Must Have Item For Bug Out Bag?

JSMcustoms

JSMcustoms

Joined
Feb 2, 2012
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I just found out about a piece of gear called the Lifestraw that's apparently been around for a year or two. It can guard against waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea, and provides for clean drinking water to be accessed anywhere there are water sources available such as rivers, lakes, ponds and even puddles. This sounds like a very useful item worth checking into to me.


[video=youtube;9e99c4z0zkE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e99c4z0zkE[/video]
 
I really like this device because it's small and can filter a large amount of water and you don't have to boil it. You can use this to drink straight from whatever river, stream, pond etc that you come across. Also this is fairly cheep at around $20.
 
Sure hope they have improved that thing. Earlier versions you would end up sucking your cheeks inside out for a water flow similar to juice through a Capri Sun straw.

Katadyn will always be my personal favorite. Steri-Pen in the "oh darn I broke the Katadyn" situation.
 
I use a Sawyer squeeze. It is incredibly simple to use. Filling the bags can be a PITA in still water (water flowing from a river or spring helps), so I am going to start carrying a 1L Dasani bottle to collect dirty water, and fill my nalgenese with the filtered water. The whole kit weighs only a few ounces and the filter is guaranteed to one million gallons. You can find them for 40 to 50 bucks online.
 
I have the Lifestraw and Sawyer Squeeze. Both are great! Remember that they are filters and not purifiers though.
 
I don't not own the Sawyer Squeeze but if the squeeze bag fails can one attach it to another container such as a Dansani bottle?
 
ThriftyJoe said:
A set up like this looks more practical to me: http://www.filtersfast.com/Katadyn-ExStream-water-filters.asp Just fill the bottle and go. No messing around with separate straws and open containers trying not to cross contaminate.

I use an MSR Autoflow for backpacking though. For years I used a First Need, but got tired of the pumping. One way or another, you need a way to force the water through the filter.
Click to expand...

They are nice. Used one at Yellowstone a few times just to try it out. The taste is not too bad, but of course you get the iodine flavor. Probably the ultimate is the LifeSaver bottle. Takes care of everything without chemical treatment.
 
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