Question:

With these filters, like Lifestraw and Sawyer, they talk about filtering bacteria and protozoa, which is obviously good and important. However, in all the depictions of these things, they show some guy drinking out of a cool, clear mountain stream. 

So my question is, would you trust one of these things to drink from say a run off creek, a muddy puddle or a pond? 

If there is a disaster or an emergency then you're going to need water, and a cool, clear mountain stream may not be readily available. 

For example, would you drink this water with a Lifestraw or a Sawyer filter bottle?

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id fill a container, hook up the sawyer, and start drinking.

Yes.

If there is a lot of particulate matter, leaves, bark, sand, etc., strain it through a bandanna first.

Gotcha. Good call. Thanks!

I just filter out the large stuff with a cloth first then run it thru the filter. Have the life straws for backpacking and have a Berkey for home use or camping.

I hope they work because I have three LifeStraws, two Sawyer Minis and one Sawyer Squeeze 1 and I live on a man made lake feed by canals!

Bacteria is what we're most concerned about here in the States, as people explained it to me, as viruses aren't all that common in our country.

Still, I'd like to pick one up that does filter out viruses down the road.

Chris

I have used my katadyn in some pretty disgusting puddles when backpacking in Texas. Wouldn't have been my first choice but water was scarce. Still alive...

sawyer makes .02 filters that take care of viruses also.

I've filtered water out of roadside ditches when I was thirsty as heck.  Once it was through the Sawyer it was awesome.

I've also filtered stagnant pond water and was happy to have it.  When you're thirsty, you get less picky.

ETA:  I see it now, but they sure do make it hard to find.  Some are on Ebay at ~$120ish.

They used to, as I remember the Squeeze 2, but not no more, according to their website--Mini: .10 microns, PointOne/Squeeze: .10 microns.

At least that's how I remembered it back in 2012 when I put some of my crap together.

Chris

I got a couple of Lifestraws free from Valley Food Storage with the food I bought from them and I bought a couple of Sawyer Minis. 

I keep a Lifestraw in my GHB, and the Sawyer minis in my BOB and one with my Bug IN supplies. I want to get a Sawyer filtration bottle too. 

And I found one for $35 on eBay. 

Elephant= chemical contamination.

You need carbon filters for that. Chemical in your water could make you a hurting unit.

As my third LS, I got their water bottle and used it out in the Everglades, near some alligators!

That was a few years back and I'm still here.  It was a bit hard to draw at times, however.



Chris

Grab a MSR Guardian it does bacteria, protozoa, and viruses, not to mention it self cleans with every pump so no back washing or cleaning the filter.

I have a few life straws, a few mini sawyers, and a couple MSR pump filters.  All work as advertised.

This.  None of the porous filters do anything against chemical contamination.
I look at the above photos and imagine alot of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers
and petrol based road run off in there.  The mud and silt aren't the issue.

Stroud used a Lifestraw in a stagnant pool on one episode.  Said water tasted like ass, but was perfectly safe.

When I gave my then 14 or 15 year old nephews Lifestraws a few years back, they went home, and the youngest immediately went to he creek swhich runs by their property and drank "a lot" of water.  No ill effects.

The Lifestraws are filter, but the Sawyer Mini is a purifier if I am not mistake.

Too, the First Need by General Ecology is a purifier.  A bit bulkier than the Sawyer, but a purifier none the less.

Using pantyhose is a great way to filter larger containments in water.

I have that and it's freaking awesome. I've had the lifestraw and sawyer... they are a joke compared to this.

For what purpose?  Saying the Lifestraw or Sawyer are a joke is disingenuous and very relative to the situation.  Now, I do agree that use really determines the type of filter/purifier and location is just as important.  The MSR is a great product, but is a "joke" for backpacking compared to the Sawyer when considering price.  99% of your recreational needs, an inexpensive hollow-fiber filter will work perfectly fine.  I'm being sarcastic as the MSR is actually pretty lightweight for a purifier; it may be a little more bulky, but isn't much of a weight penalty.  Cost is the biggest detractor, but the value is double-duty against viruses, which aren't common in North America, but could quickly change with a major disaster or SHTF situation that compromises surface water sources.

For SHTF, there are two major concerns: viruses and heavy metals.  If you're anywhere downstream of an industrial area or major farming operations, the chances of your surface water sources getting contaminated by chemicals and heavy metals is significant.  There are no portable filters that will handle that and even with activated carbon, it's a crap shoot.  Viruses on the other hand are a much more common threat in third-world countries or just after a major disaster as sewage backs up and most surface water sources get exposed and serve as a virus breeding ground.  This is where the MSR Guardian shines and most hollow fiber filters (well, most all filters) fall short.  A purifier works against the more common (and larger) water-borne threat vectors, but the size of viruses is their downfall.  Again, viruses are of minimal concern now, but likely a much larger threat in highly populated areas without good plumbing or sewage management.  

Unless you have your own well or spring-fed creeks nearby, investing in a purifier like the Guardian is a smart move.  If you're major threat is likely heavy metals and chemicals, your cheapest option it to store potable water, design a water distiller (however not all chemicals or heavy metals may not be removed), or bugout to a much better location with better water sources.  

The only issue I've seen with the MSR Guardian is the O-ring seal failure.  My assumption is this is an easy fix, but all hollow-fiber type filters require a fair amount of pressure to force water through, so having extra O-rings and even a small tube of silicone lubricant is good advice.  What thing I do like about the MSR is the drop and freeze testing.  MSR is a solid company that develops (and stands behind) great products.  

ROCK6

I use a sawyer regular (and mini if I'm backpacking).  I've filtered some nasty water.  Non-pro, pro-tip:  having a gallon ziplock bag helps immensely if you want to get non-flowing water into your sawyer bag easily, especially from smaller or more shallow water sources.  If the water has a lot of crap in it, I usually use the bottom of my shirt as a screen filter for debris before putting it into the sawyer bag.  IE, nasty water into the big ziplock bag, then put the bottom of my shirt between the ziplog bag corner where I'm pouring and the mouth of the sawyer bag.

Msr has come out with a sawyer equivalent. It is the trail shot. I have one and think it is a better design. It has a tube that drops into the water and allows you to fill bottles or a camelbak.

Chemical contamination is hard to deal with. Carbon is the only way and even then it may not remove everything. Carbon also has a short life compared to the membranes.

There was a good article on some scientific real world testing of the sawyers. Bottom line was they grossly over state the life of the membrane and contaminated water was getting through. Msr is one of the leaders if not the leader in testing and development. Their data comes from actual tests and is not theoretical.

Found the article
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://whconference.unc.edu/files/2014/10/murray.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjgx8T3n6nTAhWk0YMKHQLjAJAQFgguMAQ&usg=AFQjCNGjPks8mNabilqEWioNldrMhZO0Cg