Backpackers love to pack their fears, preparing for bear maulings, medical emergencies, and other unlikely events. Statistically, if you’re going to die in the bush it will be due to exposure or dehydration. Water logistics can vary greatly area to area, and as water is extremely heavy, having a solid hydration system is important. With that in mind, here are some water purification considerations when planning a backcountry trip.
Carrying Systems
First of all, if you are leaving the truck it is imperative you have a way to transport fluids. There are two common systems for doing so: bladders and bottles. Both systems have their respective advantages and drawbacks. Bladders can hold a lot of water for their weight. Also, bladders tend to have a hose system that makes water convenient to access while hiking, making it easier to stay hydrated. Finally, bladders are flexible in their shape, making them more space efficient inside of a pack.
On the other hand, bottles have their own set of advantages. They are not nearly as prone to leaking as bladders. For cold weather hunts they are virtually a necessity as the hoses on bladders can freeze. In cold weather a water bottle can be stored upside down and it will freeze from the top, maintaining access to drinking water. Water bottles also come in standardized sizes, allowing for a wider range of purification methods as well as simplifying tracking water consumption. Finally, they allow you to add electrolytes or flavouring to a portion of your water supply without having to add it to the whole system.
Selecting a Carrying System
To be transparent, I am firmly in the camp of using water bottles ninety percent of the time. However, if I expect there to be a shortage of water and I am heading into a newer area I will bring a smaller bladder in addition to two 1L Nalgenes. This gives me a space efficient way to load up on water if I expect to be without water for a while, while still being able to use a Steripen, my preferred purification method. Bladders excel in warm weather carrying large amounts of water, but are not as robust or reliable as bottles, especially in cold weather. Water bottles are heavier and less convenient to access but are more durable and flexible for purification methods.
Water Purification Methods
When it comes to purifying your water to avoid parasites like giardia, there are a myriad of options. While not exhaustive, here’s a rundown of some popular water sanitation methods.
Steripen
For transparency, this is my favourite option for backcountry water purification. Steripens use UV light to prevent parasites and bacteria from being able to reproduce in the human digestive system, rendering water safe. They are lightweight and are either battery powered or rechargeable. Sterilizing a liter of water takes 90 seconds. Some drawbacks of using Steripens are that they are designed for 1L and 500ml Nalgene style bottles and don’t work with bladders. Additionally, they do not filter the water, only sterilize, so they do not remove detritus that may be present in less clean water sources.
Tablets
Next, purification tablets are an extremely affordable and flexible water purification method. Most of these tablets use iodine to kill any dangerous parasites and bacteria present in the water. They are cheap, and work in all kinds of water receptacles. The downside of using tablets are the iodine imparts a flavour to the water that can be offensive. Also, there are some health concerns surrounding long term use of iodine to purify water. However, these concerns are not valid for the quantities generally associated with outdoor recreation.
Pump Filters
Another popular method are manually driven filter systems. These come in many shapes and sizes, with the MSR Hyperflow style filters being very popular. These both sanitize and filter the water, removing dirt and grime as well as parasites and bacteria. One drawback of these systems are that they are heavier than other options. They also require pumping the water by hand which can tedious with large quantities. Another handicap of this system is they require more maintenance as they need to be cleared prior to storage, filters can clog, and residual water can freeze in the filter in cold conditions.
Other common options in this family are the popular Lifestraws, and squeeze style options, such as the Sawyer Squeeze. Lifestraws are not practical for backcountry use. They are easily clogged, and require a lot of effort to suck the water through the filter in the straw. Lifestraws are also arduous to filter water for cooking and hygiene purposes compared to simple drinking water.
Sawyer Squeeze’s on the other hand are arguably one the best of the filter based systems. Squeeze pumps are lightweight and easy to use. Also, filtered water can be easily squeezed into pots or other storage containers. The principle drawback of the Sawyer Squeeze is they don’t allow the storage of large quantities of filtered water.
Gravity Filters
Similarly, gravity filters also use a filter to clean water. However, gravity filters use gravity instead of a manual action to filter the water. These styles of filters allow the processing of large quantities of water with little effort. The drawback to these style of filters is they need you to be stopped in order to use them. As such, they are not ideal for quickly filtering water from an opportunistic water source. For base camp style hunts these systems are excellent.
Boiling
The oldest of water purification methods, boiling is very effective but not often used in the backcountry. For one, the purified water is warm which is unpleasant to drink. The other challenge is that carrying enough stove fuel or building a fire each time water needs to be purified is a lot of work. That said, boiling is a great backup plan should a filter or battery based system fail in the field.
No Filter
Finally, while perhaps taboo, there are instances where drinking water straight from a creek or spring is a viable option. There is some risk inherent to this method. However, it is obviously fast and lightweight. I have done many trips where I have not brought a water filtration system and have had no issues. Typically, I will only forgo treating my water if I am in an area with many water sources coming from mountain or glacier run off and I am familiar with the area. This combines a low risk of contamination alongside with many separate sources so if a source is questionable it is not necessary to drink from it. When using this strategy it is imperative that you are cognizant of what may be upstream.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, there are many systems to carry and purify water in the field and each comes with its own weight, time, and logistic strengths. Finding a system that works for you is highly dependent on the areas you recreate and your personal preferences. The expected temperatures, quality and quantity of water sources, and your tolerance of pack weight all play a part in which hydration system is best for you.