Best Portable Water Filters

Whether you're hiking, camping, traveling abroad, a personal water filter is handy for making sure the water you're drinking is safe and tastes good. The World Health Organization (WHO) says 80 percent of all travel diseases are caused by contaminated drinking water. You can avoid these problems with a good water filter and purifier. Here are some of the best portable water filters currently available. They're easy to use, easy to carry and will help ensure your health while you're traveling or enjoying the backwoods.

(Image from Amazon)

If you're serious about your water filtration, the Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter is a bit on the pricey side, but it gets the highest ratings from customers at both Amazon (where it's rated 5 out of 5 stars with over 60 reviews) and REI.com (where it's rated 4.5 out of 5 stars with over 30 reviews). Katadyn's silver-impregnated ceramic element and .2 micron filter is effective against bacteria and protozoa and has an optional carbon filter that will allow you to drink water for almost any source. And with a capacity of 13,000 gallons, you shouldn't be needing another portable water filter for quite a long time.

Another personal water purifier that gets high marks from numerous customers on Amazon and REI.com is the MSR MiniWorks EX Microfilter. This device can filter 2000 liters before you'll need to get a replacement cartridge, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. It earns a 4.5 out of 5-star rating at Amazon and 4 out of 5 stars at REI. It's a little heavier than the Katadyn (1 lb. for the MSR MiniWorks vs. 20 oz.for the Katadyn), so if weight is more of an object than price, the Katadyn is still the filter to beat.

The SteriPen gets good reviews on both Amazon and REI and also earned a 2011 Editor's Choice Award from Backpacker magazine. Unlike the filters above, the SteriPen doesn't filter particles, so it won't help remove sediment from, say, river water, but it does purify your drinking water by using UV light to kill 99.99% of protozoa, bacteria and viruses.

The best portable water filter for you will be the one that has the features you want at the price you can afford. Fortunately, there are plenty of options for every type of traveler and adventurer. Here are some other personal water filters and purifiers to take along on your journeys.

You can buy almost anything on eBay, including water filters. If you don't want to take the chance of losing an item in an auction, look for products marked Buy It Now. You can buy these immediately at a fixed price.

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