Managing your water supply on an overland adventure is a top priority. This goes for the quality of your water as well as the quantity. When traveling in remote locations or developing countries, waterborne illnesses and other contaminants can ruin a trip in a hurry.
Why Water Filtration?
For most overland travel, keeping a sufficient supply of water on board our rigs is simply a matter of topping up the tank when we swing through civilization. In North America, we are mostly blessed with good, clean drinking water nearly everywhere there's a city or town. But travel for extended periods in remote areas and in certain other corners of the world demands that we take a little more care about how and where we acquire our water.
If you plan to refill your supply in the field, water filtration is a must. Nearly all water sources on American wild lands have some level of contamination from waterborne bacteria, parasites, and other microscopic nasties, including giardiasis, cryptosporidium, amebiasis, and other free floating amoebae. None of these you want swimming around in your gut. Some other more exotic waterborne illnesses can be found abroad. Whether on domestic or foreign travel, getting sick from a tainted water supply can end an adventure, and lead to other more dangerous and long-lasting medical problems.
Backpackers and sailors have been filtering their water for many years with a wide range of tools and methods. When we traveled through Africa in our Land Rover and local drinking water sources seemed suspect, we filtered our water with a standard 10", two-stage household ceramic filtration system (the kind you find at your local hardware store) driven by a 12 volt pump. While effective, it was a cumbersome and bulky solution and required frequent cleaning and maintenance. It was never really meant for the rigors of overland travel. In our overland vehicles, where space is often at a premium, how do you make room for clean water? There's no arguing that we all need it.
Guzzle H2O
Guzzle H2O has been on a mission to build compact, efficient, and highly effective water filtration systems since 2018. Born from sailboats and the desire to minimize the waste associated with throw-away water bottles, Guzzle H20's mission is "pure water, no trash". Guzzle H20’s advanced multi-layered water filtration systems are compact, portable, and highly effective.
They purify and filter water to provide you with the best tasting, cleanest water possible. Their carbon block water filtration removes contaminants and impurities by physically screening them out. Their UV-C LED water purifier disinfects the water, removing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. All in a single device. All at the push of a button. No pumping, no waiting.
Besides safe drinking water, you also get better tasting water as well, and who doesn't want that?
Guzzle H20's water filtration tools come in several different configurations, and you can build a water system from the ground up that best fits your type of travel. Overlander also offers open-the-box Guzzle H20 kits that give you the portability and reliability that you need from a complete filtration system. Guzzle H20's systems can be hard mounted and hard wired for a permanent solution in your long-term overland rig.
The Guzzle H2O Overland Bundle features everything a traveler needs to stay hydrated on the trail. Use the Guzzle H2O Stream to pump, filter, and purify water from a creek or lake and transfer it to your vehicle using the 30' remote fill outlet hose. This push-button drinking water system can pump, filter, and purify water from any natural water source. It can also connect to faucets and campground spigots to improve taste and quality of potable water sources - perfect for traveling in countries where water standards can be variable.
The Overland Bundle includes:
- 1 Guzzle H20 Stream w/charger
- 30' outlet hose
- 1 carbon block replacement cartridge
Guzzle H20 Overland Bundle
The Guzzle H2O Expedition Bundle is the ultimate kit for off-grid living, overland expeditions, and dispersed camping. It combines the built-in Guzzle H2O Stealth with the portable Guzzle H2O Stream allowing you to fill from natural water sources and have clean and great tasting tank water.
The Expedition Bundle includes:
- Guzzle H2O Stream w/12v charger AND a 100/240v charger
- Guzzle H2O Stealth
- 30' outlet hose
- 2 carbon block replacement cartridges
Guzzle H20 Expedition Bundle
How do you keep a clean water supply? Questions about filtration? Let us know down in the comments.