The 10 Best Camping Water Filters

Beyond using a water filter, there are only two ways to reliably purify water while in the field. These are to boil the water, or to use chemical purifying agents. Boiling water is a time-tested way to create clean water, or at least to create water that is safe to drink. Indeed boiling water can do nothing to remove the actual debris and microscopic bacteria and parasites within the H2O, it can simply render those latter two factors inert (or, in other words, dead).

To ensure that water has been boiled long enough for safety, bring it to a full rolling boil for at least one minute near sea level, and for at least three minutes at altitudes higher than 2,000 feet (the boiling point temperature of water being lower at greater altitudes). While boiling is effective, it does not remove particles as noted, and of course it necessitates the ability to create heat through a stove or fire. This can be an inconvenience at some times, and an impossibility at others.

The other method of purifying water is to use iodine tablets. Iodine kills off the bacteria and protozoa in water by actually bonding iodine ions to their pathogenic cells, preventing their ability to reproduce. Iodine treatment is effective, but it requires careful measuring of water volume to iodine tablets used, the process requires patience, and the purified water has a less than pleasant taste.

The sobering fact is that almost every natural source of water, from an apparently pristine mountain spring to a stream babbling through a meadow to a freshwater river or lake, can be harboring dangerous bacteria and parasites. Drinking untreated water -- even water that looks and tastes perfectly clear and clean -- can lead to health complications ranging from mild stomach discomfort to severe nausea and diarrhea to dangerous dehydration and lasting infection.

The most common culprit of gastrointestinal discomfort or illness caused by drinking water from natural sources is the microscopic protozoan parasite known as Giardia lambia, more commonly called simply Giardia. This unwelcome little guest takes up residence in the upper stretches of the small intestine and causes symptoms in as many as one third of those it infects.

Most people will experience cramping, irregular bowel movements, fever, and fatigue; some people may experience these symptoms at a level of severity necessitating professional medical intervention. Giardia is a prolific problem, present in water sources all around the world. In fact, as many as five to seven percent of the population of America may be harboring the parasite at any time; as many as thirty percent of those living in the developing world may be chronically infected.

Other less common but potentially more serious water borne illnesses include cholera, typhoid, malaria, to name only a few of the maladies potentially lurking within water. If you are using melted snow as your source of hydration, be especially vigilant looking out for so-called watermelon snow. Snow with a pinkish sheen is covered with a layer of Chlamydomonas nivalis, a type of algae that thrives in cold water and that has extreme laxative properties.

Fortunately, all of these pathogens will be caught by a good water filter.