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Top 5 Survival Water Filters

In the United States, and many other developed countries clean drinking water is taken for granted everyday. What most of us aren't prepared for is what will be our demise. A person can only live three to five days without consuming clean water. In emergency situations FEMA recommends having one gallon of water per person, per day!

 All it takes is a strong enough earthquake, tornado, flood or fire to destroy our clean water supply. As Americans we have seen in recent years with the blizzard in New York City last year, and the ongoing Flint water crisis in Michigan

We cannot always rely on something/someone to provide for our basic necessitates for us. This is why having an emergency water filter is essential to surviving a catastrophic event. 
With the right filter you can drink out of a mud puddle, or swimming pool and be completely safe and HYDRATED!


5. Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System

The Sawyer Mini is very small, only weighing about two ounces, but it is fit for Superman! It is capable of filtering 100,000 gallons of water. It comes with a drinking pouch, and straw, you can also drink straight from the filter like a straw in emergency situations. It kills bacteria, protozoa, and other microscopic monsters. The only downside is it does not filter heavy metals, or chemicals. The filter can be back-flushed with clean water to restore the flow rate when it starts to get clogged. 


4. NDur Survival Straw 

The NDur Survival Straw is compact, lightweight, and can filter almost everything out of your water. It will remove 99.9% of all viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms, it even filters chlorine, heavy metal such as lead and mercury!! All you have to do is twist off the bottom end, dip it into the water, uncap the mouthpiece, and suck through the straw. 

In a survival situation you could drink out of a local swimming pool, or the Flint River with one of these and be completely fine. The ceramic filter is so efficient it is only good for about 25 gallons, depending on the quality of water you are using. At the affordable price of the filter, it is worth buying a few extra to add to your pack, or survival cache. 


3. LifeStraw Family of Survival Filter

The LifeStraw Family Filter lightweight, portable, and can filter up 4,750 gallons of water. That is enough water for a family of five for almost three years! It is a gravity filter, and requires enough space to hang it up somewhere. You pour the water into the top, and it filters down through the element, and into a clean container. It filters 99.9% of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. It can filter up to 9 to 12 liters an hour. 

In an amazing endorsement, the CEO of Vestergaard Frandsen drink water from the LifeStraw Family, that was mixed with muddy water, and cow poo just minutes before! 


2. Berkey Survival Water Filter 

One of the most recognized names in water filtration Berkey comes in at number two on our list. Berkeys are available is all sizes ranging from 3-150 people a day. The gravity-fed ceramic filtration system is so efficient that the recommended manufacturer's test will blow your mind. If your Berkey can filter food coloring out of a a bowl of water, then it is good to use! Similar to other high-quality filters the Berkey will filter 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, chemicals, and other contaminants. The filter element will eventually clog, but replacement elements are available, both ceramic, and the Black Berkey, which lasts even longer. The Berkey and the replacements are a bit pricey, but the performance is well worth it when you are in a survival situation. 


1. LifeStraw Survival Water Filter 

It is no surprise that the LifeStraw comes in at number one on our list of survival filters. It doesn't look like a much, a lightweight tube attached to a lanyard to wear around your neck. That is why it is number one on my list. Available at many retailers such as Academy Sports and Walmart, the LifeStraw is much more portable, lightweight, and simpler than any of the other filters on this list. It is very affordable, and all you have to do is take off the caps, and drink from whatever source of water is available. It will filter 99.9% percent of all bacteria, and viruses, up to 264 gallons of water. However, it does not filter heavy metals or contaminants. Once you are finished drinking, you blow through the LifeStraw to flush out the remaining water and restore the flow rate to almost new. 


















A person can survive a quite a while without food, but without water the human body begins to shut
down after just a few days. Even the cleanest looking water can be full of bacteria, viruses, and contaminants that could kill you in a survival situation. Everyone should have at least one of these water filters just in case. 




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