Today I’m going to review the LifeStraw which is a very compact and convenient water filter at a very affordable price.
I bring this water filter on all of my hiking, kayaking, and camping adventures. Even if you’re like me and bring your own water on your trips, the LifeStraw is an excellent backup.
But is it really safe to drink out of a river or lake with this? And how does it even work?
Water Filtration Performance
Right off the bat, they claim this filter removes 99.999% of all parasites such as cryptosporidium and Giardia (which sounds horrifying), 99.999999% of all waterborne bacteria which includes salmonella and E.coli, and 99.999% of dirt, sand (which tastes gross) and removes 99.999% of microplastics.
Another way of putting it, most bacteria are anywhere between 5-10 microns long and 0.2-1 microns wide. This filters down to 0.2 microns which is extremely impressive.
Now, these claims didn’t come from a random guy making stuff up to make money but are verified with laboratories using the testing protocols set by ASTM, NSF, and US EPA for water purification.
How Does The LifeStraw Filter Water?
So how exactly does it filter just about anything down to 0.2 microns? Inside the LifeStraw are a bunch of hollow fibers. When you drink out of a river or lake, the water travels into the hollow fiber membrane and filters through microscopic pores at 0.2 microns. Anything above 0.2 microns is trapped within the microscopic straws leaving safe water to drink.
What Does The LifeStraw Filter?
The microscopic straws blocks dirt, parasites, turbidity, bacteria, and microplastics.
Portability
Considering it’s incredibly lightweight at 0.1 pound, compact size of 8.6 inches long, and roughly an inch and a quarter wide, you can fit it just about anywhere. That’s if you don’t want to carry it around your neck. For example, with this channel’s hiking trips, I put it in a small compartment in my backpack. On our kayak and paddle board adventures, it fits snug in my camel pack’s pocket. As I said, I use this as a plan b once I run out of water since me and the dudes are always on the go.
How To Use The LifeStraw
When I first tried using the LifeStraw, I didn’t think it was working. However, you have to suck the straw about two times until you can start drinking the water.
- Open both sockets
- Put the bottom end in the water
- After a few times sipping the straw, you’ll be able to start drinking the water
- Once finished, blow out the straw to remove some of the unwanted debris within the LifeStraw
Overall | Hiking Water Filter
Whether you want a water filter as your primary or secondary source of water on an adventure, the LifeStraw is a very convenient, reliable, and affordable option. I highly recommend it!
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