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parsifal t1_itkywfg wrote

Reply to comment by AULock1 in A train passenger saw a woman waving for help. It was a hiker who'd been missing. by guanaco55

I noticed you said water purification tabs. Any reason we (me personally) shouldn’t trust the lifestraw we have?

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YourStateOfficer t1_itl4htd wrote

Yeah, life straws are awesome. They filter out most things you care about, but it won't kill viruses, and no desalination. It's just not as versatile as good purification tabs. I'm not hiker, just someone that did 3 years of water purification projects in school. Personally I'd recommend carrying both, they don't take much space and I don't think anybody will ever say "damn I have too much clean water".

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TSEAS t1_itl12wp wrote

It is usually just a weight and space savings thing. Tabs weigh practically nothing and you can keep them in your medkit without taking up much space. Life straws are a bit heavier and bulkier. The key is to make sure you have emergency backup for getting potable water.

My emergency kit has the normal stuff like bandages, pills, and ointments, but I also always keep a small gear repair kit, mini BIC, WP matches, and water treatment tabs in there at all times too. I plan to never use them unless shit really hits the fan.

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parsifal t1_itl68w7 wrote

Of course! Makes perfect sense. The tablets must take up no room at all.

Have you ever seen those USB arc lighters? That’s what I have.

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TSEAS t1_itlan79 wrote

I have, but I just stick to the mini BIC and WP matches for emergency fire since they are lighter, very reliable, and don't use batteries. I try to avoid batteries when possible, and the only emergency thing I have that is battery operated is my PLB (ACR ResQlink) which never needs to be plugged in.

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bigdogpepperoni t1_itl0ddj wrote

Because lifestraws are the McDonald’s of water filters. Sawyer squeeze, Katadyn, MSR, these are reputable brands that make excellent water filters.

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Ok-Butterscotch-6829 t1_itl52xv wrote

So the 99.9% filtration of bacteria LifeStraw claims is a lie? (Not saying you’re wrong I’m genuinely curious)

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bigdogpepperoni t1_itla7t2 wrote

Lifestraws will work a few times and then get clogged up, especially when drinking from a not pristine water source. The flow rate is also horrible which makes it basically useless in any kind of survival/emergency situation. You’ll get a few sips of water, but you won’t be able to filter larger amounts needed for cooking or hiking between water sources.

It works, but only as much as it needs to, and doesn’t stand out in any way other than being the worst option with the best marketing.

I’ve been using the sawyer squeeze for years, it’s super versatile (can be a gravity filter, in-line filter, or thrown on top of a water bottle), it’s easy to clean (back flush) so that you maintain a good flow rate, it’s reliable, and best of all it’s not crazy expensive. I’ve probably put 300+ miles on it with 1000’s of gallons filtered through it.

Katadyn and MSR make similarly versatile filters, I’m just a sawyer squeeze guy.

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Ok-Butterscotch-6829 t1_itlcdcp wrote

Thanks for the comment. So in summary it sounds like the LifeStraw works but isn’t as efficient as you’d like in an actual survival situation?

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bigdogpepperoni t1_itlekxm wrote

Again, it’s the absolute bare minimum, if you were actually thirsty you’d be disappointed.

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parsifal t1_itl5yh3 wrote

Yeah, I mean, we got one as a gift and I’m thankful to have it in our car and with us on hikes just in case. We’re never going to be very far from civilization, but safe drinking water becomes important so quickly that I feel pretty reassured having it. If it’s no good, I guess we’ll reevaluate.

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Ok-Butterscotch-6829 t1_itlc4jk wrote

It’s just a random redditors comment I wouldn’t take it too seriously. Although I’ll probably do a bit of research to see its effectiveness. But I’m pretty sure you can’t legally make a claim that it stops 99.9% of bacteria without it being true. If it was false then their operation would probably get shut down right?

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parsifal t1_itlcsj2 wrote

Yeah their whole reputation is that it makes water safe, and I’m guessing they have to jump extra hurdles to be able to say that legally.

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DukeLongholes t1_itlehcn wrote

Tabs are really small and cheap. I have some in every backpack (backcountry or otherwise) I own just in case

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AULock1 t1_itl2k9a wrote

Life straw is great, I just don’t have one personally. Nothing against the thing.

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