Best Ultralight Water Filters For Backpacking 2025

After thoroughly analyzing the marketplace and testing most possible combinations, we can officially say that these are the best squeeze based ultralight water filters for backpacking. This guide takes into account not just the filter units, but which vessel to pair each with, what they’re best at, and where in your pack to store them.

Hop onto the PCT this summer and you’ll see that virtually every thru-hiker is using an ultralight squeeze filter. That’s because they’re the fastest, simplest, and most reliable system for both soloists and groups (so long as everyone has their own). As such, we have excluded all of the outdated or nonsensical options, including pumps, straws, UV pens, and gravity-based system. Chemical treatments work great, but aren’t featured here because this guide is specific to ultralight water filters.

Continue reading to learn more about the best ultralight water filters, written by Jaeger Shaw.