By Don Jurries
The LIFESAVER Bottle is the ultimate in portable water filters. This 750ml water bottle with a built in dual-stage filtration system allows anyone, anywhere to be confident they are consuming only clean, pathogen-free water.
A creation of UK inventor Michael W. Pritchard, the LIFESAVER Bottle removes all bacteria, viruses, cysts, parasites, fungi and other microbiological water borne pathogens through a central cartridge whose membrane consists of pores only 15 nanometers (nm) wide. With the smallest bacteria ranging from 200 nm and viruses at 25 nm, they simply can’t get through.
The LIFESAVER Bottle has been independently tested and certified by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine using E-coli and the Poliovirus in their testing regimen. This unique portable water filter also contains a removable carbon cartridge to eliminate chemical residues and heavy metals.
The LIFESAVER Bottle is lightweight, and with a flow rate of approximately 2.5 litres per minute, the 750 ml bottle fills as quickly as 20 seconds. The portable water filter essentially eliminates the need to carry water with you as long as any water source, however dirty, is available.
Depending on the cartridge chosen, the LIFESAVER Bottle can filter up to either 4,000 or 6,000 litres of water before replacing. The cartridge incorporates a FAILSAFE technology that ensures the system automatically shuts off when the cartridge has expired so you don't unknowingly drink contaminated water.
Utilizing the same technology, a larger portable water filter, the LIFESAVER Jerrycan, is also available and can filter up to 20,000 litres on one cartridge, perfect for expeditions or even camping trips. The combination of these two portable water filters has been used successfully to provide emergency drinking water response for tsunami disaster victims in Japan and in Haiti and Pakistan, amongst other on-going projects.
The LIFESAVER Bottle can be purchased online and retails for $160 in the US, £120 in the UK and AUD$230 in Australia.
-Based in Melbourne, Australia, Don Jurries is a contributing writer for The Gearcaster on all things outdoor Down Under.