What Water Treatment Should I Use for Hunting?
We’ve all heard two is one and one is none, this is especially true with some backcountry gear. When it comes to water filtration or purification carrying only one style is a recipe for disaster. Water plays such an important role in our trips, and we shouldn’t take that lightly. There is an overwhelming amount of water treatment options on the market so let’s touch on a few of those.
Water treatment tablets (E.g. Aquatabs)
These are lightweight, cheap, and easy to use. One Aquatab treats 32 ounces of water. Drop a tablet in your water and sit back for 30 minutes while they do their thing. Aquatabs are $10.99 for a pack of 30 on Amazon.
Water filters (E.g. Sawyer Squeeze)
Filters are often a little more expensive than tablets and are more interactive. These can treat upwards of 100,000 gallons in their life. Find a puddle or a stream and squeeze to your heart’s content. The Sawyer Squeeze is $29.08 on Amazon.
UV treatments (E.g. Steripen)
UV purifiers are the most expensive of these options. These treat upwards of 8000 liters. Simply fill up your bottle, turn on the pen and stir the water for about 90 seconds and you are ready to drink. The Steripen Adventurer is $119.95 on Amazon.
Which ones do I prefer?
I have carried all three types of water treatment options and here are my honest opinions. When it comes to water in the backcountry, I want to be able to drink it when I want it. I have a hard time waiting 30 minutes for the tablets to do the work and for this reason, tablets fall last on my list.
Water filters are a great option, but they can be a chore to use if they get plugged up. The nice feature of a water filter is you can take murky water and turn it crystal clear and mostly taste-free. Water filters are a close second in my backcountry kit.
Top on my list is the UV treatment option. Steripens are a fast and easy to use option. When I come across a little stream of water all I do is fill up my bottle and zap the water for just over a minute and the water is good-to-go. The Steripen doesn’t filter out any sediment or flavor, but if you have moving water or a clear body of water it usually does not taste bad.
Lately, I’ve grown to love the Steripen. It is fast, lightweight, and easy to use. There should always be a backup option in your kit. If the battery on my Steripen dies or my filter breaks I always have water tablets as a backup. My kit changes a little every year based on how it worked for me during the season. The best way to know what works best for you is to get out and try the different options in a variety of settings.
