Personal Water Filter Comparison: Sawyer, LifeStraw, Survivor Filter
When it comes to survival or regular every day living, clean water is the key to it all. In a survival situation it can be extremely tempting to take a drink of the first pool of water we see, but we all know that is probably a recipe for disaster. A water filtration device is absolutely necessary, but with so many on the market, how do you know which one to buy? In this article I will compare and contrast three very popular personal water filtration devices and you can decide which one to purchase for your survival needs.
#1: Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System
The Sawyer products are top of the line in the water filtration industry. This “Mini” is a great personal use system that is light weight and compact allowing you to bring it with you nearly everywhere. It is ideal for hiking, camping, traveling abroad, and emergency situations. It weighs only 2 ounces and fits in the palm of your hand. The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System includes the filter, a 16 ounce water pouch, a drinking straw, and the cleaning plunger. It is available in several different colors. The filter removes 99.99999% of all bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and cholera and removes 99.9999% of dangerous protozoa like cryptosporidium and giardia.
The product gains high marks on sites like Amazon.com with 4.7 out of 5 stars and move than 1,600 reviews. While no product will be perfect for everyone, the majority of users are pleased with this product. You might even notice that their products are frequently on sale through Amazon, but the Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System is generally priced around $25.
Pros:
Lightweight, small (easy to cary), comes with a limited lifetime warranty, filters up to 100,000 gallons, low cost, can use with included straw or screw onto any regular sized soda/water bottle
Cons:
Filters slowly, doesn’t filter viruses, some components can break if not used carefully
It is warned not to use the filter in freezing temperatures. Which makes perfect sense, because if the moisture freezes it expands and can cause components within the filter to bust. Most users praise the quality of water taste and like the fact that you can fill a bottle, screw the filter onto the end and drink as you go while filtering at the same time. This prevents you from having to drink all your water immediately and prevents you from having to waste time waiting for a filter to fill your bottles. Of course you can do it that way, but you don’t have to!
#2 LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
LifeStraw has become a great leader in the personal water filtration category. It is widely known as the go-to solution for those in third world countries. It’s a great lightweight survival filter to pop in your bug out bag or keep in your car in the event of an emergency or survival situation. Always take it with you hiking or camping. The LifeStraw Personal Water Filter weighs less than 2 ounces and filters around 264 gallons of water. The unit itself is basically a straw. You simply stick the end into the puddle/stream/river/lake and use it like a straw. It will take a few seconds before any water makes its way through the filter. The filter will remove 99.99999% of bacteria and 99.9% parasites.
The LifeStraw is rated 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon.com with over 3,000 reviews. LifeStraw is general available for around $25, but is often on sale.
Pros:
Lightweight, don’t need a container to drink from, a portion of proceeds benefit humanitarian efforts worldwide, inexpensive, filters 264 gallons before needing replacement
Cons:
It filters parasites at a much lower percentage rating that other similar filters, some have issues getting the unit to work, doesn’t filter viruses, hard to “blow out” water when done
In my opinion, any filtration option is great to have in an emergency. The LifeStraw is easy to transport, is made of durable plastic, and has an unlimited life expectancy so you can pop it in your bug out bag and forget about it until you need it. If you want to drink from a bottle or collection device it is suggested that you have one with a wide mouth as the Straw is quite a bit thicker than most 20oz drink bottles.
#3 Survivor Filter
You’ve probably heard of Sawyer Products and LifeStraw if you have looked into camping, hiking, or survival products in the past. Survivor Filter is a smaller company with a superior product! In my opinion, the Survivor Filter outdoes the previous two in capability. The Survivor Filter weighs 3.5oz and is 7″ long x 1″ wide. It uses a triple filtration system: cotton filter, ultra filter, and charcoal filter. This means that the number and types of contaminant are greatly reduced. Survivor Filter is said to filter to .05 microns with is twice as much as the Sawyer filter and three times more than the LifeStraw. It will even filter out viruses and staph in addition to bacteria. Similar to the Sawyer filter, the Survivor Filter can be attached to commercial water/soda bottles for easy use or you can drink straight from the source.
You would be wise to allow the Survivor Filter to dry out between uses and before putting it away in storage. It will work much more effectively and last longer. The filter works for up to 264 gallons, but replacement filter parts can be purchased so your product can be used over and over again. The main unit itself purchases for around $30.
Pros:
Maximum filtration including viruses and bacteria, replacement parts available for purchase, great company customer service, 100% money back guarantee, limited lifetime warranty, attaches to plastic bottles for easy drinking, lasts for 264 gallons
Cons:
Weighs more than other models, protective cap can break off when not treated with care, only lasts for 264 gallons
