Lifestraw first found popularity from their water filter straws, which allowed you to sip straight out sketchy water sources and filtered before reaching your mouth. It was original and innovative. From there, they’ve expanded into numerous water filter products, including home water filter pitchers and filtered water bottles. The new Lifestraw Escape further expands the outfit’s product line.
Designed for campsites, off-grid living, and emergency preparedness, it’s, basically, a large water jug that can filter all the water you put inside. That way, all the people in your camp can simply use it as their main water source, instead of having to individually walk to a nearby pond, river, or lake to fill up their own water bottles.
The Lifestraw Escape is a large water jug with a capacity of 5.25 gallons, allowing it to hold enough water to keep your entire group hydrated throughout the day. Do note, you’re only supposed to fill it up to five gallons, which equivalent to about an inch below the opening. Why the extra room? Because the jug comes with a hand pump that lets you add air pressure inside the water tank, which enables a high-speed water flow every time you open the tap. The hand pump is available right on the lid of the jug, allowing you to pump in additional air any time you notice the water flow slowing down.
Like Lifestraw’s other products, it’s equipped with an integrated filter. Specifically, it uses a three-stage filtration system that removes 99.99 percent of viruses, 99.999999 percent of bacteria, 99.999 percent of parasites, and 99.999 percent of sediments (microplastics, sand, dirt), while significantly reducing chlorine, lead, taste, odors, and various organic chemical matter. The main filters are rated for 4,700 gallons, while the activated carbon filter only lasts for 158 gallons. That means, you’ll have to replace the carbon a bit more frequently, but it should still last for a very long time. The filter, by the way, is attached to the tap, so you simply unscrew the tap and remove it when you need to do any filter replacements.
To use the Lifestraw Escape, you start by removing the top lid, then pouring your water inside the main compartment. After that, you screw the lid back on and use the hand pump to pressurize the water tank. That’s it. Any time you access the tap, water is passed through the filter before pouring out to your drinking vessel. Why not filter the water as soon as you put it in? We’re guessing this is a more efficient way to go about it, since you only filter the water you will use at any moment, which should help preserve your filter system’s longevity.
The water jug measures 18 x 13.75 inches (height x diameter) and weighs 16 pounds when empty. However, it does go up to 59 pounds when full, so it can get tricky to carry. There’s a set of grips on top, by the way, which you can use to grab it for moving around, either by yourself using two hands or with another person. Other features include a drain in the back, a pressure relief valve (in case you pumped in too much air), and a high-speed water flow of up to one liter per minute.
The Lifestraw Escape is available now, priced at $329.95.
