The Best Water Filter For Every Adventurer

The best water filter for every adventurer’s tool chest – Platypus Quickdraw

by Robert Arnold

Rob Arnold, Arlberg team member.

Like most gear nuts, I am always excited to try the next new shiny thing and try to stay ahead of the curve of new technology. With backcountry water filtration though, I am the opposite. Something about water safety keeps me stubborn to stick with the same method and requires extreme trustworthiness for me to switch. The hand-pump designs of the 90’s can still be found mostly unchanged. Wanting something lighter weight and less work, I’ve used the same UV-light purifier since 2009. But both of these shared the same catch; they only worked with plastic wide-mouth water bottles and had no way to filter water in a soft hydration pack or to drink directly from a water source. The Platypus Quickdraw filtration straw has become my favorite new piece of essential gear to solve this problem.

Platypus Quickdraw Microfilter.

Filtration straws are nothing new; several prominent brands have had them available for years. They work by having bundles of special fibers that filter giardia, protozoa, and all the other nasty stuff out as the water flows through. All filtration straws meet the same safety standards you can trust, but I have never found one that functioned well enough to trust in the wild. That was until I tested the Platypus Quickdraw. Not only does it have a super durable build, Platypus has found a way to make the Quickdraw have a quicker flow rate than any other. It comes with a 1L soft-flask that easily scoops water from any water source; plug-in the Quickdraw and squeeze clean water easily into hydration packs, bike water-bottles, or drink straight from it.

Rolled up, the system is less than 4oz and fits in the palm of your hand. Admittedly I’ve usually only carried a water purifier for overnight camping and backpacking. But the Platypus Quickdraw is easy to carry for every adventure.  Not only has it been the easiest and lightest weight filter I’ve ever used, but it also costs about a ⅓ of the price than the pumps and UV-lights costing around $30. Water purification is one of the most essential pieces of gear for staying safe in the outdoors; make sure to check out the Platypus Quickdraw no matter what activity gets you outside. Arlberg Sports in Wenatchee sells this item.

This post was originally published on 9/20/2021.