CamelBak All Clear UV Water Purifier Review

Want to make everyone you see jealous of how quickly and easily you’re able to purify water? The CamelBak All Clear is by far the quickest and easiest water purifier I’ve ever used. Although the weight of the All Clear may be prohibitive for some people, if it’s something you can look past, this is an awesome product.

Here’s some propaganda from CamelBak to tell you more:

FULL DISCLOSURE: I dropped the lid of my CamelBak All Clear from about 5 ft / 1.5 m onto concrete and broke the bulb. CamelBak says that they guarantee their products, but I was abroad at the time and didn’t bother carrying around the broken bottle with me so I cannot attest to the extent of their guarantee or their customer service. Yes, I know it was probably totally worth it to just bring it back with me and try to get it exchanged, but what’s done is done.

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The Good

THE UV LIGHT | The UV light is probably why you’d consider the All Clear in the first place. It is one of the most effective ways to treat water and kills bacteria, protozoa, and viruses too. Traditional filtration does not remove viruses from water, and although you can combat viruses with various chemicals, add chemicals to or boil all your water, then UV purification is an excellent option for you. As an added bonus you get to feel like a wizard whilst purifying your water.

THE SPEED | Ready to drink water in sixty seconds without having to squeeze or pump through a filter (or waiting up to half an hour for chemicals to work their magic) – I would be surprised if this number is improved upon in the next few years. The CamelBak All Clear is one of the quickest methods for purifying water I’ve found.

THE EASE OF USE | This is probably the easiest to use water purifier I’ve come across. I can grab the bottle out of my bag as I hike past a stream, swoop down to fill up with some water, screw on the cap, press the power button, and continue walking as my water gets blasted by UV for the next sixty seconds. You literally don’t even need to stop to filter water – it’s amazing. Stopping to repeat this process multiple times is just as simple, and just as envy-evoking.

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The Okay

THE CAPACITY | One of the minor drawbacks to the All Clear is the fact that you can only purify 25 fl oz / .75 L of water at a time. This might not seem like that big of a deal since it’s very quick to purify water and you can easily just fill it up again, but it ends up being a little tiresome if you want to filter larger quantities of water. If the bottle was a full 32 fl oz / 1 L I would be a lot happier with the All Clear.

THE CHARGING | Even though it’s advertised to get a whole 10 l more from a full charge than the SteriPEN Ultra, a single charge of the All Clear can only yield about 60 l of clean water. This may seem like plenty, but if you’re hiking a week-long stretch through the desert and are using ten liters of water per day, then you can run into problems (especially if you plan on supporting more than one person with the All Clear). However, so long as you are able to get a full charge, 60 L should be plenty for most of your backpacking needs.

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The Bad

THE FLOATIES | Since your water will not be running through any sort of filter or net with the All Clear, you will be left over with any dirt, plant material, or small aquatic life that finds its way into your bottle before purification. If floaties aren’t your thing, then you can buy CamelBak’s Pre-Filter. This fits around the opening of the bottle whilst filling to make sure that sediment suspended in the water stays out of your bottle. The other advantage of the pre-filter is that it keeps the threads of the bottle dry when filling (so you don’t need to worry about wiping clean before drinking).

THE WATER OPTIONS | As with all UV filters (that use light), you cannot purify water that isn’t transparent. CamelBak suggests that your water is “as clear as (or clearer than) lemonade” for the All Clear to work properly. If you find yourself with some nasty or murky water, you can always wring it through something to lighten it up, but this added step is a huge pain when compared to other filters that can easily suck up any source and spit out ready to drink water.

THE WEIGHT | This is definitely one of the heavier water purification systems on the market. The weight of the cap alone (the part with the UV light) is 10.8 oz / 306 g, and should you decide to carry everything (the bottle, extra cap, cord, and case), the CamelBak All Clear comes to 17 oz / 482 g. That kind of weight is grounds for a lecture from an ultralighter.

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Conclusion

I used the CamelBak All Clear as my primary (and only) water purification for around 1,600 mi / 2,574 km on the Pacific Crest Trail and never once did I wish I had something different. Although I would like to see a 32 fl oz / 1 L bottle option, the 25 fl oz / .75 L All Clear works wonders. There’s nothing like not needing to stop to purify your water (that is, if you’re trying to make miles).

If weight is not a huge bother for you and you want a super simple water purification system, then this might be what you’re looking for. Check out the CamelBak All Clear here.

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