bigdogpepperoni t1_itl0ddj wrote on October 24, 2022 at 12:56 PM

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

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

Ok-Butterscotch-6829 t1_itl52xv wrote on October 24, 2022 at 1:34 PM

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

bigdogpepperoni t1_itla7t2 wrote on October 24, 2022 at 2:12 PM

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.

Ok-Butterscotch-6829 t1_itlcdcp wrote on October 24, 2022 at 2:28 PM

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?

bigdogpepperoni t1_itlekxm wrote on October 24, 2022 at 2:43 PM

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

parsifal t1_itl5yh3 wrote on October 24, 2022 at 1:41 PM

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.

Ok-Butterscotch-6829 t1_itlc4jk wrote on October 24, 2022 at 2:26 PM

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?

parsifal t1_itlcsj2 wrote on October 24, 2022 at 2:31 PM

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.