The LifeStraw personal water filter, a "Best Invention of the Year" (Time magazine) winner, enables users to drink water safely from contaminated water sources. LifeStraw is ideal for homeowners during emergencies such as local flooding which can contaminate drinking water supplies. LifeStraw is also ideal for campers and hikers who may be drinking from rivers or lakes and are unsure of the water safety. Because LifeStraw is lightweight and compact, it is also great for travelers who do not want to rely on the quality of local water. LifeStraw is the most advanced personal water filter available today. LifeStraw surpasses EPA guidelines for E. coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium oocysts, rigorous standards for water filtration. Eartheasy is the official wholesale distributor and retail launch partner for LifeStraw, which is now available for US and Canadian customers to purchase. Since 2005, LifeStraw has been used in developing countries to assist in achieving the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals for clean drinking water. We're excited to help launch this useful product in North America. Features & Benefits Filters up to 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of water Removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (>LOG 6 reduction) Removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction) Reduces turbidity, filtering down to 0.2 microns Ultralight: weighs only 2oz! Does NOT use iodine or iodinized resin Contains no chemicals (and is BPA-free), uses no batteries, has no moving parts Very high flow rate; no after taste (because no iodine or chlorine are used) Easy to clean. Can be stored and used periodically. Just keep uncapped so it can dry thoroughly. Very durable No shelf life. LifeStraw can be stored indefinitely. (Former shelf life estimates have been revised.) Used worldwide in harsh conditions since 2005 Award winning & internationally recognized What LifeStraw removes/filters: LifeStraw filters down to an incredible, 0.2 microns in size! This removes virtually all the bacteria (99.9999%) and protozoa (99.9%) from contaminated water, and reduces turbidity (muddiness) by filtering out suspended particles. Bacteria removed include: Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Vibrio cholerae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella Salmonella Protozoa removed include: Giardia lamblia ("Beaver Fever") Cryptosporidium Parvum Entamoeba histolytica. Specifications: Length: 9 inches Width: 1 inch Weight: 2 ounces Construction: durable plastic. Does not require replacement parts or batteries, or any chemicals. Capacity: filters up to 264 gallons (1000 liters) of water. Included: Comes with a lanyard, and a cap for the mouth piece and end piece How to use: The patented LifeStraw is a small tube with specialized filters inside. Place one end in unfiltered water (a glass, water bottle, river, or puddle!), and suck the resulting clean water up through the top. Anyone who can use a drinking straw can easily use a LifeStraw. Before use, uncap the LifeStraw and hold it upright in water for a minute. This allows the water to creep up the filter membrane. Then do five quick sucks and the water will flow easily. When drinking from muddy water, you may have to blow back down into it to purge out the turbidity if the flow slows or stops.