Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I frequently hike and camp in the backcountry all over the United States. Carrying the amount of water that I need to survive during these trips is just not feasible due to the weight. In the past I always carried a General Ecology First Need XL water purifier and refilled nalgene bottles with it. Since getting a LifeStraw I most likely won't be doing that any longer since the LifeStraw is smaller and lighter than the First Need XL. I recently took a LifeStraw out for a test on a backcountry hike in the Rocky Mountains. Every stream, lake, or other water source that I came across I stopped for a drink. I was drinking fresh snow melt and also from lakes that are home to beavers and other wildlife. There was no added taste to the water and I didn't get sick during or after the trip. The one draw back to the LifeStraw is that it does take a bit of suction to start and keep the water flowing. When you're at high altitudes in the mountains this leads to longer "drink breaks" since you can get winded pretty easy while trying to suck up water through the LifeStraw. However, its size and weight advantages when hiking mountainous terrain vastly out weigh this minor drawback. Overall, the LifeStraw is awesome and I recommend it to every backcountry hiker that I know.