Does anyone have any experience with either the Lifestraw or the Sawyermini, for emergency water? I heard something to the effect that the Lifestraw is more for third world countries but is rather hard to suck water thru.
Lifestraw vs Sawyermini
(9 posts) (8 voices)-
stripbuilder
MemberI had a lifestraw for a while and it was hard to suck water through. For years I used and sport bottle with a ceramic filter for trips on lakes Superior and Michigan. It worked great and I never had to carry any drinking water. I plan to use it again next month cricumnavigating Isle Royale.
Posted 6 years ago # -
That MSR Miox sounds pretty cool. From an Amazon review by real people "If you're looking to save weight, this little guy can't be beat. It imparts a bit of a chlorine taste to the water (depending on how strong you make the solution), but it's a lot better than iodine. MSR includes some chlorine testing strips, which seem like a bit of a hassle, but you can forego them (and shorten battery life) by overtreating the water. Interestingly, this device was developed for the US Military, and has been shown to neutralize a lot of biological agents, including VX nerve gas. I'd give it five stars, but the chlorine test and the recommended test strips affected my rating."
I wonder if it does sea water, and I wonder if the Sawyermini does sea water?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Like Stripbuilder, I use a water bottle filter:
http://www.aquamira.com/consumer/aquamira-water-filter-bottle
...but like him, I paddle almost always on fresh water rivers and lakes in Michigan.
I seriously doubt that any of these types of filters will work on salt water... I did a quick google search and came up with this though:
Posted 6 years ago # -
KonkererOfTheUseless
MemberI did some looking for a practical, economical desalinator a few years back.
The best I found was the SeaPack, but with an output of only 17oz per 5-8 hours AND limited to only 8 uses AND at a cost of about $80.....that comes out to about $80/gallon.
Probably worth it for a blue water sailor to have in a life raft/ditch bag, but not too practical for a coastal expedition.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Sorry, I don't have experience with either of those products. That said, if the water is still fairly clear I prefer a Steripen, that uses UV light. The unit is fast, lightweight and you don't have to pump. Disadvantage is that it uses a battery and is electronic. I have used it on very long trips and it has never failed during a trip and I have never gotten sick from the treated water. A big caveat is that the water needs to be fairly clear (at least as clear as say, lemonade) or the UV light will not penetrate to kill the bugs. They make a pre-filter which I use to eliminate large particulates.
For areas with a lot of silt, I use a filter, I have an old Sweetwater that still works well.
Neither of these methods will remove salt or chemicals.
Thus far I haven't packed the Steripen for an EC, but do carry it for any remote area/backpacking trip where treated water is not available.
Greg
Posted 6 years ago # -
Santiago
MemberI have a Sawyer Mini and really like it. The squeeze bag can be used to easily fill bottles or bladders, or you could use it a a straw if you wanted to. No difficulty sucking through it. I carry iodine tablets for redundancy, or if the water was really nasty I would treat using both methods.
Posted 6 years ago # -
danceswithmullet
MemberYou need 800 psi pressed through a membrane to desalinate saltwater, unless you are distilling. via solar or fuel heat and the results are bulky and dissapointing. Purifiers mentioned work for removing cysts and bacteria and are fine as long as the water source starts relatively pure, springs, Clean wells, rivers, ect. During the EC consider all of the water polluted, sewage from Fort Myers along with other towns are pumped directly into the Caloosahatchee and other rivers, clean enough to drink by Gov. standards. Purifiers do not mention pesticides, hormones and other things that slip past the bacteria count net. Just research where you are resourcing the water and treat or avoid. DWM
Posted 6 years ago #
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