On sale for $49.95 with free shipping as of 2/14/2014

I'm sure I've mentioned this product here before, but it's on sale again, cheaper than I've seen it on sale before. I've had two of the individual sized LifeStraws for a couple of years now, but this price prompted me to buy the larger version too.

LifeStraw Family (large volume water purification - bacteria, protozoa, virus):

http://eartheasy.com/gifts/camping-and-o..._eid=dc9fed8cc9

thx for the tip. bought one, along with the individual lifestraw.

Not a life straw, but I bought a 30 gallon Frontier Filter for a belt PSK. Someone told one of the survival guys I follow that it's very ineffective and that I should use the Aqua Mira tabs in conjunction with it. This seems to have been a waste of money if I have to use tabs. And there's no indicator for when the filter has reached the 30 gallon mark. Any thoughts or suggestions on this?

Y'all should really check out the Sawyer filter system.

http://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-mini-filter/

I've been buying these for $20 a piece. They are lightweight and take up as little space as the lifestraw, but look at how much water they will process, and their filter level is superior to the lifestraw.

For the money, this is a much better deal.

You can use it just like the lifestraw, or you can screw it onto the collapsible bag, or even onto a soda bottle.

These units are the bomb.

Watch their video Here:

http://sawyer.com/videos/sawyer-mini-water-filter/

This may be the best item I've ever recommended for survival.

That Sawyer filter looks interesting. Comparing it's specs to the LifeStraw Family specs, things don't make sense to me.

For one, how can a 0.1 micron filter (the Sawyer) claim to filter MORE bacteria and protozoa than a 0.02 micron filter (the LifeStraw Family)? It's pore size is 5 times larger. I could maybe understand that claim if the 0.1 micron filter was much larger, thus having a greater total filter area that water has to pass through, although even then the claim would be suspect. But the Sawyer is just the opposite - it's much smaller than the LifeStraw Family. Maybe it takes so long for the water to get through the filter that the pathogens die of old age and are thus rendered harmless.

My hunch is either the LifeStraw or the Sawyer is good, not great, but fine for emergency use. But both of their claims have to be taken with a grain of salt. Especially the amount of water they will filter. At its claimed 100,000 gallons, that little 4 inch Sawyer could supply an entire town for a multi-month emergency.

For backpacking use, or keep-in-the-car survival kit use, I'd go for the Sawyer, hands down, due to it's size and incredibly cheap price. For home use or bug-out (with a vehicle) use, I think the LifeStraw Family would get my vote. I would like to see some independant reviews of these filters from a qualified lab. I did a little searching on Google for this, but only found non-formal testing done by bloggers and outdoor writers, not scientists with the proper training and equipment.

the Sawyer specifications for amount of water filtered requires periodic back flushing with clean water, with the syringe supplied...the specs on the LifeStraw off an Amazon ad claim .2 micron not .02 micron, but possibly a typo...pic of a Sawyer Mini with syringe

The more I look at that Sawyer, the more it intrigues me. How much water can you get through it before you have to backflush?

The LifeStraw Personal is a 0.2 micron filter, and claims to filter 264 gallons of water. The Sawyer is a 0.1 micron filter and claims to filter 100,000 gallons. That's 400x what the Personal claims, and the Sawyer has a smaller pore size. That claim is a little hard to believe, but maybe true. I guess if you backwash if many many many times...

The Sawyer is much smaller than the Personal. The Personal and the Sawyer do not do viruses. They cost the same.

The LifeStraw Family (the one I was talking about in the initial post in this thread) is a 0.02 micron filter and claims to filter 18,000 liters of water. The Family does do viruses.

The Personal would be a competitor for the Sawyer, the Family is really a different class of filter.

How can they claim? Because they have lab reports just like the other guys to make claims?

I assume it has to do with the micron rating.













So , always compare the percentages/log reductions, because that is what the lab tests proved.
Absolute micron is better than other microns, this explains the difference in lab tests.
Lifestraw does not advertise absolute micron (which means not-absolute), and the test results reflect this (they report different percentages)

See also Re: Emergency water (gallons, EPA LT2 ESWTR )


I assume the difference in gallons is the quality of the backflushing device. LifeStraw seems to use squeeze bulb, where as Sawyer provides a syringe; A syringe should produce significantly more pressure.

Thinking about it, this could explain the difference in the bacterial counts -- if one filter gets backflushed cleaner than the other -- the other filter will be scummier

For USA/Europe i would definitely go with sawyermini -- $25 at REI brick and mortar store

If worried about viruses, say you're filtering hospital sewage, then household bleach after filtering to kill the viruses -- only 13 minutes needed to inactivate viruses see below

Interesting thread, but it just makes me want to boil (the water, that is).....

+1 on this. The thing that the Sawyer filter has going for it is a tremendously large user base. The Sawyer filter, then later the mini version, is the go-to water treatment method for the ultralight hiking crowd. This has yielded a huge amount of user experience feedback, which the Lifestraw simply doesn't have.

I used the original Sawyer filter for a couple years with no problems then moved to the Mini just for space considerations. Excellent gear. As with any filter, the dirtier the raw water is the more up-front processing you need to do before filtering.

The Sawyer filters work so well that it is easy to integrate them into an on-demand system for drinking on the go, then in camp you can easily convert them to mass-production gravity systems. Extremely versatile.

I missed the 0.02 micron filtration in the bulb and bucket lifestraw system. The post by EMP certainly makes sense. Here's what really trips me over; I blew $350 on a Micro ceramic filter a year ago, and now I am thinking I am going to have to get rid of it and buy some more Sawyers.

I also bought one of the bigger Sawyer filters, it claims 1,000,000 gallon life. I could set up my own water processing plant with one of those.

Although I've got a handful of LifeStraws (Personal and Family) now, I'll probably be buying one of those Sawyers on my next trip to REI. They're so cheap for what they can do, why not? Backwash? Smackwash! I'll have so many of these things laying around in my collection that I'll just grab a new filter when one clogs. I'm an admitted flash-a-holic, with more flashlights laying around than I know what to do with. Is there such a thing as a filt-a-holic? It's not like I really ever, ahem, use the things. I'm just well prepared for any drinking disasters I might run into.

I recent read that if you let the Sawyer freeze that it destroys it. I can't attest to this however. I'm highly doubtful of ANY filter that claims more than a few thousand gallons. We bought a countertop filter guaranteed for hundreds of thousands of gallons and within two months the water tasted and smelled bad. We returned it and the next one did the same thing in less than 45 days, plus it had a greyish tint. And that was using tap water. Maybe the industrial and group models like the Katadyn, but I personally would keep extra filters and parts on hand. Just one .mans humble opinion

i'm lucky in that the only "wild" water i need to filter is the stuff i canoe around on in Northern Minnesota and i only filter if i can see crud in the lake,i often drink right out of the lakes.
so not having any problems i just have that katadyn hiker and rinse the filter after each two week trip.
ok so thats where i'm at on the subject.what i wanted to say is that i have seen the water filter issue come a long way since the 80's when i started with a Coghlans filter that was good to 2 microns,,thats 2 and not .2.
like flashlights using LED's filters have come a long way and i think it would be hard to get one that does not do the job.gravity filters seem to be the next big thing.the issue being price and ease of use.if the water you have to deal with is so nasty i would use bleach after running it thru a filter.
freezing and filters? i would think any filter that froze would be damaged in some way.
as we are on the subject of filters does anyone have any feed back to offer on that small one from China i see on Ebay for just under $30.OD in color and a ceramic cartridge.
Story,a true one..in the Outback a group of sheep ranchers needed water bad but the only water hole they found had a dead kangaroo in it,the horses would not even drink it.
they boiled the water in washtubs over and over with ash's from the fire in the boiling water.let cool it was safe to drink but still had that "dead roo" taste..

I'm wondering about that filter myself canoedogs, need to buy one for our scouts to demonstrate using for their wilderness survival merit badge, debating between something cheap like that for now, or investing another 30 bucks to get a katadyn to last DS for a while down the road.

CANEDOGS, Mark,

If you are going to spend any money, my recommendation is to get the Sawyer Mini. I have all sorts of filters and other water treatment systems. The new technology of the Sawyer has made them less used. My primary systems are now the mini (where virus is not a problem) and the .02 Purifier for camp use and where virus is a problem. I have a decades old Katadyn that still works well, does the same thing as the mini, but it weighs many times what the Sawyer does. It also is harder to clean and wears the ceramic filter each time you clean it. My steri pen is great, but is heavier and uses batteries. Etc.

Freezing any filter destroy's it. The Sawyer is not alone in this problem. In fact, it might be easier to clear the water out of the Sawyer (use the syringe).

Deathwind, there is no reason the Sawyer cannot remain viable for 100's of thousands of gallons. Unlike ceramic filters that loose media with every cleaning, the hollow filters of the Sawyer do not wear and the ability to apply high pressure should clean out most if not all of the contaminents.

No association with Sawyer other than as a buyer, just a frequent user of water purification.

Sincerely,

Jerry

The Sawyer was mentioned in that so I don't know aboy what others are like if frozen Canoedogs.

I admittedly have limited experience with filters. I have used them but mainly I filter. them boil then use tablets just to be safe. Thanks for that information Jerry. I may look into the filter again..

If I put the Sawyer Mini in my car, unopened and in the box, will freezing (and thawing, and freezing, and baking...) destroy it? Or is it only destroyed if frozen with water inside?

chaosmagnet,

It is only with water inside that freezing causes problems for a filter. When dry there is no problem. With ceramic filters it cracks the filter element. My Katadyn has frozen many times, when dry, but not damaged. I suspect, the way the Sawyer is designed, that freezing would enlarge the openings in the hollow fibers.

deathwind,

In the US (unless you are downstream from human habitation) any one of the three will work just fine. Boiling works every time for bacteria, cysts and virus. Filtering works for bacteria and cysts (virus are a limited problem in the US). There are "filters" that work on virus (the Sawyer .02 series as an example). They are called purifyers. Tablets work for bacteria and virus, but only a few work on cysts and that requires time (hours in most cases).

Respectfully,

Jerry

The Sawyer Mini looks like a great product, I think I might have to pick one up . I had my eye on the Sawyer Squeeze product at the end of last year but didn't end up getting one, so this smaller, cheaper one looks even better (I just wish MEC stocked them so I didn't have to go online).

I use a SteriPen for water purification right now, but I've decided I want to pair it with a filter to get better quality water when not pulling the water from a pristine stream.

Just ran across this tidbit lookingat a survey of Pacific Crest Trail hikers - the last comment is fitting for this thread and its discussion of the Sawyer filter:

Go lighter.
More expensive doesn’t mean better.
Get a good down sleeping bag.
Good gear is worth the investment.
You will get sick of your Sawyer Squeeze.

I have no experience with the Sawyer line(Iam a "boil it"guy myself - the other comments make good sense too....

These were people who were hiking for months on end,not just using their gear intermittently.

At least they said "you will get sick of...", not "you will get sick with..."

I assume they're probably talking about the frequent backflushing that is assumedly required to get it to filter the amount of water it says it will.

Yes, if I am hiking for long periods I would opt for a gravity fed system if I am using a filter as my primary water purification method. The squeeze is a good emergency system, but larger than the mini.

Jerry

Thanks for the information.
Any insight on my Frontier filter?

Deathwind,

I have never used the Frontier, but they do not meet the EPA standards for bacterial removal and don't even make the testing they discuss available on their web site. In most US sites, cysts and bacteria are the two most important problems. Although they remove cysts, the hardest to treat with chemicals, they don't show their removal of bacteria (easier to treat with chem methods). Since the straw does not allow for chemical treatment, I would be reluctant to use it in any but the most pristine environments. Since it uses activated charcoal as part of its removal process, it also has a shelf life of a few years. Check that the unit is in good shape, several reviews have indicated damaged units taken from the package. I would keep it for an emergency kit until it expires.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Thanks Jerry
I have it in the belt kit I'm working on. It came from the package in pristine condition, But had a stiff straw instead of a flexabile one. What I found amusing was they show people drinking directly from stream with the unit, but on the package they suggest using a cup., As if a cup will make up for it's short comings.