Life straw

[rebel]

I saw this advertised on WSF and it looks pretty good. http://eartheasy.com/lifestraw/?utm_source=adroll&utm_campaign=retargeting Does anyone here have a pro or con about this product?

[jake abraham]

I don't have any experance either ,but I would like to know more

[crashdive123]

They've been around for quite some time, but every time I read something about them, they were not available for retail sale. They were only available to send to parts of the world where fresh drinking water was an issue - mostly third world countries from what I could gather. I was pleased to see the ads showing that they are now available for retail sales. I still need to look a bit more at the technical data and want to see if I can verify their claim that each straw filters 1000 liters.

[rebel]

Another Grylls. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unr565H9r4o&feature=related

[Rick]

Just because I CAN drink from poop water doesn't mean I should. I can whack my finger with a hammer, too, but I don't really want to.

[crashdive123]

In other news....a local high school science teacher was stricken with a strange illness. She succumbed to the illness after 24 hours. Local officials have called in the CDC to investigate. The Ebola virus is suspected in her death which have sparked panic and rioting among locals. A run on the Piggly Wiggly Supermarket has cleared the shelves of all food. One teen was overheard saying that it was probably the poo. Authorities are holding him for questioning. The entire town anxiously awaits autopsy results.

[Rick]

They fingered Winnie the Poo? Oh, the humanity!!!!!!

[crashdive123]

I didn't know Winnie's last name. Who would have thunk it?

[canid]

i envision a lot of strained muscles and broken capilaries trying to suck significant amounts of water through a filter like that by mouth.

[Rick]

I knew this girl that....never mind. It's not important.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Rebel, I have been following the use and unavailability for some time. I think I'll pull the plug and buy one. I'd like to hear any reasons why not to first. Anyone have a valid reason why not try it?

[Winter]

Looks handy for a BOB or something. For hiking and camping I wouldn't want to suck mouthfuls of water and spit them into my coffee cup 20 times for a cuppa coffee.

[Rick]

The idea behind them was to provide 3rd world countries with an inexpensive source of potable water where there was none. They seem to have done very well in that regard so I don't know how you can go wrong applying that same situation locally. If you need water and you don't have it then it's a tool to deliver that. You know what we say around here. Better to have it and not need it than to ... blah, blah, blah.

[finallyME]

I can do the same thing with the Sawyer squeeze.
http://www.sawyer.com/SP131.htm

I have used the Sawyer squeeze and it works pretty good. It is 1 oz heavier than the life straw. I couldn't find the pore size of the life straw, but the sawyer has a .1 micron filter. It also can be backflushed, and I don't think it has a maximum life span.

[Rick]

If you're drinking poo water I think the very last thing you need is a back flush. Just sayin'.

[crashdive123]

I've got (and have used) the Sawyer squeeze bottles as well, they work fine.

FM - pore size on the Life Straw is .2microns.

[finallyME]

I've got (and have used) the Sawyer squeeze bottles as well, they work fine.

FM - pore size on the Life Straw is .2microns.

Well then, that makes the decision for me even easier. .2 microns is pretty big in the filter industry. There are a lot of filters that do .1 microns pretty easily. But, a .1 micron filter that I can drink straight from, weighs 3 oz, can be backflushed, and lasts much more than 1000 liters, sounds good to me. Plus I can use it to fill my bottles.

Rick, you want to be able to backflush when all the pores are clogged with pooh. That feature is what adds life to the filter.

[Rick]

Yeah but it doesn't do much good for you olfactory senses.

[finallyME]

It is better than drinking your own pee.

[Rick]

And twice as good, as I guess, as drinking someone else's.