Water Water everywhere, and not a drop to drink…….

In a survival situation, having drinkable water in sufficient quantities is going to be a major and ongoing problem If you have to bug out on foot, it is even going to be more difficult. Even bugging in is going to present challenges to having sufficient water. Your choices include pre-stocking quantities of water (it will never be enough for serious long term sustainability, boiling available water (a good choice if time and facilities permit. But it only kills the “bugs” and doesn’t eliminate the other nasties), purification using chemicals (water purification tabs or bleach) or filtering. Filtering is an excellent choice. There are many water filtering systems on the market ranging from a personal filter to much larger units designed for family use.

Life Straw is one of the original personal filters which has been shipped in large quantities to Third World countries and has been used successfully by campers, preppers and the military. It is a proven design and relatively cheap. The advertised statistics for it are:

• Removes minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (>LOG 6 reduction) and surpasses EPA standards for water filters
• Removes minimum 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction) and filters to an amazing 0.2 microns
• Filters up to 1000 liters of contaminated water WITHOUT iodine, chlorine, or other chemicals.

This is an excellent item to have in your bug out bag and I have a few in mine. It works well, however it can be a bit difficult to suck water through. The sensation is a lot like drinking a milkshake through a straw. Available here.