Elevate Your Hiking Game: 2024 Must-Have Water Filters

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HIking with the Epic Water Bottle

Portable Water Filters for Colorado Hiking Trails

Ask any Colorado resident what to bring on a hike and we bet at least one of the first words out of their mouth is WATER.

Hydration is key for a fun and safe hike at altitude.

Most of the best Colorado hiking trails are found at high elevations. Those stunning snow capped mountain views combined with the lack of humidity create the optimal conditions for nature soaking.

However, you’ll soon figure out that while sweat isn’t staining your shirts, you are losing heaps of hydration while out trekking on the ‘ole Colorado hiking trails.

We are big fans of the hydration reservoir. Fill that 3 liter baby up, load it in your favorite backpack and head out for a day of hiking with no need to stop and refuel. BUT sometimes Plan A implodes and you need a solid Plan B.

ENTER the portable water filter bottle!

HIking up Mohawk Lake Trail near Breckenridge, CO

Don't embark on a day hike without your trusty sidekick: portable water filters! They're like the superhero capes of hydration, rescuing you from the evil clutches of questionable stream water. With these magical contraptions, you can turn any muddy puddle into a pristine potion, sparing you from a dramatic tummy takeover. Water filters aren't just gear; they're your hydration heroes, ensuring that your adventure doesn't take an unexpected plot twist into gastrointestinal chaos!

CoHH Tip! If you’re still hiking around Colorado with your highschool bookbag, check out Osprey’s handy dandy packfinder tool. It takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect pack for your back.

You might find yourself, like we did on a long Colorado hike near Steamboat Springs all dried up, literally. The sun was blazing and we had blown through our water supply.

As Alexander Graham Bell said, “Preparation is the key to success.”

Wise words to heed! Consider carrying at least one water filter in your day pack for moments like this.

On this particular hike, we happened to be hiking along a creek. In a few quick minutes, we had safe clean water to drink. Revival happened and we carried on, logging almost 16 high elevation miles that day!

CoHH Tip! Water filters don’t promise to make your water taste free. Drop in a NUUN tab and double up on electrolyte replacement and hydration.

Speaking of electrolytes, we think they are the Colorado hiker’s best friend on the trail.

What is the Right Water Filter for me?

We asked the same question. There are so many brands and types, it can be downright overwhelming.

And c’mon, do they really work? We aren’t fans of catholing our way through a hike.

  • Will that filter really keep me safe?

  • Is it worth the money to buy a water filter for day hikes?

  • With so many choices, which one should I get?

It’s a busy world out there in the outdoor gear market.

We are simple hikers, mostly heading out for the day. We carry 2-3 liters/each depending on the weather. Most of the time, our water is in our backpacks, sloshing around in a reservoir. Our hikes range in elevation gain and mileage.

With that in mind, our goal was to find two water filters that fit nicely into our Osprey Sirrus 24L backpack. They needed to be lightweight, durable, easy to access and most importantly, filter water quickly.

Part of our backpack day hike essentials now include a water filter for those very reasons. A few extra ounces of weight is worth peace of mind when it comes to access to clean water.

For a thorough water filter analysis of all kinds, the Clever Hiker gives you a lot to read and mull over.

GEAR REVIEWs is all about what we use on our hikeS.

The Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim hike got us really thinking about water. Typically our Colorado day hikes provide easy access to water sources. However, the Grand Canyon miles long trek reminded us how easy it is to forget to always have a Plan B.

Water Plan B for us? Portable Water Filters

We chose the Epic Water Outdoor OG Woodsman and the Katadyn BeFree 1.0 for two simple reasons. Each are under $50 and lightweight. We found out a whole lot more about them after using them on the Colorado hiking trails.

Check out the pros/cons and what we loved most about each of them below.

Epic Outdoor OG Woodsman

A company based in Boulder, Colorado, Epic Water Filters drew us in with their simple water filtration system. While they sell various options ranging from pitchers to dispensers, we liked the Epic Water Outdoor OG Woodsman. Epic Water Filter linked up with Nalgene for this outdoorsy bottle.

Nalgene is synonymous with outdoors in our opinion. Water is essential for an amazing Colorado outdoor adventure. This was a match made in heaven.

Fun little story about Epic Water Filters:

Ash Heather, the founder of Epic Water filter, designed these filters after living in Asia and seeing the plastic water bottle pollution on beaches and rivers. He knew there had to be a better way to get clean water to people without ruining our beautiful earth. That aha moment for him birthed a darn good filter.

Their packaging is 100% compostable. When your filter has given you all it can, Epic Water Filter Recycling Program helps you responsibly dispose of your used filters (and get rewarded for it).

Each filter replaces 750 plastic water bottles. Yep! You read that right! Epic Water is tackling the plastic problem with POWER.

So in Colorado hiker terms, change out your filter every 3-4 months for the best water.

At $45, this super cool Nalgene not only saves you from embarrassing bathroom tales, it helps the planet while doing it.

Pros

  • Easy and quick assembly

  • Nearly weightless when carrying without water

  • Fill and drink - it’s that simple

  • Low cost, high reward

  • Can use filter on any Nalgene water bottle

  • Join the Clean Water club and save 20% off replaceable filters.

Bottom 1/3 water could not be sucked out with straw.

Cons

  • Can’t seem to get that last 1/3 water out, no matter how hard we sucked that dang straw.

  • Rigid bottle which limits use to one person

  • Unable to fill water reservoirs with filtered water as you use your mouth to suck water from a straw

  • The easy sip lid with silicon mouthpiece wasn’t so easy sip for us. We had to work a bit to get the water into our mouths.

The Bottom Line

Super cool bottle. Great company with an awesome mission. Much appreciated backup water filter to have on long trail days. Bummed our bottle doesn’t allow us access to that last 1/3 water.

CoHH Rating: The Epic Water Bottle gets a solid B! Reliable, accessible and environmentally responsible.

Filter Update

I reached out to the owners of Epic Water Filters about our filter issue. It didn’t make sense to us that 1/3 of the water was unusable.

Our assumptions were correct. Faulty Filter!

They responded back in record time (two thumbs up!)

WIthin three days we had a new filter (free - what service - thank you!) to try on the trail.

We took the bottle and new filter on our Four Pass Loop backpacking trip. It worked perfectly, allowing us to drink to the bottom of the bottle.

This was particularly handy on the nights when we were so thirsty and did not want to leave our tent for more water.

Katadyn BeFree 1.0L

We took the Katadyn BeFree 1.0 on its maiden voyage to Mohawk Lakes near Breckenridge. As this hike involves a fair amount of elevation gain along Spruce Creek, ending in icy cold alpine lakes, it was the perfect testing ground for this lightweight gem.

Overall we loved it. It fit snug in the top pocket of my Osprey Sirrus 24L backpack, tucked in and ready for use once we hit the lakes.

Aside from cold fingers dipping in the water to access the water, it was a super simple process to fill and use. First timers make sure you take off the plastic seal ring before trying to open the top with your numb fingers. Rookie mistake!

We loved how easy it was to squeeze the water into the water reservoirs carried in our backpacks. There was no leaking or extra water spillage.

Several hikers recommended the Katadyn BeFree to us. While we’ve only used in on two hikes so far, the biggest downside we’ve been told is the silicon water bottle tends to spring leaks.

The biggest bummer, in our opinion, is the bottle is made of plastic. While that bodes well for easy squeeze and fill scenarios on the Colorado hiking trails, it’s not super helpful for our long term care of Planet Earth.

Replaceable filters are easy to purchase.

Pros

  • Need more water? BeFree filter cap works with the HydraPak Seeker 3 L Reservoir

  • 1 filter works for up to 1,000 liters water

  • Collapsible flask makes filling water reservoirs quick and easy

  • Filters 2 liters water/minute

Cons

  • Filter can freeze on cold nights, making filtration unsable

  • Bottles have been known to leak or rip

  • The filter removes protozoa and Bacteria, it does not remove viruses.

The Bottom Line

Lightweight bottle perfect for longer backpack treks. Easy to use instructions with long term use before replacing the filter.

CoHH Rating: The Katadyn Befree 1.0 gets a A from us.

Being able to fill our water reservoirs with clean water is a huge bonus!

Water-to-Go

On a crisp fall day in Colorado, we were itching to get out and see aspens fall colors on Boreas Pass and nearby hikes. Knowing we’d be out hiking for the day, taking loads of water wasn’t high on the priority list.

However, I have an irrational fear that I will run out of water. Having suffered many altitude and dehydration headaches, I’d rather error on the side of too much water than not enough.

Do you have this issue too? Phew. The solution is super duper easy with the Water-To-Go filter bottles.

This lightweight, environmentally conscious water bottle - it’s made from plants not plastic- packs a punch without the weight. BPA free, these bioplastic MADE IN THE USA filter water bottles are made from sugarcane.

On our fall hike, we ended up at three lakes that had abundant albeit a bit murky water. WIth a twist of the lid, a good dunk in the icy cold water, we had refreshing water for the hike back.

Take Water-To-Go bottles camping, hiking and backpacking. Easy to carry, easier to use, the Water-To-Go filter bottles even work on long runs.

PROS

  • Incredibly lightweight water bottle choices - 18 oz-20 oz bottle options

  • 1 filter works for up to 1,000 liters water - CHECK

  • Bio plastic bottles made from sugarcane, not plastic

  • Filters last 2 months when used 3-4 times day

  • Replaces 400 single use plastic water bottles

  • Perfect international travel companion - keep safe brushing teeth/hydrating while exploring the world

  • Filters many viruses including hepatitis

CONS

  • Cannot collapse water bottles

  • Must rehydrate filter if dried out between uses

  • A bit pricey

  • Cannot use to replenish water bladders

THE BOTTOM LINE

These lightweight environmentally conscious super productive water bottles make hiking and travel stress free.

CoHH Rating: The Water-To-Go gets a A- from us with price and lack of ability to quickly replenish water bladders being the downer.

All these filters will remain in our backpacks. They are a low cost, high gain piece of gear. It’s hard to put a price on peace of mind! In our opinion, they are the best Plan B option when Plan A goes awry on a day hike.

As for the “do they really work” question -

We are happy to report we have not encountered any quick runs to the bathroom, unsavory bugs in our system or rumbling tummies. In our opinion, that’s the best barometer of a safe filter!

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