Meet the LifeStraw (and other water treatment devices)

Do you know Warren Doyle?  If you don't, you should at least be impressed by his accomplishments. Doyle has hiked the Appalachian Trail a record 16 times (!!!) over the course of last several decades and has 34,000 lifetime miles under his belt. He holds a PhD and even offers classes for potential Appalachian Trail thru-hikers.  Reading up on Doyle, one of the most unique things he does to cut weight (aside from slack-packing much of the way now that he is in the twilight of his life) is that he does not bring any kind of water treatment with him. He simply drinks from water sources he finds along the trail.  Now granted, he exercises an abundance of common sense such trying to get water as close to the original direct source as possible, avoiding visually defunct sources, ensuring he is not downstream from agricultural runoff or animal feeding areas, etc.

Assuming the rest of us aren’t that trusting and treat our water to some degree, we each likely use a variation of chemical treatment, UV light treatment, or filter option.  Throughout the years I tried each of these to varying degrees and elect to bring one over the other depending on the situation and environmental conditions.  At some point I even used a homemade inline water filter with scrap parts from MSR and Sawyer, but found the whole system to be entirely too finicky and cumbersome.

My first treatment option was a PUR pump filter (380g).  From the start I hated it.  It was clunky, expensive, heavy and clogged.  In fact, it has sat in my closet unused for the last 8 years or so after crushing my hand in the pump mechanism following getting the handle wet where personal fatigue and a slip caused the pump to crush down on my fingers.

My second option was a AquaMira Frontier Pro (57g/$25) which screws nicely on top of a small mouth bottle and treats most everything I’d come in contact with.  I’ve found this filter to be quite wonderful for the size, cost and efficiency.  A close relative is the Frontier (18g/$10) which is designed as an emergency filter.  With its small size, it is a packable item that can make it into a travel kit if there is a concern for water issues and may be suitable for the weekend warrior not needing a voluminous water treatment option.

Over the last couple years, treating water with ultraviolet light has become popular.  I used the Steripen Adventurer (66g/$100) for several outings and found that I’d rather leave it at home.  It’s heavier than I’d like, expensive, uses batteries, susceptible to breaking, does poorly in water that is anything but nearly clear, doesn’t do well in treating water when the water vessel is larger than the size recommended for the unit, etc.  I have no problems taking it with me traveling, but for the most part, it sits on a shelf.

For the last several years I’ve primarily used the chemical treatment Katadyn Micropur ($8 for 20).  It is a small, lightweight, and inexpensive tablet.  I use this product with some kind of homemade pre-filter, like a nylon mesh bag and coffee filter, or a 1 micron biodiesel bag.  For me, this option has been wonderful and effective.

A product offering similar performance to the filters above called LifeStraw (www.lifestraw.com) is better known in third world countries and persons planning for emergencies than to backpackers.  Of no surprise after reading the accompanying marketing literature, this product was originally created to help those affected by the Haitian earthquake and floods in Pakistan.  It is also frequently used by Faith-based organizations servicing impoverished countries on behalf of the United Nations and holds numerous awards to include those from CNN, TIME magazine, and others.

So why should you care about LifeStraw?  Well, it is as effective if not more than the filters mentioned above and costs a measly $19.  LifeStraw purifies a minimum of 1,000 liters of water over its lifetime (AquaMira Froniter can only handle 20 gallons) and removes up to 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoan cysts.  It is a good option for those with a tight budget and everyone with an emergency home or car kit.

LifeStraw is a tube capped on both ends with a filter on the inside and otherwise no moving parts.  After uncapping the ends, the user simply dips the bottom portion into the water source and sips from the other end.  I found the flow to be comparable to the Frontier Pro which is the easiest for me to use.  It comes with a helpful lanyard and the caps help avoid dirt and cross contamination. 

In a publication from Vestergaard Frandsen Group S.A., it was noted that he plastic pre-filter located at the bottom of the LifeStraw removes coarse particles larger than 1mm while all particles larger than .2mm were stopped (small enough to stop protozoan parasites and bacteria).  Most backpackers look for filters capable of stopping particles 3 microns and under for it to be effective.  Cleaning it by blowing through it seems to work as well as it does with other options.  A University of Arizona study further stated that LifeStraw performed “well” when challenged with “worst case” water quality as likely in third world countries, a claim that likely these other manufacturers can’t offer.  This study showed that LifeStraw removed 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of Cryptosporidium cysts thereby complying with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements.  In the event that you’ve heard of the LifeStaw previously, worth noting is that it no longer uses carbon or iodine and has meets standards for water filtration of bacteria and protazoa. 

As I mentioned, this is a nice option.  You can purchase yours at Green Beetle Gear (http://www.greenbeetlegear.com/).

For a more expansive understanding of water nasties, check out my earlier post at http://jolly-green-giant.blogspot.com/2009/03/lightweight-water-treatment-options.html some of which is posted below for reference:

1) PROTOZOAN CYSTS – These are hard shelled, single-cell parasites which include Giardia and Lamblia and range in size from 5 to 15 microns. This also includes Cryptosporidium Parvum which is 2 to 5 microns in size. Giardia occurs in the small intestine where cysts hatch and give you diarrhea, gas, nausea, and/or cramps and symptoms appear within 1 to 2 weeks and can last 4-6 weeks or longer. Those with weakened immune systems could be more heavily impacted. Cryptosporidium can give you similar symptoms and can also include loose stool, cramps, slight fever, and an upset stomach. These systems generally appear in 2 to 10 days and typically last 2 weeks. Animals and humans carry Protozoa.

2) BACTERIA – Bacteria are smaller organisms which can include E. Coli, Salmonella, Cholera, and Campylobacter Jejuni. They range from .2 to 10 microns and symptoms include diarrhea with appears within 6 hours or 3 to 5 days and last 4 days or longer. Animals and humans carry Bacteria.

3) VIRUSES – Viruses represent the tiniest of organisms ranging from .004 to .1 microns. They include Hepatitis A, Rotavirus, Norwalk Virus, and even Polio. Although these are the least commonly found pathogens in the wilderness water sources, they represent often the most harmful. If you were wondering, most waterborne viruses which affect humans in the backcountry come from human fecal matter.

4) CHEMICALS AND RUNOFF – As the name implies, another water-nasty includes agricultural runoff (herbicides, pesticides, etc.) and industrial runoff (metals, mine tailings, etc.).

(Disclosure: This product was provided to me free-of-charge for the purposes of this review and is owned by me.  However, any information contained herein is my personal opinion without bias.)