Outdoors writer John Fenna casts his critical eye over the Lifesaver water purification bottle.
Lifesaver Water Bottle
Lifesaver Water Purification Bottle
The Lifesaver Bottle, with its distinctive shape and colouring, is becoming iconic in the water purification world since being developed by Michael W Pritchard MWM.Soc after he saw the problems caused by the lack of fresh water following the 2004 Tsnami and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina floodings.
The Lifesaver Bottle measures some 32cm x 9.5cm, will hold 750ml and is simple to fill and use to produce clean drinking water.
Starting at the bottom of the bottle you have an “anti-slip” base plate and a twist lock pump handle in the removable base unit. This unit contains the replaceable “pre filter disc” that doubles as a sponge for getting water from awkward to get at sources (such as crevices, shallow puddles etc).
The base incorporates the pump shaft and screws onto the body of the bottle, the pump shaft feeding up the centre of the replaceable ultra filtration cartridge that is the central part of the Lifesaver Bottle.
Above this you have an optional replaceable activated carbon filter connected to replaceable “chew-proof” drinking teat and, on top, a snap fit, watertight lid.
To use the Lifesaver Bottle you simply unscrew the base, fill the bottle with water, give it a couple of pumps, open the lid, pull out the teat and filtered clean, taste-free water flows! It is as well to practise drinking from the teat – the water is pressurised and if you over-pump the bottle the water jets out at some speed – messy if you are not expecting it! The bottle is designed to work at any angle, so filling containers is easy.
Practice makes perfect.
The way the Lifesaver Bottle works is that water is forced through ultra filtration membranes in the cartridge to remove all sorts of nasties, including bacteria and viruses, while the activated carbon reduces chemical residues, including pesticides and heavy metals.
I am no scientist with a testing lab, but those who are at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine state that the Lifesaver Bottle works at a level above “legal requirements” and that it complies with UK, US, EU and WHO requirements. Good enough for me! The performance data is staggering and complements the ease of use of the Lifesaver Bottle, making it “the Rolls Royce of water filters”.
The bottle I have came with a filter that will treat up to 4,000 litres of water and when the ultra filter is at the end of its life, the “failsafe” technology stops any water flowing through the bottle.
The filters can be washed to remove particulate clogging, if this is the cause of the failsafe activating, but eventually you will need to replace the UF cartridge. Units to treat 4,000 or 6,000 litres are available – as are replacement activated carbon inserts.
Each bottle comes with spare seals and silicone grease, a spare teat and an instruction manual.
A simple-to-use but effective, non-chemical based water purifier, the Lifesaver Bottle is convenient and practical for using where clean water is hard to come by, needs no time-wasting performances – just pump and drink – and could save lives. It is definitely ideal for wilderness trip and foreign travel.
I am rather impressed!
The 4,000 L Lifesaver Bottle costs £102.50
The 6,000 L Lifesaver Bottle costs £138.00
A 4,000 L Lifesaver Cartridge costs £ 79.95
A 6,000 L Lifesaver Cartridge costs £ 99.95
Carbon Filter inserts cost £15.95 for a pack of 4.More information on the Lifesaver Bottle is available from www.lifesaversystems.com
Of course those are Lakeland Bushcraft prices, you’ll pay more elsewhere.
