.
FEATURES & SPECS:
Weight: 8.8 oz.
Material: Hollow fiber
Filter: Rated to filter up to 100,000 gallons
Includes MINI Water Filter, 1-gallon bladder, cleaning plunger, cleaning coupling, and gravity hose with adapters
Removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera, and E.coli
Removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium
Removes 100% of microplastics
Independent testing by Laboratory Hydreion, LLC.; Microbiological Report S05-03
Independent testing by certified authorities Aquadiagnostics Laboratories and Envirotek Laboratories (S1 – 2512B-12512C; S3 – 12514-12514A), 2017
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”
—Norman Maclean
These two water filtration systems are all you need to hit the backcountry or to embark on any journey. These are highly tested and trusted systems that, when compared to what they offer, are dirt cheap.
Again, make sure when it comes to keeping yourself hydrated out there that you know where your sources are, keep your filters from freezing, and take backups for when/if things go wrong.
Backcountry hunting is demanding and you can count on your body to demand that you take care of it. Stay hydrated.
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