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Raw water

Backpackers know that no matter how far into the wilderness you travel, using a purifier or boiling water is an important step to stave off illness. But a recent trend burgeoning on the West coast is “raw water”: unfiltered, untreated water from springs that companies have started bottling and selling.

One such brand is the Oregon-based Live Water, which collects water from the Opal Spring in Central Oregon, and bottles it in elaborately decorated 2.5-gallon glass jugs. Live Water founder Mukhande Singh recently told the New York Times that the idea behind Live Water is to consume naturally occurring beneficial minerals and probiotics from spring water—not fluoride-containing filtered tap water. Unsurprisingly, spring water is not cheap: in at least one retail location, Live Water is sold for $36.99 each and $14.99 per refill.

While we like the idea of drinking from a hidden forested spring gushing with a delicious water elixir, imbibe at your own risk. Health experts are not exactly fans of raw water, as drinking unfiltered water may place you at increased risk for ingesting parasites like Giardia, which can cause diarrhea, or even unseen groundwater elements like radon or arsenic. A cheaper, easier and safer option for clean water? Invest in a good water filter and sip from the tap.