My Most Favorite Travel Gear Ever: The OKO Filtration Water Bottle

Many years ago, I visited Bath, England -- a place of water, life, and healing. Upon one of the fountains there was engraved, "Aqua est Vida." Water is life.

And plastic is death.

Which is why I always used to feel conflicted about buying bottled water when I traveled to countries with unsafe tap water. On the one hand, I am traveling, I'm being active, and it is hot. 

On the other, all that plastic has to go somewhere -- and far too often, it is the ocean. 

Way too sad. 

​Which is why I was thrilled to discover the OKO Advanced Filtration Water Bottle, which is a reusable water bottle that filters tap and river water, making it safe for drinking in pretty much any country in the world. 

Each filter is good for 50-100 gallons of water (depending on how contaminated the water is), and provides a taste- and odor-free hydration experience. You never have to worry about the cost of buying more water, or how much waste you are producing in the process. 

I've also used it on camping, backpacking and whitewater kayaking trips, because you don't have to get out a pump and filter your water into a bottle. You just scoop and drink. 

My only complaint about the product is that sometimes the o-ring gets out of line, and the bottle leaks a little if you don't notice and replace it. But apparently that is an issue the company has since addressed (I bought my bottle in 2013, so they've have some time to work on it). According to the company,

"The cap is translucent so you can see the water as it filters. The bottle is soft and squeezable and perfectly balanced with water inside. OKO uses Level-2 filtration originally developed through a NASA grant for space stations. Simply put, it is the state-of-the-art in water filtration technology. The filter produces superiorly-efficient filtration with a powerful flow. Our patent-pending Upstream Valve returns any backwashed fluid into the "unfiltered" water area for re-filtration and to ensure that every sip is pure, fresh and clean. OKO bottles are dishwasher safe and easy to clean.

In addition to a 2 micron pore size, the material utilizes a positively charged electro-adsorption (attraction and retention) process to draw and trap harmful agents much smaller than its pore size. Charge fields, activated upon water contact extend 1 micron each to virtually close the pore to any intruding agents. Using built-in silver ions, the material then kills bacteria upon contact. OKO level-2 filter lab tests reflect removal of 99.94% of e-coli, 99.997% of cryptosporidium and 99.9999% of giardia lamblia, the most commonly found bacteria in water sources."

It also removes lead, rust, and other metals. 

OKO H2O has some fun videos that demonstrate the effectiveness of their product, including:

OKO Filtered Water Bottle Removes Color from Cola:

​OKO water filtration bottle with muddy silty water From limitless outdoors

I have been extremely happy with this product, and have been using it every day since arriving in Costa Rica. Because hydration is important -- but so is not wasting money and protecting the planet. 

Also worth noting: until further notice, OKO H2O will give one Filter Water Bottle to residents of Flint, Michigan.