Portable water purification for RVers
These gadgets allow RVers to have clean drinking water wherever they go
When you're heading out for a camping adventure, clean drinking water is a must. There are some innovative products on the market to help RVers who need portable water purification.
- Photo courtesy Badri Seshadri/Flickr Creative Commons
The LifeStraw
Perhaps the most popular and trusted device for this purpose is the LifeStraw. As the name suggests, this is a personal filter you can directly drink water through, just like you would a regular straw. You can bring it on a hike and drink straight from a stream or lake, without the worry of getting ill.
The LifeStraw has received several awards and is lightweight enough to please any traveller. While the basic model won't eliminate viruses, it does protect the user from bacteria, parasites and microplastics. Best of all, it lasts for a long time - you could get five years or more out of it before needing to replace your LifeStraw. The company makes several different related products, some with additional protection (for example, the LifeStraw Family will also remove viruses, and has a larger capacity - it can provide a family of five with clean drinking water for three years).
- Photo courtesy Potable Aqua/Val in Real Life
The Potable Aqua PURE Electrolytic Water Purifier
Potable Aqua came out with this petite, cost-effective device that uses a salt water solution to produce a powerful mixed oxidant disinfectant.
It can eradicate harmful bacteria and will even deactivate viruses, all without pre-filtering or pumping, according to the company website.
- Photo courtesy Katadyn.com
The Steripen® Ultra™ UV water purifier
- Photo courtesy Sawyer.com
Sawyer’s 1-Gallon Gravity Water Filtration System
This product is also portable, but it processes a larger amount of water than some of the smaller units. It works in under seven minutes, and it's lightweight and durable.
- Photo courtesy Platy.com
Platypus filtration products
Choose from a selection of designs by Platypus, and find exactly the right portable filter for your needs.
They have individual filters such as the Meta Bottle microfilter, which is ideal for a solo camper on the go.
Platypus also makes two- and four-litre GravityWorks water filtration kits. This is well-suited to RVing families (choose the high-capacity four-litre kit and you will have pump-free water access to accommodate a larger group).
