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The Pure Clear Life Filter Personal Survival Straw sets itself apart from the rest of its competitors in a few ways; firstly, the price, it's almost half the cost of some of the other leading water filtration devices, and most notably, the  Pure Clear Life Filter doesn't just filter out bacteria silt and protozoa as the other standard water filters do, it also removes viruses, heavy metals, microplastics and trace pharmaceuticals. No other screw-on filter filters viruses, so this is a giant leap forward in water filtration.

The  Pure Clear Life Filter has a standard 28mm thread, which means it will screw onto most everyday drinks bottles, I used mine with my CNOC Outdoors  Vecto 2L Water Container, which is the water container I use whenever I'm doing any long-distance hiking and the two worked together well. I'd filter my water into a clean water bottle to drink from, but if I were processing water to cook with, I would filter straight into my pan.

The Life Filter comes with an extending drinking tube so you can drink straight from the source if you wish; honestly, I've never tried this, but I do not see the appeal of crouching by a river bank to quench my thirst with this or with the Life Straw, I'd much rather fill a water container to drink from.

Fresh out of the box, the Survival Straw filtered 1 litre of water in 57 seconds, which is impressive; it slowed a little after filtering 2-3 litres of water a day for over a week, but overall, I was happy with the flow rate.

You do not back flush the filter; there is no way to clean it after use; instead, you remove the internal filter and replace it with a  Life Filter Water Cartridge. Pure Clear suggests changing the filter every two months or after filtering around 200l of water. So, if you were to use a Life Filter Personal Survival Straw on a long-distance trek here in the UK, one filter will last you your entire trip; if you are doing something longer, you may need to pack an additional cartridge or post one along.

The filter itself is large, much bigger than any other filter I've used, this isn't necessarily a drawback, but it is worth noting. I found the overall design odd. It's an odd colour and shape, resembling a Crayola crayon. The lid is difficult and stiff to get on and off, even after considerable use, but my main gripe is the ABS plastic, which the lid and body have been made from. It's smooth and hard to grip at the best of times, especially the lid, but this is a product you will be primarily using when it's wet, so the problem is amplified. It's not a deal breaker, but the lack of texture detracts from the experience.

As a backpacking filter, if you are heading off on the Cleveland Way or the Coast to Coast, and this is the only use the filter will get that year, this is a fantastic product, especially when travelling through farmland, when water is more questionable. If, however, you are a long-distance hiker or wild camper that uses a filter all year round, the cost of replacing the filter cartridge, time after time, will be costly. Easily offsetting the money, you initially saved purchasing the Life Filter, the amount of plastic waste would also not sit right with me. 

Life Filter's Personal Survival Straw excels at international travel. This is a fantastic product if you are going somewhere and you are unsure of the water quality. Even if you are going away for a few months, packing an additional filter is a viable option; the additional filter will easily fit into your rucksack and won’t way you down.

Andy Neil
Andy has been a keen long-distance hiker and wild camping enthusiast since he completed the Cleveland Way in 2015. Since then, he has walked thousands of trail miles all over the UK and is an active member of the Wild Camping UK community, being an admin of the largest wild camping community on Facebook. He strongly advocates for responsible wild camping and believes it is important to leave no trace when camping in the wilderness. He joined the UOG team in 2021 and works as a website developer and content creator. Read more from Andy Neil