LifeStraw Personal Water Filter Save 12% off

For the weight, I believe there is no better backcountry water treatment available. The LifeStraw imparts no strange flavors like its chemical brethren, its flow rate is perfectly acceptable for active pursuits, it has no moving parts to break or filters that need replacing every couple of days, and it does all this at a fraction of the cost and weight of other Filter and UV water treatment options. Besides, what other water treatment system has been tested successfully by people on a daily basis in the most contaminated parts of our planet?

Just got back from a trip to Nepal and Cambodia. I used life straw dozens of times. Most notably while I was in the jungles of Cambodia I found myself dangerously dehydrated and my two water bottles were already empty. There was NO SAFE WATER for me to drink. I did eventually stumble onto a well used by some monks. After figuring out how to prime and pump up the water I used the life straw to drink my fill. I was so relieved, I was miles from the nearest bottle of water and I managed to get my drink on. I didn''t have to take a risk that would have put me in an awful situation (severe diarrhea) , and it only cost me $25 and the weight of the straw is negligible.

In fact, I''ve decided that whenever I''m leaving the country to take this guy with me. Why not?

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This is a smartly designed product. It''s long enough to stick in a water source and drink w/o having your face too close. It does not have a separate straw to loose of fall out like the other smaller products out there. Unlike the expensive and large LiveSaver product (as seen on TED) you do not have to fumble around and pour water into it at risk of contaminating the mouthpiece if water drips over. This appears to have all the filtration benefits in a compact size appropriate for a backpack. It comes in a sealed bag so it can remain dry and clean until you need to use it.

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I have used all types of water filtration PUR Hiker, UV sterilization, and chemical.

And... I have had giardia. I guess some say you always have giardia don''t know about that, but it is nasty stuff. I actually got it by washing my face in a contaminated stream didn''t even have to drink any water.

Water filter openings are measured in microns. Since bacteria size is between 0.2 and 2.0 microns in width, a 0.2 micron filter would filter out bacteria and would also filter out protozoa which are larger than bacteria. Viruses are the smallest living organisms known to man can measure as small as 0.005 microns.

Therefore, there are limitations to this filter at the viral level.

However, by combining this filter with a UV sterilizer such as Steri Pen you can easily add the viral layer of protection.

Here is what I do for a liter of high quality H2O:

1. 1L Nalgene bottle this will always be considered "dirty" or contaminated.

2. Fill the bottle with water to be filtered through the Steripen prefilter cup.

3. Use the Steripen UV sterilizer 90 seconds per 1L of H2O (per manufacturers instructions). As you do this you will be agitating the bottle which will keep sediment suspended. This isn''t the point of agitation it is simply a result of the the UV sterilization process.

4. Allow the sediment to settle.

5. Finally, use the LifeStraw as directed by manufacturer in the now UV sterilized water still in the "contaminated" bottle.

Benefits that I have noticed:

1. I always had concerns with cross contamination during both simple UV sterilization and traditional filter use. This is, IMHO, very likely with UV sterilization since it is really difficult to get contaminated water from the rim (both outside and inside) of the bottle. I actually suffered some severe stomach upset once when only using the SteriPen and I felt like I was rolling the dice due to the issue with contaminated water being around the rim. And with a filter such as the PUR Hiker, there are a LOT of pieces. To avoid cross-contamination you do need to keep the dirty water pieces and clean water pieces separate just a bunch of irritation.

2. I have not "found" a way to cross-contaminate unless you stick the mouth piece end into contaminated water that is an really stupid move though.

3. I really like that the LifeStraw is so simple, compact, and light weight. It is really just 3 parts 2 end caps and the straw.

4. I feel safer with this as a "system" due to the simplicity. I would not hesitate drinking water through this without additional sterilization. I like the bend over and drink protocal.

Additional thoughts:

Chemical treatment could replace the UV sterilization but I have found it to be a real hassle with wait times that vary with temperature and then, of course, you always have to fliter if there is a lot of sediment.

I also will fill a 2L to 4L water bag (which is a PUR Camp filter) if I am expecting to have a long distance between water sources or if I am going to set up camp for the night. Then I can drink as required.

And finally, everyone should understand that this is really not appropriate for filtering water to use for cooking.

Good luck on your purchase and I hope this review is helpful.

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When I was putting together 72-hour bags for our family, I had all the bases covered except for drinking water. I researched for a long time before deciding to get these LifeStraws, but we are very happy with them. They are light-weight (only 2 ounces), made of durable food safe plastic, they filter up to 260 gallons of water, and they allow everyone to have their own source of safe drinking water. They''ve also been proven effective in preventing water-borne diseases in developing countries for years (nearly a million Lifestraws have been distributed in Kenya). They filter out dangerous pathogens like e-coli, giardia, salmonella and cryptosporidium, and make water from any source safe to drink. They are perfect for survival situations, foreign travel, or even just one-day hiking trips. Time Magazine gave Lifestraw the "Best Invention of the Year" award in 2005.

I bought ours directly EarthEasy.com and not on Amazon, and we''ve used them several times. They can be used to drink directly from any body of water, but to protect the filter from getting clogged, it''s best to pour dirty water through a T-shirt to remove dirt and debris before using the filter.

I like knowing our family won''t have to worry about safe drinking water if we''re faced with an emergency.

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