We tested it and would like to share our thoughts in our LifeStraw Review post. People, who search for water treatment options for a potential survival situation, come across a water filter called LifeStraw. This relatively new technology is something that allows you to drink dirty water?
Here is the best seller LifeStraw that we found for you:
LifeStraw Review: How does it Work?
- Open the flap on the bottom
- Stick it in your container of water, or straight from a pond or stream.
- Suck through it like a straw.
The straw works with microfiltration method and filters the pollutants inside while you absorb the water. It purifies your water via a filter which has very small pores (less than 0.2 microns). Water passes through these pores. Absolutely, no chemical substance plays a role in the filtration process, it is a mechanical filtration. It contains no parts that need to be replaced or no perishable chemicals. Therefore, LifeStraw can last for a very long time. It does not require batteries and has no moving parts
What can LifeStraw Filter?
LifeStraw filters 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria including E. coli and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites, including Giardia & Cryptosporidium. It also reduces cloudy water and filters everything in water down to 0.2 microns.
Basically, it is free of chemicals, salt, heavy metals and viruses. LifeStraw’s new model can filter 4000 liters (1000 gallon) of water during its lifetime. It stops working when its service life is over. So you don’t have to worry about drinking dirty water. When the filter has completed its life, it does not allow water to pass through it.
LifeStraw Cannot Filter Followings:
For those who need a short answer, it cannot filter:
- Contaminants smaller than 0.2 microns dissolved in water.
- Chemicals such as arsenic.
- Salt water – so you can’t drink seawater.
- Chlorinated swimming pool water.
- Heavy metals.
- Viruses (Some of them Can, such as LifeStraw Mission)
- And it should not be used in chemical contaminated areas.
Let’s take look at other practical uses for LifeStraw.
How Long will my LifeStraw Last?
The company states that it was tested in a 4-year test period and it works up to 4000 liters (1000 gallons).
If you use it every day, it will last for almost four years. For outdoor activities, It will last longer.
Obviously, the life of the filter will depend on how much dirty water you use to filter. When it reaches the end of its life, it does not allow you to draw water from it. To prolong the life of our LifeStraw, it must be kept below 110 degrees Fahrenheit or 43 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the straw should not be frozen as this could damage the inner filter.
The filter material is hollow fiber membrane, same technology as kidney dialysis machines. You can blow a breath of air back into the straw to flush out all the contaminants after every use. This will help extend the filter reach maximum capacity.
Can I Drink My Own Urine?
And the surprising answer is YES! Salt and urea, along with various other substances your body is trying to eliminate, will remain in the filtered urine. Thus, it will still taste like pee (whatever that tastes like). In a desperate survival situation, many people have resorted to drinking their urine. That is ok up to a point. As your dehydration increases, your urine will become increasingly concentrated (dark and even viscous). It’s best to drink urine early in your survival situation since it will be less concentrated and so less toxic. That way you are conserving what water you do have longer. Of course, most people will completely exhaust their water supply before they resort to drinking urine. However, drinking highly concentrated urine is probably worse than not drinking it at all. Also, urine is actually sterile inside your bladder but not as it flows through your urethra.
Bottom-Line for LifeStraw Review
- A problem often reported by new users: Drawing water from the straw can be difficult. This is a known problem. Itcan be easily resolved by soaking the straw in clean water for a while before using.
- If water stops flowing during drinking, the filter is probably clogged. You can simply blow back the water to clear it.
- After you drink water, use this blowback method again to expel excess water from the filter.
- Additionally shake the filter to expel the leftovers.
- To prolong its lifespan, rinse it with clean water and allow to dry completely before storing or reusing.
- Remember that LifeStraw will not desalinate the water, so don’t try to drink seawater or salt water!
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