Backcountry water filters

The following is an adaptation from my new book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking.

During the early 20th Century, Abercrombie & Fitch was considered to be the preeminent outdoor goods retailer in America. Founded in New York City in 1892, the merchant retailer began selling high-end outdoor gear and apparel through extensive catalogs in 1903. By 1907, their catalog featured a portable water filter system that's fairly similar to what backpackers use today. This particular pump was invented in 1891 by the Berkefeld Filter Company out of Hanover, Germany. It weighed 3 pounds, was 14 inches long and 3 inches wide, and could produce a quart of drinking water in one minute. Abercrombie & Fitch also sold a pocket filter made by Dr. Stebbins. This option weighed only 4 ounces, was less than 5 inches in length, and was only 1.5 inches in diameter. While the larger filter used “infusorial earth” to filter contaminates out of backcountry water, the smaller filter used chemical filter paper.

Before the Common Era, however, ancient Indians, Egyptians, Greeks and Mayans were already using filtration methods to produce better tasting water. By the mid-1700s, scientists began experimenting with various filtration methods to remove microorganisms in water.

A couple of historical references cite the invention of the Katadyn Pocket Filter in 1929 as being the first true backcountry water filter. However, it’s not known if this device was smaller, weighed less, or was more effective than the Dr. Stebbins filter.



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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.