Hydration and Water Filtration In the Backcountry

Staying Hydrated when Fly Fishing or Hunting in the Backcountry

By Sammy Chang

With the large influx of folks getting into fly fishing, hunting, and the outdoors in general, finding unsolicited water can be more difficult these days. Hiking just a mile from the trailhead often pays dividends but it also necessitates being more prepared. As summer approaches full swing staying hydrated is very important.

I’ve spent the past decade in search of remote waters miles from the trailhead, and have tested several methods of filtering or carrying water. I will not focus on hydration packs as this is my least favorite method (it’s a personal preference, not a knock on hydration packs or those who like to use them). I love a good ol’ Nalgene bottle and always have. I often go through at least one, if not more, 32 oz bottles worth of water while fishing. It’s not a good idea to ration water on hot days. It is often not practical to carry more than one bottle on a day trip. Most packs these days do not even have a slot for one bottle… you can forget about two. Hanging two 32 oz bottles from your wading belt is not comfortable. Purchasing bottled water is an option, but gives the least amount of water per bottle, is not great for the environment and is the worst tasting and expensive over time. Enter filters.

Standard Filters – Good and Bad

For the last decade, I’ve carried an MSR Hyperflow in my pack. It’s compact, fairly quick, and overall intuitive. There are a few frustrating aspects to it. Keeping the stream-side end in the water can be a wrestling match, and if you forget to line up the inflow and outflow valves correctly, you’ll want to throw the entire thing as far into the woods as you can. But when you get it right, it pumps a large volume of cold pathogen-free water quickly. On overnight or multi day trips when you need more water (camp cooking, longer hikes, etc), a standard filter is still indispensable. You can fill everyone’s empty bottles or a reservoir bag in a matter of minutes.

Day Trip Filters and Filters When on the Water

Oftentimes, though, if you’re just going for a day trip into the backcountry, a standard filter is not always the most practical choice. As my camera gear has expanded, real estate in my sling pack has become a premium. I’ve argued with myself on several occasions whether I should bring the filter or not. I always do, and I’m always thankful I have it, but I have come awfully close to leaving it behind. A standard filter also means retrieving it from your pack, setting it up, and then figuring out how to stow the wet system back in your pack. Not a deal breaker, but often something I don’t want to do when I’m singularly focused on fishing.

A few weeks ago I hiked into a stream access point about two miles from the parking lot. I had my usual set up, and my buddy Adam had a sharp looking new bottle and contraption slid into his bottle pouch. He had just returned from a trip to Africa. During his trip preparation, he came across Epic Water Filters while researching a way to keep his family’s drinking water healthy. Turns out it is a perfect solution for day trips into the backcountry (or wherever else you may go). You can refill indefinitely, the filter lives within the bottle, and as long as you are in fairly clear and clean water (which, by definition, most trout water is), you’ve got safe water to drink all day long without having to open up your pack. It is truly efficient and lightweight. The bottle hangs from your pack and you can fill it in seconds. You’ll never have to choose fishing over dehydration – and it just may give you the boost you need at the end of the day to fish that next run before your hike out.