Walking the Riverbed
I spend a lot of my free time in the wilderness. I keep returning, season after season, year after year, for the very same reasons. Nature, for me, is a friendly, and refreshing companion. I enjoy every season for what it has to offer. I love the backcountry, for its solitude and its undisturbed freshness.
One late summer day, many years ago, I was making my way along a northern riverbed, from an eight-day trek, into the alpine. I had made my way down into a valley, and was following a river back to my vehicle. My backpack was a bit lighter, and I was pushing hard to get back to my truck. Over a week of dehydrated meals and power bars had produced an intense craving for a good pizza and a very cold beer.
With only a few kilometers to go, I stopped in a nice shady spot and unloaded my back to gulp down some of this teeth-freezing northern river water. A drink of water to a thirsty body, is almost as important as a breath of air. I gulped about half a liter of this raging river, and felt a surge of energy flow through my tired, aching body. I threw my backpack on again, and with a renewed effort, I headed for my truck.
The sun was beginning its climb across the sky, and walking the river gravel was easy and pleasant. Upstream, I could see a sharp bend in the river and I was a little dismayed with the thought of having to enter the dark forest to continue my journey to the truck. As I neared the bend, I was relieved to see that I would be able to stay on the river bank, and in the sunshine.
My joy was short-lived. My gaze fell upon two ravens that were dining on a rotting moose carcass that lay on the river’s edge.
I had been drinking this moose-flavored river water!
Needless to say, that this became a very convincing argument for the purchase of my first LifeStraw.
The rest of my trip was filled with thoughts of water filters, and on how soon I could get one into my hands.
Today I own 2 water filters.
The LifeStraw, and the MSR Miniworks EX Microfilter Water Filter. The LifeStraw is always in my daypack and the MSR Miniworks EX Microfilter is a very frequent companion, depending on where I am headed, what I know about the area, and my length of stay.
Product Details
- Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 1 x 1 inches
- Product Weight: 2.08 ounces
- Domestic Shipping: can be shipped within the USA
- International Shipping: can be shipped to select countries outside of the USA, learn more here
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- Asin: B006QF3TW4
- Item Model Number: LSPHF017
- Average Customer Review: 4,6 out of 5 stars, based on 8,147 customer reviews
- Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank: #35 in Sports and Outdoors
- #1 in Camping and Hiking Water Filters
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good
- removes bacteria and parasites
- removes up to 99.99% of waterborne protozoan cysts
- the microfiltration membrane removes 99. 99% of waterborne parasites; including E. coli, salmonella, giardia, and cryptosporidium
- removes the smallest microplastics found in the environment, down to 1 micron
- reduces turbidity down to 0.2 microns
- all claims are verified by rigorous testing with laboratories using standard testing protocols set by the US EPA, NSF, and ASTM for water purifiers
- long lifetime
- the microbiological filter will provide 4,000 liters/100 gallons of clean and safe drinking water with proper use and maintenance
- no shelf life
- no iodine taste
- perfect size for any emergency kit
- a must for your survival kit
- you can make an impact by purchasing a LifeStraw product
- for every LifeStraw product purchased, a school child in need receives safe drinking water for an entire school year
The Bad, and the Ugly
- do not allow the cartridge to freeze after initial use
- you must blow-out the residual water from the LifeStraw when finished drinking
- there is not much bad stuff to say about this product
How to Use the LifeStraw
Simple to use, just insert your LifeStraw into a water source and suck as you would with a regular drinking straw. No pumping and no moving parts. No need to wait for gravity to do any work for you. LifeStraw uses the same hollow tube technology as full-size water filters that has been resized for personal use. When you’re finished drinking, simply blow out the residual water in the filter and replace the end caps.
Closing Thoughts
Water is a source of life. Without water, life is short and ugly. Outdoor activities require lots of water for rehydration. A water filter ensures you that the water you are drinking is safe. The LifeStraw has made this important condition very easy and inexpensive.
Why risk a water-borne illness or disease.
If you have any comments, questions, and/or suggestions about this wonderful product, do not hesitate to Contact Me. I reply to all of these in a timely manner. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.