Image by Bruno Henrique from Pixabay
Who knew talking about survival would take us this far? Last week I covered the unboxing and use of the recent purchase of my Berkey®. I didn’t want to leave you without another equally capable water purification system. Today, in Survival: Part-Two Water Purification- LifeStraw®, we review the great selling points of owning a LifeStraw® water purification system.
Personally speaking, I see Berkey® for home water filtration use (they do make a smaller portable Berkey® for on-the-go) and LifeStraw® for mobile, backcountry water filtration (it also has in-home pitcher filtration). Each product stands out on its own!
LifeStraw®
I imagine you have heard of LifeStraw®. LifeStraw® began in 2005 with its iconic water filtering straw, LifeStraw®. This little water purification gem looks like an oversized straw, but it holds a life-saving water purifying system.
I have an excellent LifeStraw® YouTube video, which you can watch here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuJpgN1oCxQ. LifeStraw® is renowned for its humanitarian work within countries whose water supply is contaminated. In the above video, LifeStraw’s® Head of Brand, Tara Lundy, says, “LifeStraw® exists to make water safe to drink.”
Water contamination comes in the form of:
- parasites- in specific the Guinea Worm
- bacteria
- microplastics
- dirt
- turbidity
LifeStraw® works very hard with the Carter Center to irradicate the Guinea Worm disease. The results have been phenomenal. To understand why eradicating Guinea Worm disease is important, let me tell you how it infects its human host.
The Guinea Worm
Known as Dracunculus medinensis, the Guinea Worm parasite infects your body through water fleas that have contaminated water you’ve drank.
These water fleas are infected with the Guinea Worm larvae. The larvae are ingested and make their home in the small intestine, where they grow up to two to three feet.
Once fully grown, the adult female migrates (this is the VERY PAINFUL PART) and seeks her way out of your body, anywhere, through the skin.
When the female is ready to exit, she excretes an acidic chemical that bores an exit hole through your skin and then emerges.
Most people have the worm removed from the legs, feet, and arms. It is extremely painful and debilitating, taking several weeks or months to slowly remove the worm. The method for removing the worm is to take a piece of gauze and continue to wrap the worm around the gauze, till the worm is completely removed.
LifeStraw® Products
LifeStraw® has a variety of home and what I call backcountry products, you can see them for yourself here, https://lifestraw.com/collections/all:
If you were looking for an at-home dispenser, LifeStraw® Max or LifeStraw® Community would be your choice- volume for cooking, drinking, and body cleaning. This delivers high volume water output so sharing with your neighbors could be easily done.
The Max and the Community or a simple Pitcher
LifeStraw® Max, according to their website:
- This high-flow system instantly purifies water without the need for electricity, battery power, or chemicals.
- Removes viruses, bacteria, parasites, and microplastics and includes an advanced carbon filter that reduces lead and chlorine.
- Portable and compact, use with a pressurized water system (tap, water pump, or gravity system) to provide safe drinking water for up to 400 people per day.
LifeStraw® Community, according to their website:
- Protects against viruses, bacteria, parasites, microplastics, dirt, sand, and cloudiness
- Independently lab-tested, durable, and BPA Free
- Includes Ultrafiltration Membrane with a lifetime of 26,000 gallons – enough for 75 people for 3-5 years
The Pitcher, LifeStraw® Home 7-Cup, would be great for simple drinking water needs. This Pitcher easily fits into your refrigerator and has an anti-slip silicone bottom, useful for making great coffee! Check out my coffee article series here, https://www.mandyandmichele.com/coffee/.
Filtered down
In the end, water is life! Whether you choose a Berkey® or a LifeStraw®, you can’t go wrong. Be prepared for an attack on American grocery systems and water delivery systems. Help your neighbors and possibly your entire community, with a water purification system!
Next week, we scrounge up some yummy pie recipes for summer picnic fun!
Till next time, here is to good food, clean water, and a fun Fourth of July! Celebrate freedom!
Resources:
- https://www.medicinenet.com/guinea_worm_disease_symptoms_and_signs/symptoms.htm
- https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/guineaworm/treatment.html
Michele Bruxvoort is sure to draw you in with her delightful sense of humor and love for living life. She enjoys reading, repurposing, as well as remodeling the family home with her husband. Drawing from her life experience as wife, mom, and follower of Jesus, Michele brings you a very honest and real perspective on life. When you don’t find her writing, you can find her mowing lawns, stocking shelves, taking care of her grandbaby and tackling her latest life adventure.
Wisconsin native and empty-nester, she now makes her home with her husband of 27 years in the South West Prairie plains of Minnesota.