A groundbreaking new filter

Wow! £190 — that's $385!

15 nanometers = 0.015 micron. A typical good-quality pump filter has a 0.2 micron pore size — so the British figure is impressive — and I'm sure expensive to manufacture.

Hopefully, like with CD's and LCD screens, suckers (er, I mean pioneers) will buy enough of them to bring the price down for the rest of us.

Thanks for sharing.

Don't forget the VAT, for those in the UK they have the pleasure of a 17.5% VAT added to the price of the purchase. That brings it to… $453

Here is the web site for the filter. They say that it comes with an activated carbon filter and 4000UF or 6000UF replaceable cartridges. The 4000UF has a service rating of up to 4000 litres of water and the 6000UF up to 6000 litres.

I wonder how well and how long works when filtering dirty water at 15 nanometers. Wouldn't take much to plug the filters.

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/

Remember the golden rule: if it seems to good to be true, …

For $453 I'd rather use micropur to kill everything then drink the "fecal matter" should I ever be in that dire of a survival situation. And what are the odds that when you *are* in that dire survival situation you will be carrying this filter?

Actually, it is technically possible to do this. Water desalination plants use osmotic filters to filter out salt IONS and everything else from seawater to give clean drinking water, and the ions are a lot smaller again. But, and it a big BUT, the pressures required to do this are huge. Desal plants are power-hungry.

The pretty pic shows someone pouring water out of a bottle, but the text says you have to pump many times, and water will only flow when while the filter has not reached end-of-life. I would interpret that to mean you need to pump DAMN HARD. They also talk about water coming out of a teat: that suggests the flow is SLOW.

I clicked on the Tech info button: the page was empty.
I searched for an EPA registration number or some mention of independant lab testing: NOTHING.

Hey ho.

I clicked on the Tech info button: the page was empty.
I searched for an EPA registration number or some mention of independant lab testing: NOTHING.

Hey ho.

Yup, I couldn't find one either. Funny thing is, there have been many cheaper filters that are EPA registered, filter out viruses, and are way cheaper that his unit. The General Ecology Portable filter comes to mind –it can even be used as a gravity filter.

Mainstream media is a funny thing…

Different technologies, but these filters will treat all three classes of baddies: protozoa/cysts, bacteria and viruses:

First Need – $97.50
Sawyer – $79 – can also be used as inline or gravity feed
Katadyn – $50

Note that there is a difference between a filter that "filter out" viruses and one that "treats" viruses.

Of the three that Benjamin named, First Needs and some models of Sawyer have pore sizes so small as to filter out viruses whereas the Katadin has typical filter pore sizes that handle bacteria and depend on contact with a iodine resin to kill viruses. There is much debate on how long water must be in contact with the iodine to be effective. Obviously, water running through a filter isn't in contact very long.

Right. About the Katadyn — I also wonder if:

1. there's any iodine taste in the treated water at all

2. there's any adverse effect if used continuously over a long period

$U.S. $400. for THIS??

Think I'll pass.

They claim alot of gallons on one filter. That'd be why the expense, probably going to testing and pilot-down kits

"Don't forget the VAT, for those in the UK they have the pleasure of a 17.5% VAT added to the price of the purchase. That brings it to… $453"

If that's a retail price then the VAT is included in the quoted price, not added on top. UK VAT (and other VATs in Europe) don't work like US retail sales taxes which get added at the till … so the price is roughly US$385, not $453.

I agree, normally VAT included in the price. Below is the quote from their website.

“All prices are shown in pound sterling (£) and are exclusive of UK VAT. VAT will be charged at the prevailing rate unless clearly stated otherwise. All prices are subject to change without prior notice.”

That is their policy!

Ah thanks, well that explains that.

But as an ex-tax adviser (specialising in indirect taxes) I have to say that I suspect that their approach is probably not legal.

The First Need and the Sawyer do NOT have pores small enough to filter viruses. They rely on a very large surface area of activated carbon to adsorb the viruses.

If the claims about this filter are actually true, it would be the first backpacking filter that I know of that actually filters the viruses rather than inactivate them or adsorb them. All others have pores that are too large to actually filter the viruses.

Reverse osmosis, or nanofiltration, would filter viruses, but as has been mentioned above, these processes require a lot of pressure. I am aware of such units being sold to be installed on sail boats, but I would hardly call them portable. They are often used on an industrial scale.

I have been researching my water purification using info from this forum and I came across this thread.

I thought I would post this as there seems to be a ‘civilian version’ [whatever that means], being released in Mar 09. With the GB pound heading south it might well be at a price that is more attractive now for US $ and Euro.

The Lifesaver Bottle and here is the Instruction Manual

It seems you can even use it to drink your own urine if thats your thing.

That filter would require several pre-pre-filters and a pass through a good quality (MSR?) filter to have any sort of filter life.

Who cares how wonderful it is or how expensive. What does it weigh?!!

It weighs 22 oz — way too heavy.

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/techinfo.html

Definitely out in my book.
I'll stick with the quite excellent Aqua Mira at a fraction of the cost and weight.

Whilst I fully understand that this item is 'heavy' compared to other solutions, as far as I can tell the only other no chemical option as a 'total solution' is the First Need filter. That weighs 22oz

Whilst it is easy to dismiss an item as being 'too heavy' it is also prudent to take on board what is being offered.

I am against chemical treatment of my drinking water, and would like total protection and good tasting water. I believe my choices seem to be non existent unless I am around this weight mark. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

EDIT – I too would not actually buy this product, and consider the First Need filter a far better solution for myself. I have just gone on to manufacturer's website and can now see it weighs 16oz. However I haven't been quick to order it at all as I know I can decimate the weight if I am prepared to use chemicals.

I would almost certainly go down the chemical then in-line filter route for weight/time/taste balance if I have to abandon the 'no chemicals' stance.

However no chemicals is definitely my preferred option.

Reading the website on this filter, it must be protected from freezing as the filter membrane must remain moist. That alone disqualifies it in my book.

The aquamira drops are the same as is used to treat tap water, is my understanding. Very safe.

I just checked out their website and saw that the price has been lowered to $229 (£114.64). I could still buy a whole lot of Katadyn Micropur tablets for that price.

A really cool idea though. I’d be interested to find out how much work it takes to filter 1 L of water.

I had the opportunity to handled one of these filters at the last two AUSA shows here in DC. It seemed to have a reasonably fast flow rate while filtering some rather unpleasant looking green water that the spokesman had collected from the Reflecting Pool. It was a little different in operation from other filters I have used.
Water is collected in bottle, then pumped up with a internal handle that comes out the bottom of the bottle. You then basically open the spray nozzel and it squirts water out from pressure. As stated earlier it is quite a brick in size and weight. I liked the fact that it seemed pretty idiot proof, could filter a large amount of water on a single cartridge and was very robust and sturdy feeling. However, for the money I would not even consider it.