Lifestraw

[renovatio]

Anyone used one of these? Never seen one at this price point before, looks like a winner.

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[nemo]

Seen those in stores. Looks like a good temporary solution.

[ChopperDoc]

I have several and have used them. I drank from streams and had no ill effects. Of course that could have just meant that there was nothing in the stream to begin with.

Features & Benefits

Filters up to 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of water
Removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (>LOG 6 reduction)
Removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction)
Reduces turbidity, filtering down to 0.2 microns
Ultralight: weighs only 2oz!
Contains no chemicals (and is BPA-free), uses no batteries, has no moving parts
Very high flow rate
Easy to clean
Very durable
Used worldwide in harsh conditions since 2005
Award winning & internationally recognized

LifeStraw filters down to an incredible, 0.2 microns in size! This removes virtually all the bacteria (99.9999%) and protozoa (99.9%) from contaminated water, and reduces turbidity (muddiness) by filtering out suspended particles.
Bacteria removed include:

Escherichia coli,
Campylobacter,
Vibrio cholerae,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Shigella
Salmonella

Protozoa removed include:

Giardia lamblia ("Beaver Fever")
Cryptosporidium Parvum
Entamoeba histolytica.

Please note: The LifeStraw currently does not filter heavy metals or viruses, and will not desalinate water.


Specifications:
Length: 9 inches
Width: 1 inch
Weight: 2 ounces
Construction: durable plastic. Does not require replacement parts or batteries, or any chemicals.
Capacity: filters up to 264 gallons (1000 liters) of water.
Shelf Life: 5 years when stored at room temperature. (Product package may state shelf life of 3 years, but this will be corrected on newer packaging. The actual shelf life is 5 years.)
Included: Comes with a lanyard, and a cap for the mouth piece and end piece

[JustShootIt]

How do you know when these "run out"

[ChopperDoc]

Here is where I bought mine (cheaper than Amazon or about the same if you have free shipping from Amazon)

http://eartheasy.com/lifestraw?gclid=CJ ... MgodfzoA5w

and here is the review i read.

http://billhowardoutdoors.blogspot.com/ ... ation.html


I have used mine about 6 or 7 times. It does not appear that you can replace the filters and I have never seen any for sale. If I have to use this thing on a regular basis for survival i will mark it somehow to keep track of how many uses so far.

it is supposed to be good up to a minimum of 250 gallons of water and a minimum of 3 year shelf life.

[renovatio]

Thanks CD- I was hoping someone who had actually used one could chime in. I'll go ahead and try it out.

[ChopperDoc]

Anytime.

The guy in the review is right about it being difficult to use until the filters get good and wet.

I though mine must be clogged up or something when i tried to use it. Was worse than trying to drink a thick milkshake through a flimsy straw.

Great backpacking and prepper item though.

but if you have the time and the water available boiling will still be best since it kills any viruses too. I guess to only way to get any metals out would be distillation.

[RWillieK]

Be careful with these - they don't strain out viruses, which can be just as deadly as the bacteria they do filter out....thats where the small tablets help, or a small amount of bleach and little bit of time.