Staying hydrated when backpacking or hiking is tremendously important, especially in hot weather, but carrying litres of water with you means adding kilograms to your pack weight. Having an option for treating water you find en-route not only lightens your load, but potentially means an unlimited supply of fresh, cool stream water.

Unsafe drinking water is one of the leading causes of illness when travelling overseas, so having a method of treating suspect water is an extremely sensible option.

Tablets: Extremely light and compact, and low cost for occasional use, but take time to work (around 20 minutes for 1 litre), and leave a chemical taste in the water. Ideal for adding to your first aid kit as a standby or backup.

Microfilters: Offer instant removal of pathogens like e-coli and giardia, and microplastics, and offer a very long service life (will treat around 1000 litres) making them extremely cost effective. Brilliant for regular hiking and backpacking.

Purifiers: Offer the highest level of protection, including against viruses, but are heavier and bulkier, and have a shorter service life (around 150-250 litres). Ideal for travel in developing countries.

Activated Carbon: An additional level of filtration that removes chemicals, heavy metals, odours, and bad tastes.