Carrying enough water is one problem; making sure what you carry — or find along the way — is actually safe to drink is another. A bug-out bag needs to solve both without adding dead weight when it's empty.
We've picked a collapsible water bottle that packs flat until you need it, a 2-litre hydration bladder for hands-free drinking on the move, and chlorine dioxide purification tablets as a backup for treating water from an unknown source.
Flexible water container that rolls up flat when empty. Essential for carrying treated water from source to camp.
1–2 litres is ideal. Some expand to 3L for base camp use.
Food-grade TPU or silicone that won’t leach chemicals.
Easier to fill from streams and compatible with most water filters.
Mould grows fast in damp collapsible bottles. Dry thoroughly.
An ultralight flexible bottle that rolls up flat when empty and holds two litres when full. A space-saving way to carry and store water in a grab bag.
A leak-proof 2-litre reservoir with a bite-valve hose that fits inside most packs, so you drink steadily on the move.
Chlorine dioxide tablets that treat questionable water to make it safer to drink. A tiny, long-life backup for when filtering or boiling isn't possible.
LifeStraw's Peak Series straw is a rugged update to the classic personal filter: sip straight from a stream, puddle or water butt, or thread it onto a standard bottle or an inline hydration line. It removes bacteria, parasites and microplastics down to 0.2 microns with no batteries, chemicals or waiting. A sensible last-line backup to keep in a grab bag or the car for when the taps or your main filter let you down.
The original suck-through survival straw: dip it in a stream, puddle or water butt and drink directly through the hollow-fibre membrane, which filters out bacteria, parasites and microplastics down to 0.2 microns. It needs no batteries, chemicals or pumping, and one filter is rated for around 4,000 litres, so it earns its place in a grab bag or car for when the mains supply fails or you're caught out on the hills.
Fifty compact tablets that make questionable water safe to drink when you can't boil or filter it. Each treats around a litre, so a single pack covers weeks of emergency use and weighs almost nothing in a grab bag. A cheap, long-life backup to keep alongside a proper filter, not instead of one.
A lightweight straw-style filter with a 0.01-micron hollow-fibre membrane, meant for drinking directly from streams, lakes or an untreated tap when the mains supply can't be trusted. It's a personal, single-user tool for hikes and grab bags rather than a way to treat water for a whole household. Rinse-to-clean design keeps flow reasonable over its stated lifespan.
A refillable bottle with a built-in filter that reduces chlorine taste and fine particles as you drink. It's aimed at everyday tap top-ups and day walks rather than treating dubious wild water, so pair it with purification tablets for genuine emergencies. A recognisable brand and an easy, low-effort way to keep drinking water palatable on the move.
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