The LifeStraw is one of those gear items that ends up in everyones pack because it just works. We threw it in a day pack for a weekend hike and used it to drink straight from a creek, no questions asked, water tasted clean. No plasticky after taste, no funny smell.

Flow rate is slower than chugging from a bottle but fine for sipping. The effort is like drinking a thick shake. If you are dehydrated you can still get water in fast enough. The only real limitation is that you cant store filtered water, it filters as you drink.

At under $20 there is really no argument against having one in your go bag, glove box, or emergency kit. We now keep two, one for hiking and one for emergencies.