YES, they work incredibly well! I’ve used earlier filters over the years and they work great. My true story about why all of us should have a Water Filtration Straw:
Years ago, a group of us went camping in the Stanislaus National Forest in California during the summer. After setting up camp we decided we would hike around the lake.
We were about halfway around the lake, and it was pretty warm. I was getting really hot and thirsty. The sounds and smell and views of fresh water was getting to me. I needed some NOW.
At the far end of the lake, we dropped below the lake level and needed to cross a stream which was fed from the lake. The cool water felt glorious as we crossed.
I laid down at the stream and splashed water on my face and in my hair and I was in heaven. I closely examined the water flowing past me. It was cold, clear and irresistible.
I asked my fellow hikers if they thought the water was safe to drink, and all agreed it looked ok.
So without further caution I dipped my face under the cool surface and drank my fill as everyone took a break until I was content.
With that accomplished, we continued on our way back up to lake level and began our 2nd half of the hike.
Things were going smoothly, until I started to feel a little sketchy. This is happening only about 10 minutes after getting back on the trail.
Don’t Do PacWest Back Country Without A Filtration Straw
Suddenly my stomach started making all the sounds you don’t want to hear when you’re anywhere outside the comfort and convenience of your own home….and bathroom.
At once it was clear that I needed to scramble for cover and for privacy. Fortunately there were large boulders which I was able to hide behind and take care of you know what.
I could not rip my shorts off fast enough, and you can figure out the rest of the story. Yep, Pretty ugly. And my group were on the trail laughing until they couldn’t breathe,…. They didn’t drink the water.
I finally crawled out from my rocky refuge and everything I had eaten for the last few days was gone.
We finally returned to our camp, and enjoyed the rest of our stay, but I was weakened and extremely cautious with food and drink for the rest of our stay.
If I had a Personal Water Filtration Device on that trip (or any other trip) I would have avoided getting sick from drinking water.
How Does A LifeStraw Work?
LifeStraw technology incorporates mechanical filtration:
When you draw water into your LifeStraw, water is forced through hollow fibers, which contain pores less than 0.2 microns across; it’s a microfiltration device.
Any dirt, bacteria or parasites are trapped in the fibers, while the clean water passes through.
When you’re done drinking, you simply blow air out the straw to clear the filter. You can down a quart of water in eight minutes using the LifeStraw.
More on this microfiltration technology, here.
Best Water Filter For Backpacking
On subsequent backpacking trips we carried water and boiled any additional drinking water.
Since that trip, which I prefer to forget, the technology of drinking water filtration is amazing and very advanced.
This said, I must confess, that I drank from high alpine rivers a couple times thinking I was at a high enough elevation .
I was very fortunate that I did not consume any contaminants which could have caused serious problems when I was much further into the wilderness.
Innovation, Technology and Water Filter Devices
In recent years we’ve been blessed with technological innovation and advances, and my kids and I took advantage of one of the early Water Filtration Devices for wilderness use and emergencies.
We picked up one of these Pump Filter devices and took it backpacking and camping and it worked well. It does take some muscle to work the water through the system, and it’s still in use today.
New Personal Water Filtration Straw That Works
Water Filtration Straws are really amazing. They’re very light and compact, about 1″ diameter and approximately 9″ long. There are several variations of this product available, like the LifeStraw:
- Extremely lightweight – 9 oz
- Meets drinking water standards of US EPA
- Meets FDA standards
- No electronics or batteries required
- No replacement parts required
- No BPA
- No Chemicals
- Removes 99.999% of waterborne bacteria including E.coli and salmonella
- Removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoa including Giardia and Cryptosporidium
- Filters approximately 1000 liters of water for drinking
1,000 liters of water for drinking translates to 2-3 years of clean drinking water per water straw. Incredible return on investment.
Everyday Water Straw Products for Everyone in the Family
LifeStraw offers several filtration products with benefit of safe drinking water for everyone in the family.
- LifeStraw, is your Personal Water Filter for Hiking, Camping, Travel, and Emergency Preparedness. Open the caps at both ends and draw water from the mouthpiece with the opposite end submerged in water source.
- LifeStraw Go, is a refillable bottle with a 2 stage filter plus a carbon capsule, cap and mouthpiece, that has a caribiner clip on the exterior of the bottle.
- LifeStraw Steel, is the same as the original LifeStraw except that its body is steel instead of plastic, and has a replaceable carbon capsule (carbon is good for 100 liters or approx 3 months)
- LifeStraw Mission, includes a 1 gallon or 3 gallon reservoir which is filled with water, and ran through a tube with filtration. Exceeds US EPA requirements. Purifies approx 4700 gallons.
- LifeStraw Play, designed for kids is a refillable 10 oz. bottle with a 2 stage filter that is attached to the inside of the lid/mouthpiece, for childrens’ access to safe drinking water.
- LifeStraw Universal is a 2 stage filter with 2 different sized caps w/mouthpiece for use with your existing water bottles.
- Do Not Let Freeze, as the filter could crack and stop working correctly
- Do Not Use for Sea or Salt Water, Ocean Water or Brackish Water; will not filter salt from water
Water Is The Most Critical Survival Factor
Always remember that clean drinking water is everyone’s most significant requirement for survival…
Whether it’s in a wilderness environment, or in your hometown during a natural disaster, this device could keep you and your loved ones alive and well.
We can survive weeks without food, but only days without clean drinkable water.
As stated by Survival Expert, Creek Stewart, “Realize the importance of water: “I always say: you stake your life on your water source,” and realize that you can survive far longer without food than water.”
His pick: a $20 Lifestraw, which provides drinkable water even when stuck in “the nastiest, muddiest” water.
