Purifying water for drinking when camping is easy but it can be nerve-racking if you have not done attempted it before. The steps in this guide, and the video instructions, detail how easy it is to make clean water for drinking from even the most contaminated water sources.

How to purify and filter dirty water when hiking or camping - in 5 Steps

Estimated Time: 5 Minutes

1. Fill prefilter container with dirty water
2. Prefilter water by squeezing it through the container
3. Attach the main water filter to prefilter container
4. Squeeze water from dirty container into clean container
5. Repeat steps until clean water container is full

Recommended Equipment

• Sawyer S3 Purifier and Water Filter
• CamelBak Water Container Amazon Link
• Iodine Tablets optional Amazon Link

Make clean drinking water when hiking and camping with video, pictures and helpful links.

1. Step 1: Fill prefilter container with dirty water
• Open the Sawyer S3 prefilter water container and fill with dirty water.

2. Step 2: Prefilter water by squeezing it through the container
• Prefilter the dirty water by squeezing the water back and forth through the prefilter container. The foam in the container helps filter out contaminates and particles.
• Squeeze each end of the container alternatively about 10 times before proceeding to the next step.

3. Step 3: Attach the main water filter to prefilter container
• Attach the main Sawyer S3 water filter to the prefilter container

• TIP - To prevent water contamination, wipe excessive water from your hands and prefilter container before attaching the water filter.
4. Step 4: Squeeze water from dirty container into clean water container
• With your CamelBak or other clean water container open, squeeze the prefilter container to force dirty water through the water filter and into the CamelBak.

• The water should appear absolutely clear and ready to drink.

5. Step 5: Repeat steps until water container is full
• Repeat steps 1 - 4 until clean water container is full.
• OPTIONAL: For added protection, drop 1 or 2 iodine tablets into the clean water container.

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