Water filter for long day rides

I recently bought a Water-To-Go bottle that is a standard "bottle cage" shape and has the filter built in. It's really just precautionary as I've been drinking from Highland burns and rivers for 60 years and not, to my knowledge, contracted anything as a result. As you say, it does mean that I have to carry fewer bottles.

https://www.fishingrepublic.co.uk/16203794/water-to-go-75cl-active-water-bottle-16203794

Following.

Farm standpipes of dubious provenance in the Chilterns haven't killed me yet, but there's always a first time.

Also on Water to Go - they mention NASA so the child in me had to buy...

Like Scotroutes I've never had an issue in decades and the only concern I have with filters is that I'd be tempted to take water from somewhere I wouldn't normally.

As for carrying too much, when bikepacking I usually have a big bottle slung under the down-tube that is normally empty but if I get to a point where I think water later may be an issue, I full it up - otherwise usually just a 750mm bottle in the frame.

If on XC/Enduro or the like, I use a enduro-pack with at most 1.5l in.

Probably handy I live/ride in Scotland, and not in a built-up area.

I bought it be of the msr trailshot filters and tbh thought it would be something that never saw use but definitely has seen a lot of use. Not just on multi day rides but also on longer Audaxes: I’ve used church taps often but can’t always guarantee that there’ll be one. Being able to dip in a stream is very handy

I use a Katadyn Befree bottle - started during the pandemic when popping into a pub or shop wasn't what I wanted to do.

https://www.katadyngroup.com/int/en/8018007~p6735

Works well, fairly cheap, the filter tends to clog over time regardless of how well you clean it, making it harder work to drive water through it, so I normally end up replacing it after a year or so.

It folds up very small too, and you can use it as a reserve water bottle if you're stopping to camp somewhere away from water and need some to cook with.

I don't live anywhere to be away from water long enough on a day ride.

For bike packing I use https://www.sawyereurope.com/water-filtration

It seems everytime I want water there are sheep and cows as far as I can see. They only seem to appear when I want water.

When I was in Africa I used a msr miox and filter system. I even used it to drink from puddles next to the side of the road at one point after a rain storm. As amazing as that system is, it's just a bit bulky for bike packing in the UK but I trusted that system with my life. I'm still learning to trust the sawyer.

I've used a Steri-Pen that was USB chargeable for 3 months in Nepal and stayed well. Mostly drinking from tap water though, the steri pen does nothing for suspended particles.

HTH

Water To Go bottles have the added benefit of filtering viruses, which other filters mostly do not.

I tend to run a water-to-go bottle or an alpkit Hippo spending on how long I'm out for. The WtG is not much cop as a store for cooking if I'm overnighting.

Streams, standpipes & animal watering pipes all good so far.

I use the sawyer not failed me yet

Have both a sawyer mini and a water 2 go bottle as above. Much easier taking the bottle. Great on the bike and hiking. Very glad I bought one.

Thanks for thoughts all. I quite like the look of that watertogo bottle. The filter I've got needs to be gravity fed. It's pretty quick to filer water when setup but with faffing about would take a few minutes to fill a bottle with.

Sawyer do a SP140 bottle with built-in filter. It won't fit a bottle cage but the cap/filter part is the standard diameter so will fit on a bike bottle. I'm eyeing up filters but probably go for the Sawyer Micro as I don't have shock clearance for the bottle version.

Link to 1:30

I used an Aqua-Pure bottle when on a couple of several-weeks-long WW kayaking trips to places you'd not trust the water - both from taps, and also taken when I had to from the rivers we were paddling. Most certainly helped keeping hydrated in hot climates.
In hindsight I wish I'd remembered/ got another at the start of the covid lockdowns as some rides were limited on distance from home by not knowing where I could get fresh water.

I've now got a portable MSR one for bikepacking.

You do need to think about what it is that needs removing from the water. If its polluted or full of heavy metals, that's a much bigger task (and bigger filtration system).

If I was heading abroad to remote places I'd be having another Katadyn ceramic filter.

Thanks, for my use case it's long rides up on moors or hills with few people, and generally plentiful streams.

Maybe a few farms here and there but I could avoid collecting from around them easily enough.

I’ve got a Lifestraw filter and soft bottle. Packs quite small so no bother to take it on long rides just in case. I’ve used it a fair bit and never had a problem.

Lifestraw is what the army folks volunteering in Ukraine raved About.
Maybe chucking some purification tablets in your pack for emergencies might be an idea as well.

Another vote for the Sawyer mini. Prices are through the roof since I bought it, but still well worth it.

I haven't died yet.

A useful and timely thread for me. I'm a water treatment scientist and yet still struggling to decide which type to buy. I like the idea of an inline filter like the Sawyer/Hippo types, but not keen on filling the hydration bladder with dirty water, as will be difficult to thoroughly decontaminate it afterwards. Think I'm going to get the squeezy bottle type and use that to fill the hydration reservoir. Also can then use it as an additional storage option when needed.