It appears that CostCo has the LifeStraws back in stock. For a fire-and-forget solution , these are pretty good. Throw one in your hunting pack, BOB, etc, and be done with it.
These make excellent gifts (especially for Paratus) to the rest of your team, cadre, clan, cell, unit, stick, squad, group, tribe, wing, detail, or gang. (Dang if there aren’t a lot of metaphors for ‘small group’!)
As you can see in the picture, CostCo is also selling some Mountain House these days. As the summer season approaches it seems CostCo is getting in ‘camping supplies’. And, lets not dance around it, on a Venn diagram there’s a lot of overlap between ‘camping’ and ‘preparedness’ supplies.
Anyway, head off to CostCo and grab a pack of these so you don’t wind up like these guys.
I don’t know if I would trust these disposable filters. My Katadyn Pocket Filter is always in my bag or truck and has served me well.
these aren’t bad and would do in a pinch but if you have ever tried to re-hydrate yourself in the desert SW at over 100 degrees after a long hike you will regret having only this. It should be supplemented with a 2 or 3 liter gravity fed filter system.
https://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Membrane-Backpacking-Emergency-Preparedness/dp/B0764P4L7Q/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3J94P8KHQXZVA&keywords=katadyn+hiker+pro+water+filter&qid=1684625832&sprefix=katydy%2Caps%2C321&sr=8-10
Following. Good field report, and very well done point of inference regarding price increase over time, slash, inflation factor. I as well as your more advanced readership are hard schooled on the inflation math to this prepper survivalist stuff. It is a whole another dynamic to spend away an ANON’S funds to the point of “dipping” into egg and butter money, or strategically spending some depleting in value retire me nest egg money to go towards schizo subject matter inventory. But, here we are, facing the wind. High priority item for you and those chums in the woods, filtered water. A nagger’s note, visit box store sized shopping communities for kit, maybe not best to reside near or in some such sportiness venues. Remus had said to avoid crowds. Stay stocked and stay frosty.
$10 each isn’t bad. This past year, Wal-Mart had a pair of Sawyer mini water filters for $30. And their H2O Filtration Bottle for $15.
Note how they have simplified the packaging to save money too. No plastic sleeve for each filter. Even with Costco’s required stiffer cardboard packaging, I bet the 4 pack is cheaper than the old packaging. And still the price went up.
My costco switched from MH variety box to the black and red buckets. The included selections aren’t as good, nor as filling.
The variety boxes are a good starting point. I open the box and build it out somewhat by adding enough oatmeal, drink mix, instant coffee, and condiments to make three good meals for four people. I also add plastic silverware packs I save from takeout meals. Mark the box and seal it up. Back on the shelf it goes.
FWIW, I think of MH and other freeze dried as bug out food, throw in the truck as we leave food, or “oh sh!t we need to stay quiet and hide” food. It supplements my other stored food and fills different needs than the flats of canned goods.
nick
(nothing wrong with the katydin filters, or choosing FD over canned, just different tools for different jobs, and they BOTH have a place in your preps. Why’s it gotta be one or the other? Embrace the power of “and” people and glory in the choices available to us now…)
These can be easily repackaged with the food sealer of your choice. Iodine tablets are still available and still keep a person from getting dehydrated; in the example of the elk hunters in the link, a little bottle of tablets and a canteen would keep dehydration at bay.
The Paratus gift resides in its own little pouch in the car’s O Sh*t Bag.
My thanks. Here’s hoping I never need it.
Was a Costco yesterday, didn’t see these. Last purchase of these came with semirigid case that now resides in carry gear with a couple coffee filters to exclude excess sediment. As for the hunters a metal cup and some fire starting and drinkable water is 10 minutes away.
We picked up today.
As mentioned, note there is no protective sleeve, so plan to wrap or contain them somehow.
You could trust the unit itself, but why leave it to chance?
Hint: Short length of suitable diameter PVC from BigBoxStore.
If it rattles, wrap with coffee filters until it doesn’t.(See VT’s note above.) Pressure-fit end caps, and/or just insert a suitably large rubber stopper on the opening end.
Double bonus: The PVC provides a handy spool around which to wrap fishing line, duct tape, 550 cord, poly drinking tubing, etc., etc. Now it’s a multi-purpose item.
Triple bonus: Shrink/Saran/aluminum foil wrap the whole thing, or just run it through a kitchen vacuum sealer. Now it’s bombproof.
Good suggestion about wrapping/sealing the filter. The filter elements will absorb any odors, fumes or gases in the area. Found this out when I packed my camping supplies (water filter) near my Coleman fuel. The filter smelled like white gas and was discarded.
Ask and ye shall be given. Seek and he shall find. RTG has your polymer mags for your MP5 clone. 30 rd is 18.95. 40 rd is 19.95.
They are AC Unity.
This guy has a pretty decent youtube channel. He did a video on water filters which was interesting. He doesn’t have any way that I can see to measure the size of the particulate matter in the water, so they could be very small and difficult to catch or the filters maybe should catch them, difficult to say. I know a lot of micro plastics are very small, but since they are already in so much of the food supply, might be ok if they are in water as well, hard to tell on this stuff, not many neutral scientific sources.
Here is the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja0ioX6GSz0
Just picked up a pack for $29.99 at my local. Had a $10 off on the label.
Thanks for the heads up, Commander.
Here in the Lynnwood WA area the Costco price is $39.99 for the 4-pack, less $10 for the sale, so $29.99 for a 4-pack. I picked up a 4-pack just because it was such a good deal.