Best Water Filter For Trail Running In 2023 Reviewed

If you love to run or plan to go on a long trail run, you must have the best portable water filter. It’s even more important if you’re going out in the wilderness or running in a remote area.

We created this article about the best trail-running water filtration in 2022. And Why should you believe us? We understand how difficult it is to get reliable gear advice. We mostly organize outdoor trips, take these guides extremely seriously, and based on our unbiased decisions and personal experience.

We’ve gone over 10,000 trail miles, tested outdoor camping equipment, and concluded the best water filters for trail running. We’ll cover the pros and cons of different best hiking water filters and help you decide the best type for hiking and long-distance runs.

Stay reading this blog!

• Sawyer Products Squeeze Water Filtration System
• Katadyn BeFree 0.6L Water Filter
• PlatypusGravityWorks 4.0L Filter System

Reviews of Best Water Filters for Trail Running

When you’re out trekking, it’s critical to have access to clean water. There is plenty of water in the wilderness, but it isn’t always clean. Because there are so many different bacteria, parasites, and viruses in rivers, streams, and puddles, you can’t just drink it. You should have the best trail-running water filter along with you.

If you’re in a rush, check out this fast list of our favorites, or keep scrolling to see the portable water filtration systems for camping and trail running with in-depth reviews.

The backpacking water filter is also quite compact, fitting easily into a jogging vest or pocket. It can be used as a squeeze filter with the included bags or a hydration bladder. You can clip it to the top of a compatible water bottle or sip directly from puddles with the included straw. 

Unfortunately, we discovered a problem with the filtration bags offered over four years of testing the Sawyer Squeeze. Few competitors can match its versatility and portability, making it our favorite. 

These sawyer water filter bags must be replaced after only three or four treks in the backcountry. As a replacement, we recommend purchasing a Platypus Hydration Bladder, which will outlast the Sawyer bags that come with the system.

This best trail-running water filter has the fastest flow rate of the Sawyer Squeeze systems. We also recommend bringing the syringe for cleaning to ensure a smooth flow rate; otherwise, the filter will clog, and the flow rate will drop after only a few filtrations.

It also includes little bits that are easy to misplace. If you remember the Sawyer Squeeze’s moving elements, it’s an excellent lightweight solution for day travel and personal use.

PROS

• Water Quality
• Durability and Maintenance
• Treatment Time
• Weight and Packability
• Ease of Setup & Filtration

CONS

• Some users have reported leaks, but others claim this has never happened; thus, the mileage could play a role.

Check Price On Amazon

If you are planning a long hike in the hills? The Katadyn water filter is personal-sized in a foldable, packable container. Drink right from the packable bottle after scooping water on the go. It will filter as you sip, powered by a little squeeze and the force of your gulping.

The soft bottle cap may be adapted to fit other narrow bottles if your bag leaks, making it reusable. The foldable bottle and short filter wrap up to the size of your palm and are conveniently packable in the field. The Katadyn BeFree may be the best backpacking water filter option for you.

This setup is amazing and can’t be surpassed for usefulness for ultra-distance treks where you could already be utilizing a soft bottle. The soft bottle’s durability is the most serious flaw in this product. Throughout numerous testing cycles, this bottle spring has constantly leaked on us.

This best backpacking water filter is adaptable to other bottles and can be reused multiple times. It also contains 0.6 L of water and cannot be utilized for long-term storage. Thus, water sources must be abundant. T is your solution if you’re looking for a super-lightweight filtering system with a high flow rate and a soft, packable container.

PROS

• Moderate Size
• Light Weight
• Easy to use

CONS

• The collapsible bottle is not as durable as bottles made of Tritan plastic.

Check Price On Amazon

Some related articles:
Best Gravity Water Filter For Backpacking Portable Water Filter that Removes Viruses

It’s the best gravity water purifier made with bundles of hollow fibers into a single filter. Water filtration provides up to 18 times more surface area than conventional filters.

Our favorite gravity-fed hiking water filter is the Platypus GravityWork. This type is quick, portable, and simple to operate. It’s simple to set up, and the 4-liter potable water volume is ideal for individual or small-group use.

Two 4-liter bags (one “clean,” one “dirty”) and a high-flow filter compatible with water bottles and hydration bladders are included in these. To round up your base camp, you can convert bags into solar showers or handwashing stations. 

We think its 11.5-ounce weight is worth packing on most journeys because of its adaptability and ability to make purifying water a breeze. While this excellent filter has a few drawbacks, it is crucial to note that it does not treat viruses.

We had some trouble sealing the zip-tops on the bags. The hanging attachments don’t appear as sturdy as the other solutions we tested. Still, we never had any concerns with durability, even after multiple treks into the backcountry.

The flow rate will slow when this best gravity water filter backpacking is exposed to water sediment. The sediment must be removed by flipping the filtration unit upside down, as it does with any gravity system that uses an inline.

This gravity water purifier is highly recommended to friends and readers who want a long-lasting, low-maintenance gravity water filter with a high flow rate. 

PROS

• Easy to fill
• High flow rate
• Compact, lightweight design
• Easy to clean
• High output
• Works with shallow water sources

CONS

• Maintenance – hose needs cleaning after use

Check Price On Amazon

Bacteria may be found in almost every nook and crevice of our plane. Even the purest water might harbor billions of bacteria hunting for a place to stay within your body.

This guide was created to highlight the features of a portable water filter that removes viruses, bacteria, and many other contaminants for trail running. We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing these products, and we hope you’ll find them useful.

Easy to Use

Believe us when we say filtering water for eight people with a single pressure or manual pump system is not good. Similarly, you might not want to carry the weight of a gravity filter system if you’re on your own.

When choosing a running trail water filter, think about what will be most convenient for you while on your trip. Most people dislike manually pumping through the filter while camping—for example, Grayl ultralight compact purifier.

Portable

Water filters for trail running are intended to be light and portable. You can put them in luggage and cars and take them on holidays and road trips. As a result, they’re ideal for camping and other outdoor activities.

Weightless

Do you need a portable water filter for camping? Of course, you need clean water, but everyone needs to balance weight and convenience. Portable water filtration systems for camping range in weight from 2.3 to 22 ounces; however, the system’s weight has much to do with whether it filters out viruses.

Viruses are typically found in sewage-contaminated water. If you’re traveling to an area where the drinking water is known to make people sick, you may need to make a weight sacrifice. While considering weight, consider your requirements to ensure you have the correct equipment for the adventure.

Removing viruses and bacteria

Though drinking water from a fresh mountain stream may seem lovely while out jogging, we often ignore how easily that water may become contaminated.

Can a portable water filter remove the virus? A portable water filter works in various ways to remove contaminants that might harm water suppliers. The big four contaminants are as follows:

• Turbidity is muddy, thick, cloudy water created by floating sand, mud, silt, or other particles.
• Parasites include tapeworms and other parasitic and ease-causing protozoa like Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
• Bacteria, including E. coli, are minute organisms that can cause disease.
• Viruses are small watery nasties that can ruin any adventure. Viruses in unclean water can also cause more dangerous diseases like Hepatitis A and Polio.

Budget-Friendly

You won’t buy a new water filter whenever you have a fresh adventure idea when it costs $50 or more. As a result, you should consider how long each filter will survive — and, if you’re particular, how much each filter will cost per liter of clean water produced over its lifetime.

The price varies from $0.40 to less than $0.01 per liter, allowing you to find your sweet spot. It would be best if you also considered the filter’s end-of-days.

Some versions feature replacement parts or filters, so you don’t have to replace the entire system — and if that’s what you want, make your selection based on your budget.