Review: LifeStraw®

The award-winning  LifeStraw® is an innovative, portable water filter device that allows you to drink water safely from a contaminated source.  First introduced in 2005, the LifeStraw® has won many awards for its revolutionary design and use in disaster situations and third world sanitary conditions.  The LifeStraw® has been used around the world under extreme conditions for humanitarian relief since its birth in 2005, and has been made available in the United States just recently.  

Created by Danish innovator Torben Vestergaard Frandsen, the straw is made of plastic with multiple filtering layers inside.  A Time Magazine Invention of the Year winner, the LifeStraw® contains no chemicals, no batteries and no moving parts to wear out.  It features a high flow rate and weighs only 2 ounces.  The  LifeStraw® removes virtually all the bacteria and protozoa from contaminated water, and reduces turbidity.  It does not filter chemicals, salt, viruses, heavy metals or taste.  

The cost of the LifeStraw® is less than $20.00 and the shelf life is 3 -5 five years.  Save money by buying in bulk.

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What LifeStraw removes/filters:

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.


 

My Experience

This is such an amazing product because it purifies the water as you drink it.  Essential to any survival kit and a must-have in every household, the LifeStraw®  could easily save your life in an emergency situation.  The LifeStraw® is the most advanced personal water filter available today and there is nothing else like it on the market.  It surpasses EPA guidelines for E. coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium oocysts, which makes me feel even safer using it.  The LifeStraw® filters 264 gallons.  That is a lot of water, roughly enough for a year's supply for one person. 

Excited to try this innovative, life-saving personal water filter I quickly packed it up for a camping and fishing weekend get-away.  This straw is so great because it is designed to use as a straw from any body of water, such as a river, lake or puddle ... purifying the water as you drink it.

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The LifeStraw® arrived sealed in a very thick plastic bag.  I had to use a knife to open it.  The contents include the LifeStraw® with a cord, so that you can wear it around your neck and an instruction pamphlet in several languages.

I was a little nervous about using the straw.  Mainly because I have never drank water straight out of the river before, or a puddle and the idea of it sent me into a laughing frenzy.  The truth of the situation, however is quite serious and as the nervousness and giggles passed, in it's place came a sense of empowerment, safety and love ... yes, love.  This small device has changed the world and the idea of this warmed my heart.  I felt great pride to have the opportunity to use something that has literally saved countless lives and so ... as directed ... I put my straw into the river and ... 
 
It takes roughly three to five seconds of sucking, quite powerfully really to start the flow of water through the filter.  Once you get the initial mouthful of water it comes out much easier.  I felt like one of the wild life, drinking directly from the river while watching a deer drinking from it on the other side.  It was a profound and spiritual experience for me.  One that I will never forget.  The water tasted a little strange to me, although I am used to callahan water rather than wild river water.  The LifeStraw® does not filter the taste, but honestly that is not as important as having safe, drinkable water.  It did not taste horrible, just different.  When I was done drinking, I blew into the LifeStraw®, as directed, to expel any water, particulate matter, or contaminants out the lower end of the Straw.  Then when I was in the bathroom I rinsed it in the sink and set it out to dry as the directions said to do.

I recommend purchasing several of these in case of an emergency and always taking one during a camping, fishing, hunting or backpacking trip.  The LifeStraw® makes a great addition to any preparedness plan and a great gift.

For more information or to order, please visit Camping Survival. 
 
Pros

• Small, lightweight
• Wearable around the neck
• Removes virtually all the bacteria (99.9999%) and protozoa (99.9%) from contaminated water
• Reduces muddiness in water by filtering out suspended particles
• 3-5 year shelf life
• Nothing else like it that works as well
• Inexpensive 
• Live saving
• Requires no addition pieces, parts, batteries etc.  

Cons 

• Does not remove viruses
• Does not filter chemicals
• Does not remove salt
• Does not remove heavy metals