This is rather interesting, if true:
Again, I have no idea if this is true or not. But if it is, then it seems to suggest the LifeStraw is living up to it’s advertising.
These things come up on sale at Amazon once in a while and I always keep one in my bag when I’m out in the woods. While it’s true you can “last three days without water” you’ll really, really wish you died on that first one when you drink bad water. Being in a ‘survival situation’ is already fraught with hazards…why add ‘dying of a terminal case of the runs’ to it?
Advertised as being good for 1000 gallons of water, that would mean you could drink about 2.75 gallons a day for a year outta this thing. But, be real…most emergencies that require this sort of device are going to be of much shorter duration…a few days or a week. At which time, with a replacement cost of less than twenty bucks, toss it and get a new one.
As I said, I’ve seen these come up for sale on Amazon every so often and I think they’re a piece of gear thats worth having around in quantity. For real convenience, they make a water bottle with the filter built in…which means when youre on the run you just scoop your bottle through the creek or river, cap it up, and start drinking. I can see that as being a very handy thing.
I usually wait for a sale on Amazon but, geez, with the way things are going these days you have to juggle ‘supply chain issues’ (Read: shortages) against saving a few bucks.
While I still carry a lifestraw, IMO, especially here in the desert where one needs a liter an hour at least, a lifestraw is a major PITA to use and requires so much effort as to be useless. We switched to the gravity fed and find them to be much more realistic for field use in our AO.
https://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Membrane-Backpacking-Emergency-Preparedness/dp/B0764P4L7Q/ref=sr_1_10_mod_primary_new?crid=AAKOFW4L6SFA&keywords=katadyn+water+filters&qid=1651037016&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=katydyn+water+filters%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-10
Lifestraw makes gravity fed filters as well. I have one of their 3L versions and have zero complaints about it. The filter system is the same as their straw and water bottle systems and the replacement parts are interchangeable, which is nice.
Agree, H2O is life and if you plan to live through an ordeal, cheat and do all you can to stay healthy. Also, the weight and bulk of materials and time needed to boil out water may be spent in better places. Water filter makes a lot of sense, especially the water bottle / filter unit.
Have you ever used a Sawyer Mini Water Filter? Not much bigger or more expensive than a Lifestraw. Can be used as a straw, but does a lot more water.
If you go to a home brew shop and buy some tubing (sorry I forget the size) it fits onto the Sawyer and makes it a lot more versatile.
Very good to know. Since the bacteria, etc. gets filtered out, it’s living in the Lifestraw filter media. I wonder what a longer term test would show, say, pull a sample, test it, let the Lifestraw sit for 15-25 days, pull another sample and test it. Theoretically, there should be no change even with a good bacteria breeding environment inside the Lifestraw.
But I’m like you. Whenever they go on sale I buy a couple and keep them in pairs (2 is one, 1 is none) and figure they’re a
“per event” type of tool.
I will just say that I have more than one of ’em.
Robust and diverse means of water purification is always a good idea.
The Lifestraw is anything but robust, but it’s cheap, and widely available, and far better than The Trots. It’s not my filtration go-to, but I’ve got one, and I’d use it happily if I had nothing better.
Notwithstanding their video, I think I’d want as many layers of pre-filtration as I could get before using it, if only to preserve filter life. Handkerchiefs, coffee filters, backwoods gravel/sand/charcoal, etc.
CZ,
Wouldn’t a better choice be a Sawyer MINI that costs $21.00? The manufacturer claims that it will filter up to 100,000 gallons. That’s a whole lotta water.
A kit for $10.99, with free shipping, is available to convert it to use with 5-gallon buckets. https://1776patriotusa.com/sawyer-bucket-kit-2/
A word of warning with both Sawyer and Lifestraw filters: once used, they will be destroyed if you let them freeze. The water that remains in the filter will turn to ice and damage the membrane.
Keep a used filter inside your home, or inside your clothing and against your body if you are outside.
I had been carrying the life straw and the Kayadyn filtering bottle for years. I used both and I found that squeezing the bottle while sucking is a lot easier than the straw. Moreover you can squeeze out the water out of the bottle to use it as cooking or coffee water. I am not suggesting not to carry the straw. I am simply saying the straw is a very good backup.
As an early customer of Lifestraw I also had some emails with that company. At that time they had something like a five year shelf life. They informed me that was for regions with excess heat and humidity and since removed that shelf life. I found they require you excessively pre-filter or far to much effort to suck in the water and early clog. Personally I consider them “almost useless”. They filter bacteria and Protozoa but no chemicals and the effort is great. There is no way to look at the water before it’s in your mouth. No way to filter and store it.
As another stated, these and all similar filters that don’t state otherwise are ruined if used and then frozen as the pores will rupture and be to large to filter. I got this from Sawyer and Lifestraw. They are not considered EVER thoroughly dried. This was a few years ago.
All that said, better than nothing. Just remember it’s limitations. If possible get something with activated charcoal for taste and at least some chemical removal. You can never have to much water filtration capabilities. When stationary we pre-filter with a funnel containing a coffee filter or two to remove all sediments via a “dirty water” bag with a pinch clip to throttle the flow. Then use your good filter.
If you really want to test a filter. Find a lab and take in your source water and your filtered water and have them test it. A standard drinking water test will give basics.
Katadyne also has an excellent dip and drink filter system
I like the LifeStraw Mission gravity system with a 12 liter bag. Unlike the Lifestraw, the Lifestraw Mission will also filter out virus’s. We have a couple of the Mission units. Good for around 6,000 gallons before changing out the filter.
Check out the Grayl.com filter. This is a French Press model which has worked well for me. Downside is bulk. They make several models.
I just don’t like the fact of sticking my head down in the water with the snakes, it’s just me
FWIW, I’ve had two different Green Beanies tell me they won’t have them in their kit, and as far as I know they didn’t know each other.
Some prefilter material and a dirty water bag combined with a Sawyer and all the tubing and fittings to hook directly to your bladders is far better. Can be set up in your ruck to filter while moving.
If you just have to have something minimalist for the smallest lightest go bag possible, Survivor Filter makes a similar setup that’s far better.