Wired's Best Backpacking Water Filters of 2026: How to Choose the Right Gear
Wired magazine has updated its guide to backpacking water filters, highlighting the top picks—Sawyer Squeeze and Katadyn BeFree—while offering tips on filter selection, use, and maintenance.
In the wilderness, a water filter is essential to avoid bacteria and protozoa that cause illness. Wired has published an updated guide testing various models and providing advice on choosing the right one.
Filters vs. Purifiers
Water filters physically strain out microorganisms through microscopic pores measured in microns. Purifiers kill living organisms using chemicals or UV light but do not remove sediment. For hiking in the US, a filter is usually sufficient, but for travel to less-developed regions, a purifier may be needed.
Key Considerations When Selecting a Filter
When choosing a water filter, factors include portability (weight and size), flow rate, field maintenance, ease of use, capacity (how much water before replacement), and durability.
Top Picks
Sawyer Squeeze – A popular ultralight filter (85 g) with 0.1-micron filtration, claimed to filter up to 100,000 gallons. It fits standard 28 mm soda bottles. Cleaning requires a bulky back-flushing syringe. A freshly cleaned filter delivers two liters in about four minutes (squeeze) or six to eight minutes (gravity).
Katadyn BeFree – Even lighter (65 g), this filter is built into a collapsible bottle. Flow rate reaches two liters per minute. Cleaning is simple—just swish water through. However, the 42 mm cap size makes finding replacements harder on long trips.
Tips for Use
- Read instructions carefully before use.
- Label dirty and clean water containers.
- Prefilter large debris, e.g., with a bandana.
- Protect the filter from freezing—keep it in your sleeping bag overnight.
