10 Best Water Filters For Survival For 2022: Reviewed and Rated
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Below you will find a list of my top 10 best survival water filters that will help you in choosing the best survival water filters.
Luckily for us, there are great companies out there wanting to solve this problem.
Be sure to take a look at these amazingly designed, easy to use, and ultra-affordable water filter kits.
These companies have used the latest technology in water purification and osmosis to bring us great water filtration products.
Well, after doing thorough research on the latest in outdoor and survival water filtration systems.
Not only are they highly durable and easy to use they look pretty good too in style and design.
My criteria were purely looking at their water filtration technology and quality, durability, and longevity.
As well as the ease of use and affordability that would fit any situation and any budget.
While camping or on holiday, as well as cleaning wounds and many other uses.
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Last update on 2023-12-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
10 Best Water Filters For Survival Reviewed
Here are my top 10 best water filter systems and kits for survival in 2021 that are portable.
1. Katadyn Vario Water Filter
The Katadyn Vario survival water filter is one of the best out there.
Having won a bunch of awards and often rated the best.
It is a great buy.
The ceramic and glass fiber filters are some of the best filter mediums in the business.
The dual piston mechanism allows for continuous water flow.
It reduces chemicals and the glass fiber filter produces around 2 liters of water per minute.
It’s easy to use with a simple turn to engage the ceramic pre-filter for really dirty water.
Simply engage the pleated glass fiber filter for slightly dirty water/ in normal conditions.
Pros & Benefits:
- Compact & lightweight – height 5.6”, weight 5 oz
- Adaptable – base attaches to any bottle or an output hose to fill larger containers
- Affordable
- Great design
- Fast action
2. Renovo Water MUV Survivalist Water Filter
Want a survival water filter that is adaptable and compact for your next adventure?
Look no further for the Renovo Water MUV survivalist water filter is a small and compact water filter that you can take anywhere.
With 3 filters you can use in unison or mix and match to suit your needs.
The 3 filter system protects against and removes 99.99% of bacteria and parasites, chemicals, heavy metals, E-coli, and various other viruses.
This is the perfect piece of gear for the novice hiker to the ultimate survivalist.
Adaptable to suit your lifestyle.
Pros & Benefits:
- Multiple configurations – straw, pump, gravity system, and bottle
- Ultimate filter technology- blocks chemicals, heavy metals, bacteria and viruses
- Adaptable – perfectly adapts to your lifestyle & water requirements
- Affordable
- Versatile and adaptable
3. MSR TrailShot Pocket-Sized Water Filter
The perfect everyday carry, a lightweight compact water filter that fits into your pocket.
This little pocket-sized survival water filter cleans water on the go, making it perfect for hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
This palm-sized water filter may be small but it sure packs a punch.
With its easy to use one-handed operation, you can filter 1 liters of water in 60 seconds.
The hollow fiber filter allows the water to flow through easily all the while trapping any harmful bacteria and protozoa like giardia and salmonella.
Effectively protecting you against 99.99% bacteria and other particulates without iodine or other chemicals.
This little gadget is one of my top choices on this list with its unique design and compact size.
I’ll be picking one of these in on my next hike.
Pros & Benefits:
- Affordable
- Compact – its size makes it perfect for outdoor activities or travelers always on the go
- Hollow fiber technology – filters against 99.9999% bacteria
- User friendly – with its attachment hose, you can fill larger containers and canisters
- Fast action
4. Lixada Water Filter Straw
The Lixada water filter straw is a perfect companion for any hiking or camping trip.
Lixada has designed a lightweight water filter using durable ABS materials ensuring longevity and durability throughout its usage.
It provides you with safe and clean drinking water wherever and whenever removing waterborne bacteria and reduces turbidity.
Its 4.0 oz weight makes it suitable to fit into any bag.
No-fuss, no muss you use it as a drinking straw and bonus, it’s dustproof with its soft cap.
Pros & Benefits:
- Durable – with its rugged look this little filter can hold its own in any environment
- Easy to use – it is a straw that happens to filter your water providing safe clean water
- Colors – the Lixada filter straw is available in 3 great colors to ensure you blend in with your surroundings
- Affordable
- Lightweight
5. Platypus GravityWorks 2.0 Liter Complete Water Filter Kit
The Platypus GravityWorks is a gravity-fed style filter system filtering up to 1.75L of water per minute.
Making this a great survival water filter system for bigger hiking and camping groups or family holidays in the RV.
Ensuring you and your whole family have clean and safe drinking water no matter where you are or what outdoor activities you are enjoying.
Simply fill the “dirty water” filter bag, hang it up in a tree and let gravity do the rest.
Filtering in up to 8 liters of water into the clean water bag ready to use anytime.
The filter can be adapted and fitted to various bladders and water bottles from companies such as Camelback and many more.
The whole kit will include a 2 liters dirty water reservoir.
A 2 liters PLaty bottle, the hollow fiber filter, various hoses as well as a universal bottle adapter, push/pull cap adapter, and storage bag.
Worth every penny.
Pros & Benefits:
- Large holding capacity – can hold up to 8 liters of water (4.0L filtered and 4.0L unfiltered)
- Easy to use – with its gravity filtration system technology, gravity does all the work for you
- Affordable – the whole kit is affordable and is worth it, the perfect item to add to your outdoor kit
- Simple yet effective design
- Versatile and adaptable
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Need an everyday water filter?
The Life Defender portable filter straw is just perfect to take with you anywhere and use on a day to day basis.
The Life Defender company has brought out a new and improved mini portable water filter straw.
With its BPA free and chemical free hollow-fiber UF membrane it outperforms leading brands.
Filtering 50% more water than the competition.
Perfect for everyday use whether you are at work, traveling, or outdoors.
It perfectly fits into any bag or even your pocket without added weight.
Pros & Benefits:
- Compact – it perfectly fits into any bag or your pocket with no added weight
- Advanced technology – with its 3 stage filtration system, you are guaranteed the ultimate protection providing safe to drink water
- Philanthropically conscious – for each Life Defender Mini Portable Water Filter sold, 1 dollar is donated to water.org
- BPA and chemical-free
7. Survivor Filter Water 0.01 Micron Water Filter
The survivor filter water pro is a pump-style filter that is so compact that it easily fits into your backpack.
It has a three-stage filter system – cotton, carbon and UF filter stages, meeting water filtration standards.
It is built with a shell made of ABS materials.
A polysulfone medical-grade filter and an activated carbon steel bar in the handle for extra support making this ultra-durable and long-lasting.
The kit includes not only the pump and all internal filters and tubing.
You also get a detachable drinking cup and travel bag.
It is easy to use and can filter 500 mL per minute.
Pros & Benefits:
- Triple filter – has a 3 filter system of cotton, carbon, and UF filtration
- Affordable – it is reasonably priced compared to similar products on the market
- Lifetime warranty – it comes with a full lifetime warranty
- Great design – simply and uniquely designed
- Durable
8. SteriPen Classic 3 UV Water Purifier
The Steripen Adventurer is a nifty little water filter that uses UV light filtration to destroy 99.9999% of harmful bacterias.
Certified by the Water Quality Association.
With its compact handheld design this safe and effective, chemical-free filter device is perfect for your ‘everyday carry.
Pros & Benefits:
- Size – being compact it fits perfectly in your pocket
- Safe and effective – does not alter the taste or pH levels of the water, chemical-free
- Easy to use – with its one-button operation, anyone can use it
- Affordability
- Uniqueness
- Certified
9. LifeStraw Family 1.0 Portable Gravity Powered Water Purifier for Emergency Preparedness and Camping
The Lifestraw Family Portable Gravity filter kit is an award-winning filter system used by 13,200,000 people wide.
This makes it perfect for the whole family as emergency water filter on any family holiday or camping trip.
Filtering water with a flow rate of 9-12 liters of water per hour.
It passes EPA standards removing 99.99% of bacteria, parasites, and other viruses.
Purifying the water without iodine, chlorine, or any other chemicals.
Easy to use with a gravity-style filter bag and attachment straw/hose you are sure to have safe clean drinking water within minutes.
The filtered water is filtered into a sealed bag making it perfect to store your water if need be.
Guaranteed to last up to 3 years for a family of 5.
Pros & Benefits:
- Portable – easy to pack in with your camping/travel gear
- Ease of use – easy to use a sealed gravity filter bag that can store water for emergencies
- Affordable – greatly affordable and long-lasting
- Simple design – no fuss, no muss, simply let gravity do all the work
- EPA standards approved
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The Lifestraw company has also brought out a fantastic BPA-free, leak-proof water bottle-style filter, with a two-stage water filter system.
The Lifestraw GO stage filter helps improve the odor and taste of the water meet EPA standards.
It also helps in protecting you from 99.99% of bacteria and parasites, viruses such as E Coli.
A removable flexible silicone mouthpiece makes this the perfect water bottle to take jogging, hiking, or mountain biking.
These bottle-style survival water filters make the perfect gift for any outdoor, adventure, and sports enthusiast.
Pros & Benefits:
- 2 stage filter – protecting against bacteria, parasites, and microplastics
- Environmentally friendly – BPA-free and fully recyclable
- Light and durable – 650 mL capacity made from super-strong Tritan plastic
- Affordable – greatly affordable for what you getting
- Appealing design
Making Sense Of The Different Filtration Style Systems
Many different styles of survival water filters can be a bit confusing.
Not knowing their exact function might not help you to choose the right one for your needs.
Below you will a quick and easy guide on each filter-style and their functions.
Here are the filter styles and the functions mentioned in this article:
Gravity-Fed/Gravity-Bag Style Filter
The gravity-fed bag survival water filters are one of the easiest to use.
You hardly have to put in any effort with the gravity-fed bag because gravity does all the work for you.
You simply fill the bag up with water, hang it up somewhere high such as in a tree, and then gravity will do the rest.
The water will simply run down the tube and through the filter and then into the reservoir bag below.
And presto, you have clean and safe water without much effort.
The gravity-fed style is perfect for families of large groups as they can filter a large amount of water.
Straw-Style Filter – Single Person Use
Straw-style filters are cool looking, larger than normal straws with portable hollow tubes that house the filter or filters.
They are personal water filters, that you use like you would a normal straw.
However, the great thing about these water filter straws is that you can suck water through them from any body of water.
Their filters are probably the simplest of filters however they are effective and do protect you from the bacteria and parasites within the water.
Because of its weight and size, they are perfect for single person use and traveling.
Pump-Style Filter
Just as the name suggests, the pump-style filter makes use of a pump that is attached to a bag and a tube.
The tube is simply put into the body of water you want to filter.
You start pumping the handle, this, in turn, pumps water up through the tube, into the filter and then into the reservoir bag.
Providing you with safe clean water.
Easy to use, a great way to stock up on a good amount of water and ideal for a few people.
Bottle-Style Filter
The water bottle-style is similar to the straw-style, the difference is that the straw which contains the filter/ filters are contained inside the bottle.
It’s easy to use, simply by filling the bottle with water from any water source nearby and as you suck it through the straw it flows through the filter.
The water bottle style is perfect for single-day outdoor activities.
It is lightweight making it perfect for clean water on the go.
Final Thoughts
There is no excuse to not be prepared and not being able to access clean water that is 99.99% safe.
The SteriPen Adventurer is perfect for the lone traveler or modern-day nomad.
Being affordable, durable, and versatile as well as portable.
And so for me, all of these survival water filters met the brief.
Grab the bottle-style filter to take along on your jogs or hikes.
Use the pump-style or gravity-fed bag style filter on your next family camping trip or your mountain expedition.
And be sure to have one of the straw-style survival water filters on hand for any emergency at any time.
Ensuring you will have safe drinking water from any water source even a muddy puddle or a running stream.
I hope you found this article interesting and highly informative.
I hope I did my part by helping you on your quest to find the right survival water filter to do the job that you require it for.
Turning you into a true survivalist, pulse you’ll look badass with any one of these awesome looking kits.
So from me to you, be safe, don’t drink dirty water.
Have fun and enjoy using one of these water filters on your next outdoor adventure.
