Hey all,

I haven't really camped in years, but lately I've been thinking about getting a durable, long-lasting water filtration system that is both portable and effective. Really, I just want something that I can be prepared for emergencies with. Ideally, I want something that is versatile.

From my research, I've determined that people really love the Sawyer Squeeze, and really hate the LifeStraw (but they have products that are better than the straw itself). The Katadyn BeFree has a better flow rate, but worse longevity, plus, it has a proprietary thread. The Platypus Quick draw kind of seems like an improved version of the Squeeze that can be tested for freeze damage.

However, it seems like nome of these products have a charcoal filter, which means they don't filter out viruses and heavy metals, etc. This filter type also greatly decreases lifespan, I think. They have large pumps that can filter these out, but that's obviously less portable. Boiling can remove viruses, but not heavy metals. Alternatively, would it be possible to filter the water multiple times through different types of filters? Taste doesn't matter to me too much, but being able to drink almost all water safely would be a plus. I'm in Canada, so it's not too much of an issue, but it's good to have peace of mind if I ever had to use one.

So with that said, what is the most effective and versatile water filtration system? Is the Squeeze (or maybe the QuickDraw) good enough for most situations? I'm very new to this and there's a lot of information out there, so please forgive me if I made any mistakes.