Karin WilliamsYou can never have too much access to clean drinking water when you are camping or exploring the outdoors. You can go three weeks without any food and survive, but you’re really pushing your luck if you go close to three days without water.
At the same time, there aren’t a lot of people that spend a lot of time outdoors that want to pack in gallons and gallons of potable water every time they head out into the woods. Water is some of the heaviest “gear” you could carry with you.
On top of that, containers for carrying four or five day’s worth of water into the woods are big and bulky. You certainly won’t be able to squeeze enough water for a weeklong trip into a backpack hydration pack or water bottle, that’s for sure
This is why so many people serious about heading out of the woods for days at a time (as well as those that just like to be totally prepared for any eventuality) are starting to lean on LifeStraw and Sawyer Mini options more often than not to help them source their drinking water while out in the wild.
Both of these personal filtration systems have totally changed the way people look at and think about sourcing water while they are adventuring.
These systems have incredible popularity not only in the United States but worldwide, becoming two of the “must-have” hydration systems money can buy pretty quickly. Not only are they have a good idea to have on hand for the convenience of not having to pack in extra water but there also good idea to have around in the event of an emergency or natural disaster, too.
Let’s get dig a little deeper into everything that these two options have to offer!
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Fun Outdoor Quiz
Overall Design
Every single piece of outdoor adventure gear needs to be accounted for physically when you are getting ready to head out into the wilderness.
After all, each and every single thing you bring in with you is going to have to fit physically in your pack – and on your back – which is why so many of the top outdoor gear options are compact and lightweight.
Both the LifeStraw and the Sawyer are super lightweight. Each of them come in around 2 ounces apiece, but they have very different form factors. In fact, the LifeStraw is about twice as long as the Sawyer – which may or may not be a problem for you.
Yes, this means the LifeStraw is going to take up a little more space. But it’s also going to provide you with more even and consistent filtration when you are using it. The filtration chamber itself is a little bit longer, allowing for better consistency and cleaning of the water that you are consuming.
Total Water Filtration Capacity
Another key feature folks are going to want to zero in on is the overall water capacity of both the these choices. You’re going to want to get the highest amount of capacity out of your new personal filtration system as it keeps operating costs down and increases the overall value of your purchase.
The Sawyer wins hands down in this department.
You are going to be able to use the Sawyer Mini to filter well north of a hundred thousand gallons of water in its lifetime. At the same time, you’ll only ever be able to squeeze two hundred and sixty gallons of filtered water through the other option.
Obviously there’s a big difference between these two. Maybe you’ll need to filter an almost infinite supply of water with just a single purchase, or maybe you just want something on hand for emergency situations and aren’t looking to spend amount of money on a personal water filtration set up like this.
Attachment and Accessory Options
The biggest appeal of the LifeStraw is that it “just works” right out of the box, giving you an opportunity to use it as a straw with pretty much any water source imaginable.
Not only can you stick this strong into your canteen or camp cup and filter the water contained within – but you can even stick it into an active stream, lake, or pond and filter that water just the same.
On the flip side of things, the Sawyer can be used in what feels like a billion different ways. It’s certainly the most flexible of these options, and maybe of all the different filtration options out there right now. The ways that you can use this product are nearly infinite.
When it comes to attachment options and accessories the Sawyer Mini is the runaway clear winner.
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
While both of these options feature almost identical filtration systems the reason that you can get so much more filtration utility out of the Sawyer Mini compared to the LifeStraw is because the Sawyer can be cleaned whereas the other cannot be opened up and maintained.
The LifeStraw is very much a closed system while the alternative includes a kind of plunger like attachment that allows you to easily clean out and maintain the straw (even while you are out and about adventuring). This is a huge benefit, particularly from a cost and longevity standpoint.
Closing Thoughts
When you really examine these two personal filtration systems up close it’s easy to feel like the Sawyer his head and shoulders above the LifeStraw (as well as pretty much every other option out there).
This may be the case for those that want to spend a lot of time out of the woods, those that expect to cycle hundreds of thousands of gallons through their personal filtration system, and those that need to rely on something like the Sawyer Mini day in and day out for a good chunk of the year.
At the same time, some folks are only going to be using a personal filtration system as an emergency or sort of one-off solution. In those cases, the LifeStraw is better suited to those kinds of needs and also comes with a more attractive price point.
It all comes down to how you want to use this super handy piece of outdoor gear going forward.
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Jimmy Hubbs