Whatever you’re doing—backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing or just getting away from it all and camping out in the wilderness—you’ll eventually need to drink surface water. It’s not practical to carry more than a day (or maybe two days) of water—it’s too heavy! So you’ll have to drink what you can find along the way, and we’ll help you make informed decisions so you can safely consume clean, delicious water.

• Myths and Facts: You probably know a few things about treating backcountry water, but water sources probably aren’t as dangerous as you might think, and treatment options probably aren’t as reliable as you might expect. Learn why!
• Good and Bad Water: Good news—you can never get sick if you drink only from good water sources! But can you tell the difference between good and bad water?
• Managing Water: Sometimes you might need to drink surface water that’s less than perfect—that’s when your water management skills can shine.
• Treatment Options: There are more portable water treatment options available than ever before! Here’s a rundown of all your options to produce safe, clean water.
• Campylobacter: You hear a lot about Giardia in the backcountry—but do you know about Campylobacter?