Posted on 10/05/2012 8:10:40 AM PDT by dangus
I recently came across (via a Facebook post) an article about Lifestraw, a device for making biologically contaminated water safe to drink. The marketing and publicity around this product seems exclusively geared towards the third world, as a way of preventing diarrhea-causing infections, which are the world's #1 cause of death.
One Lifestraw can supposedly filter enough water for one person for one year, before the filtering capacity diminishes. Such filtration removes bacteria, viruses, protists, and just about any other form of biological contamination. Presumably, it cannot remove salt, chemical pollution, or other substances which are truly soluble, since filters can only remove suspensions, not dissolved substances.
Despite its limitations, it seemed to me to be a useful tool for surviving many types of catastrophic infrastructure failures, so I was very surprised that its marketing omits any such references. Are there any Preppers, Survivalists, SHTF types, or simply anyone interested in observing such people, who might have an opinion on the usefulness of Lifestraw?
I knew about heavy metals, parasites and chemicals in water, but now i have to worry about “gribblies” too? I didnt even know gribblies knew how to swim!!
Thanks for the reminder, time to get a Berkey!
Aha, apparently the small, individual lifestraws do not remove viruses, but the larger LifeStraw Family does.
Some may want to give their opinion. Mine is in Post #18
the combo would be bulky, require batteries and have a breakable bulb. that’s why. they’d wind up with so many customer complaints from normal use. if bulb dies or is on its way out, how’d you know if water was safe enough? diferent water has diff levels ofcstuf to kill, how do you know it’s been on long enough?
Bulb: LED.
Power: generator attached to pump handle.
Exposure time: simple statistics of microorganism survival time vs. UV exposure.
No different from problems solved by current filters & purifiers; just a matter of repackaging into a minimal unit.
Gribblies are sneaky that way.
An RO filter can.
bulkiness and weight would still be an issue. not saying it cant be done just saying if too bulky/heavy less folks would buy it.
I like it. I wrote a review here, http://thesurvivalmom.com/2012/09/20/life-straw-a-portable-affordable-water-filter/
I actually had my daughter go outside and put some backyard mud in a drinking glass. We filled it with water, and I used the Life Straw to drink. Tasted perfectly fine.
So do you risk popping a vein as you try to suck water through the straw, like trying to drink a thick milkshake through a straw?
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