Portable water purifiers are essential gear for any outdoor activity where water sources may be scarce or questionable. Many outdoor adventure sport enthusiasts who are active in mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, trail running and more, prefer water purifiers that are lightweight and compact. While we researched several portable water purifiers that are perfect for these applications, we came across a new purifier called the AquaSafeStraw that caught our attention due to its size and method of filtration.
The AquaSafeStraw is a unique portable water purifier that weighs only 24 grams and measures 8-inches in length. It can easily fit into your shirt pocket, backpack, cycling pocket, etc. without taking up much room, and works as simple as sucking through a straw. 
The filtration method is a membrane-style filter that has holes no larger than 0.2 microns, making it effective against most contaminants and bacteria. According to AquaSafeStraw, the membrane filter removes 99.9999 percent of water borne bacteria and has been tested and approved by numerous laboratories, including the National Association Of Testing Authorities.
What we liked best about the AquaSafeStraw, it that it offers superior filtration protection against Giardia and Cryptosporidium while being extremely lightweight and easy to use. The AquaSafeStraw can also filter up to 500 liters, (132 gallons) of water before it becomes ineffective and doesn’t allow you to suck any water through it, making it easy to know when to discard the filter.
The only disadvantages we could see with the AquaSafeStraw, is if you don’t handle it properly. As with any water filter device, you don’t want to splash any contaminated water onto the mouth piece or outlet. Because the AquaSafe Straw is so small and compact, you may also want to keep it away from any of your toiletries to avoid accidental contamination. The mouth piece does have a cap and we found it great to store in a small sandwich bag to avoid contamination. Aside from this, using the AquaSafeStraw is easy, but don’t expect to quickly quench a huge thirst after biking 20 miles on slick rock, or when you take a break from a long, hot day-hike. Only a limited amount of water goes through the AquaSafe Straw and it doesn’t flow as easily as a regular straw. So ultimately, it takes longer to suck down a liter of water.
If you’re one of those people we often see on a trail guzzling down a liter of water like a horse at a water trough, the AquaSafeStraw probably won’t quench your thirst fast enough. In addition, you can’t use the AquaSafeStraw to fill up popular water bottles, but it does however, allow you to easily take it to a restaurant or on a trip to a foreign country. The cost of the AquaSafeStraw is around the same as a filter replacement or cartridge for pocket-sized pump water purifiers (around $35-$40). Keep in mind that you need one for each person in your group so it’s probably not best to use as your only water purifying method on a family camping trip.
The AquaSafeStraw does have some major advantages over small pump-style filtration devices. We’d prefer to use the AquaSafeStraw for world travel and for overnight backpacking trips when we want to go extremely lightweight. We’d also think it would be a necessary addition to our emergency kits. Furthermore, because it’s extremely easy to use, it’s great for small children. The AquaSaveStraw is made in Australia and is currently being imported into the United States. For more information you can visit www.AquaSafeStraw.com.