Fiji Water

An estimated 2.1 billion people worldwide lack access to clean water. The causes for this global crisis vary—polluted water sources, resource management issues, climate-related drought, and poverty. The effects, however, are universal: drinking contaminated water leads to waterborne illnesses and, for the most vulnerable, death. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The same technology that hikers and adventurers have used for decades to filter backcountry water offers an easy and affordable solution. The answer is in our packs. So, how have recreational water filters become a critical tool in solving a global health crisis? Sawyer, a trusted name in portable water filtration for 22 years, built a humanitarian-aid program that runs parallel to its retail business. You may not realize it, but the water filter you might take on your next backpacking trip is intertwined in Sawyer’s mission to solve the global water crisis in our lifetimes. The company partners with nonprofits to bring clean water to millions worldwide. Backpacker and Outside readers Lauren Hirsch, Ryan Unger, Gabby Beckford, and Nate Dodge joined the Sawyer team on the ground in Viti Levu, Fiji, to see one of these partnerships in action.