portable water filter?

[gatorshooter]

So what is the best portable water filter that will fit in my bug out bag?  Ive got the metal canteen cup with my canteen also several ways to start a fire to boil water. can use rain pancho to catch rain water. but don't have a water filter to outfit my bag with.
 
 I see the survival straw, the filtered water bottles, pumps, etc... but what is best filtering/lightest, high capacity/ affordable method. 
 
Is using the idoine tablets the way to go? or even a small glass bottle of bleach? I have even read someone recommending storing Pool Shock that is just dry Chlorine powder ( a little goes a very long way... something like approx a teaspoon of pool shock will make a gal of household bleach  or something like that) so what is the best way to take river/ ditch/ mud hole water and make it potable for consumption...
 

[pab1]

Try Polar Pure iodine crystals.

[teamnelson]

I have a Sawyer Squeeze in my backpack all the time, love it. 3oz dry weight with 3 bladders and a syringe to back flush. No filters to replace, no pump, no funny taste - log 6 filtration.

[BUGEYE]

we have coffee filters and iodine crystals plus crystal-light flavoring to alleviate the yuck factor.

[SwampThing762]

TeamNelson makes a good recommendation, but I wish to post a corollary to his idea.    It is an expansion on his suggestion. Order the Sawyer SP181 PointOne All-in-One Filter Kit with the squeeze bag, and purchase a cheap hydration bladder from Wal-Mart [or equivalent store].  This gives you the option of using the filter as a gravity system beyond usage with a 5-gallon bucket.   Buckets are not exactly portable.

ST762

[gatorshooter]

Thanks.  Picked up the tablets at the backpacking supply store. will look for the filter online.
Now that thats covered my next project is to be able to filter some volume up at our deer camp.  we have the rainwater catch barrel on the gutters but we only use it to wash/shower with. Every body knows its not potable. the guys put so much bleach in it after showering you smell of bleach for days. I keep telling them a little goes a long way but they think if you can't smell the bleach then add some more....  Thinking if I can build a filter setup then we would have a better shower setup and not stink of bleach when we are up there and have a alt. source of potable water to cook with, wash dishes. etc...

[Charcoal]

I use the Katadyn Mini. Very small and lighweight. I have several of these in various BOBs.
http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-water-filters-ultralight-series-products/katadyn-mini/
 

[mcwoodduck]

There are a few commercial filters.
You need to look at the amount of water you will need and the amount of water the filters will clean.
You may want ot have a few methods.
Iodine tablets, a filter, fire.
For standing water you may want the bio filter,
for rain water you would want the tablets. 
For running water simple fire will work. 
 

[teamnelson]

There are a few commercial filters.
You need to look at the amount of water you will need and the amount of water the filters will clean.
You may want ot have a few methods.
Iodine tablets, a filter, fire.
For standing water you may want the bio filter,
for rain water you would want the tablets. 
For running water simple fire will work.

Good words! The reason I went with sawyer is the million gallon rating, and that's only because no one has put a million gallons through one yet ... might last longer. For the money, I can't imagine using any other portable filter. And it can be used with a bag, bottle, bucket or bladder.

Military has been using tablets for decades, and as a one off emergency solution, they're okay. You do not however want to rely on purification tablets for your long term use. Not even chlorine really, if you value your kidneys. That's why the military switched to the MSR filters and no longer issues tablets. Folks are already struggling with kidney stones due to dehydration in harsh environments; purification tablets and chlorine just added more minerals to process. It'd be a shame to survive a mess, only to die of renal failure.