CamelBak All Clear UV Water Purifier Review

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

Note: 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 it guarantees its 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 bring it back with me and try to get it exchanged, but what’s done is done.

The Specs

• Capacity: 25 fl oz / .75 L
• Minimum Weight: 10.8 oz / 306 g
• Weight: 17 oz / 482 g
• 100% BPA-Free
• Warranty: Lifetime Guarantee
• Bottle Material: BPA-Free Eastman Tritan Copolyester
• Cap Material: BPA-Free Polypropylene

From the Manufacturer

• A portable purification system is built into the water bottle.
• Utilizes UV technology to neutralize microbiological contaminants.
• Treats 80 cycles or 16 gal / 60.5 L with each charge.
• Impact and weather-resistant cap insulates UV bulb for effective purification every time.
• LCD screen verifies success.
• Fill from taps, streams, spigots, and more.
• 100% Free of BPA and BPS.
• CamelBak Got Your Bak Guarantee: If we built it, we’ll Bak it with our lifetime guarantee.

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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, 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 envy-evoking.

The Okay

The Capacity

One minor drawback of the All Clear is 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 fill it up again, but it is a little tiresome if you want to filter larger quantities of water. If the bottle were a full 32 fl oz / 1 L, I would be much happier with the All Clear.

The Carrging

Even though it’s advertised to get 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 can get a full charge, 60 L should be plenty for most of your backpacking needs.

The Bad

The Floaties

Since your water will not run through any filter or net with the All Clear, you will be left with dirt, plant material, or small aquatic life that enters your bottle before purification. If floaties aren’t your thing, you can buy CamelBak’s Pre-Filter. This fits around the opening of the bottle while 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” so that the All Clear works 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.

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 I never once wished I had something different. Although I want 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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