Emergency Water Purifier
Tips and Recommendations

In order to choose the right emergency water purifier for your situation, there are two main factors to consider (1) your budget and (2) your purpose.

The least expensive way to purify water is by using water purification tablets and/or mixes, which you can purchase for as little as $10. 

Or you can choose from a wide array of high-quality, lightweight water filter purifiers for anywhere between $50 to $200.

And last but not least, you can get water purifier dispensers for long-term use for $200 to $500.

People buy emergency water purifiers for many different purposes, including everything from wanting to ensure access to safe drinking water while traveling abroad to hiking in the back country or just to have on hand at home for emergencies or natural disasters.

Thus, depending on your budget and purpose, consider the following options which are listed from the least to the most expensive.

Water Purification Tablets and Mixes

if you are someone who occasionally likes to camp or travel internationally and wants to ensure access to safe drinking water, water purification tablets or mixes might be sufficient as an emergency water purifier.

Water purification tablets and mixes are also useful to have on hand for emergencies or natural disasters since they can be stored for long periods. 

However, the downsides of tablets and mixes is that they taste bad and they do not offer the same degree of purification capacity that the more expensive purifiers have.

Best Water Purification Tablets

Water Purification Mixes and Packets – Top 3 Picks

Lightweight Portable Water Purifiers

If you are an outdoor enthusiast or backpacker, you might need a more effective, lightweight water purifier.

There are three main types of water purifiers in this category that can supply clean water for one or more people.

The pump water purifier system forces water through a micro-filter and then the clean water comes out a tube that is placed in a container.

A gravity-fed water purifier system allows you to hang a bag filled with source water, allowing gravity to pull the water down through the filter. This is usually going to be the best type of system to produce clean water for more than one person.

You could also use a straw-type water purifier, which is primarily for personal use.  You place the straw purifier directly in the source water and suck the water through the media. Or you can get a straw water purifier bottle.

Several high-quality water purifiers are available in each of these 3 main categories.

The top brands to consider are Katadyn, LifeStraw and Survivor. Here are a few of our top picks:

Katadyn Hiker Pro Water Purifier (pump system)   

LifeStraw Flex Advanced Water Filter (gravity-fed system)   

Survivor Personal Water Purifier (straw purifier) 

Emergency Water Purifier Dispensers for Home or Camping Use

A high-quality water purifier dispenser is not as portable as the other types of emergency water purifiers, but the dispensers can be used both as a home water filter and as an emergency water purifier. 

These systems are also good for people who spend a long time camping and want to get purified water quickly from any natural water source without the use of water pressure, chemicals or electricity. 

We rate the Berkey water dispensers (6 different models) as the best emergency water purifier in this category. The degree of filtration and purification is exceptional and reliable.

Berkey water purifier dispensers

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