As a back packer I ordered the Lifesaver bottle and I have to say it is the best part of my gear. It filters water like nothing else and is by far the best Water Filtration system I have owned. I have read reviews where some people say the filtered water taste funny but if you follow the prep instructions before use you should have no problem at all, and man if it doesn''t deliver. I love this product and simply advise one thing be sure to purchase extra carbon filters you get four per pack as they are only good for about 250 liters and the bottle only comes with one. Also be sure to get a pack of the pre-filter disc as well. Other then that awesome product.
Pros:
-Tap water very much seems cleaner after filtration (haven''t tested on dirtier water for fear of taxing the filter since it does have its limit). I have been drinking tap water for months and today I tried some of the water from the bottle and it was tasteless, not plastic flavored (don''t know why other people were experiencing that plastic flavor but mine was tasteless, perhaps they failed to prime it correctly or are simply biased in favor of another product meant for a different customer base in the first place).
-Bottle seems durable enough to last on a hiking/camping/hunting/backpacking/any outdoor trip at all so long as it''s not subject to shock like the kind that mountaineers, arborists or extreme sportsmen might subject to the bottle.
-Easy to clean, doesn''t take long
-Lightweight, portable, drinkable water everywhere in the world where you can find a water that isn''t chemically contaminated (like with salts or environmental pollutants these are the only things the bottle can''t really filter since they''re atoms and molecules below the 15nm filtering size limit)
-With respect to the carbon filters: Instructions say you don''t NEED them if they happen to run out during a trip, the bottle''s filter is still effective, it''s just a good idea to have them for better protection. Just replace carbon filters after the trip, which is easy to do if instructions are followed.
Cons:
-Can''t tell when the bottle will expire until it tells you by halting all flow and that has me worried about the next con;
-Can''t tell whether item is actually new or old and used (could it be an item someone else returned and then seller resold as new? This is an issue if I plan to use it to the 6000 liter limit.
-Can''t tell whether my cartridge is really what I bought, the 6000 liter filter or if it''s actually the 4000 liter capacity filter
-Have to buy the carbon filters every 250 liters if you want to maintain bottle in best condition and use and clean it often
-Flow rate is not adjustable and seems a bit slow. Haven''t checked/measured volumetric flow rate myself but I''m not so sure it''s reaching the 2.5 L/min as instructions say when bottle is new. Perhaps I''ve been too easy on the pump. (Pump does not adjust flow rate)
-Delicate enough so I would constantly be worrying about the bottle''s safety during a trip. I''d guard it carefully.
-3 year shelf life unopened is not long enough.
-2 years further life after first use is not very long in my opinion.
-Lots of instructions to follow. This is not an idiot-proof product. I figured out how to use it, though and I''m sure most people could with a little bit of time reading the instructions.
-Price tag was way too high and prevented me from purchasing this for years but I don''t regret it and don''t think I will. I''ll certainly come back and edit this review if I do find a real issue making it not worth the money.
Buy Lifesaver Bottle 6000 Ultra Filtration Water Bottle Now
...instead of Amazon. Didn''t know Amazon carried it. This purifier was intended for wilderness trips in the US. Sadly, it did not produce good tasting water as shown in the marketing videos. The water tasted like cheap plastic...even with the activated carbon filter installed. The bottle COULD have been filtering to the 15 nm spec but I had no way to test that. So, it MIGHT have been safe, but tasted awful.***************************************************************************************************************************
EDIT: 6/1/2012
There is recent strong criticism of this review for the weight given to taste in view of the bottle''s declared purpose and presumably unblemished record for SAVING LIVES by removing waterborne pathogens from the most dangerous sources in the world.
At the time I bought it, there was sufficient information available to generate the expectation that there would be no taste issue at all. It was the hingepoint in the buying decision. The bottle failed miserably in meeting OUR expectation regardless of what others think the weight for taste should have been in this buying decision. It is appropriate for a prospective buyer to assign their own weight to taste giving due consideration that the bottle we received could have been an outlier.
There are relatively few Amazon reviews on the LS6000 compared to its stablemate Lifesaver Bottle 4000 Ultra Filtration Water Bottle. There might be insights to be gained from consulting those reviews as well, given that capacity is likely the only major difference between the two. The original review continues below.
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I returned it to the East Coast distributor after a week of putting many of gallons of water through it trying to get rid of the plastic taste. I noticed that in the marketing video I saw, the bottle had yellow pump components. The one I received had black pump components. Am wondering if a new material spec might have produced a change in the taste of the water. However, the dist says no.
The unit was impressively easy to pump and put out water at a pretty good rate. The emphasis on use seemed to be oriented toward using your teeth to pull on the teat to drink. However, it was never my intent to use it that way. I wanted to use it to fill containers. It was less user friendly pulling on the teat with your fingers when the bottle was under pressure after having been pumped. The pressure in the bottle would cause the water to spray out before you could direct it into a suitable container. Alternatively, you can hold it over your container and then pull the teat open. A provision for an output hose that could be used in place of the teat would be nice.
Because of its fully integrated design, certain precautions have to be observed in order to prevent cross contamination. For example, you must develop a discipline of ensuring the cap for the teat is securely snapped in place before submerging the bottle in a source. Failure to do so could possibly contaminate the teat. It would be a good idea to download the User Guide from the Lifesaver Systems website and to familiarize yourself with this bottle before ordering it.
The 6000 version provides more water at a lower cost/liter than the 4000. As a matter of fact, it''s total operating costs compared to other filters/purifers is really hard to beat. For you backpackers, I would peg the size of the 6000 between a 1 liter and 2 liter soda bottle. The distributor reports that the activated carbon filter is optional. This could save a good chunk of money in operating costs if you want to forgo the convenience of an integrated filter in favor of trying to fashion your own external ACTIVATED carbon filter at a much greater savings. The activated carbon filter can remove certain organic contaminants an improve taste dramatically. The Lifesaver comes with 1 activated carbon filter that you install prior to using.
The distributor seemed willing to work with me to solve the plastic tasting water. They even contacted the inventor, Michael Pritchard, to see what might be causing the issue. However, communications were slow and my wilderness trips were starting so I didn''t have time to work through it. I am told that my bottle will be carefully examined to try to determine the cause of the off taste.
The manufacturing process that produces the LS6000 is virtually the same as the process that produces the LS4000. The only meaningful difference is the size. It would follow that a similar issue could be had with the LS4000. I recommend that this be bought through Amazon with the free shipping. As of this May 2009, price is the same as through the dist, but you pay $20 for shipping via the dist and you eat the shipping if you have to return it.
Have spent MANY, MANY hours researching water filtering/purification systems for backpacking. This product showed the most promise for a device that would produce safe water under almost any circumstance you could imagine at a such a reasonable cost with its 15 nm filter. I was crushed at having to return it. I am convinced that this device still shows the most promise save for the experience I had. I am hoping there is a resolution to the plastic tasting water soon.
My fallback will probably be a the top of the line Katadyn Pocket Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter with ''only'' a 200 nm ceramic filter and an external activated carbon filter. This will let viruses through, but viruses are reportedly not an issue in North American wilderness waters, especially if you are choosey about your source.
Had my LifeSaver 6000 produced the bottled water taste as asserted in the marketing videos, I would have given it 5 stars....and kept it!
***UPDATE 05/11/2010***
It has been a year since I wrote this original review. There has been no news from the distributor regarding the plastic taste and others have noticed it as well in the LS4000. Earlier this year, I decided to opt for the Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter, Katadyn Carbon Cartridge, and SteriPEN Classic Handheld Water Purifier. It''s a little more to schlep. See my reviews at the provided links. I''ll stick with the Katadyn system.
Read Best Reviews of Lifesaver Bottle 6000 Ultra Filtration Water Bottle Here
This may be great technology but the the design leaves a lot to be desired:Bottle leaks sometimes from bottom.
Even after using daily for 3 weeks, it still takes pretty bad, like plastic.
Can never get the last 100 ml out of bottle, i think filter doesn''t extend far enough to bottom.
Bottle can be difficult to un-tighten.
Seems bigger/heavier than it needs to be. like too much extra plastic in base.
I would NOT trust the cap to be waterproof, or rather to stay waterproof. The snap on cap scraps off plastic from its underside.. after using a few weeks the ridge on underside of cap is shredded.. i am afraid to submerge it into dirty water..
I would have preferred to see this filter in a more conventional pump system. holding 750ml of water or whatever is not much anyway... i end up using it only as a pump to refill other bottles, especially considering that it tends to leak from base.
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I like the idea and the design of this bottle and I really like what they claim it can do to water. So far, as far as I can tell, it has done all they said it would do. Put dirty water in and it comes out clean and tastes clean.It would be nice if there was a pressure relief valve somewhere on it. Once you pump it up it takes a while before you can safely open the bottle sometimes even after the water has been filtered through. If you''re using it to fill other water bottles, it can be a little tricky to refill quickly.
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