It’s a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
You’re not alone if you’ve ever filled your water bottle from the tap or a water fountain and not liked the taste (or the tiny specs of whatever it is floating around in it). While you could bring bottled water around, there are better options than this. Plus, adding to the plastic pile of trash every time you need to drink is wasteful. That’s where bottles like LifeStraw’s new Go Series come in handy. By integrating a particulate filter and a taste filter into the bottle’s design, LifeStraw ensures the water you drink tastes excellent and safe, no matter where you source it.
If you need to get more familiar with LifeStraw, their brand is named after their flagship product. The LifeStraw is a filter straw that lets you sip water from questionable sources in an emergency or while camping. With the LifeStraw Go, they’ve made it easier to use the filter by building it into reusable and durable plastic or stainless steel water bottles. Now all you have to do is fill the water bottle from the source and screw on the two-part filter. The first part contains the LifeStraw membrane microfilter, which removes small particles down to dangerous bacteria, parasites, chemicals, and viruses from the water (to be exact, 99.999999% of bacteria, 99.999% of parasites, and 99.999% of microplastics, silt, sand, and cloudiness). The upper half of the filter is a carbon filter that eliminates off-flavors and tastes from the water, making it more enjoyable to drink.
What we like: The LifeStraw Go makes it easy to integrate a water filter into your EDC as it integrates directly into your water bottle. And while there are more elaborate water filtration systems for emergency and camping use, its practical design means you’ll have it on hand whenever you leave the door.
What to watch out for: Each LifeStraw Go filter has a limited use before it starts clogging up. And replacement filters can be hard to come by and expensive comparatively. It’s also good to note that the stainless steel version of the Go is only rated for cold water—hot water can cause pressure on the inside that can damage the bottle.
Final verdict: If you’re not a fan of the tap water around you, the LifeStraw Go is an excellent option for filtering it before consumption. Unlike a normal LifeStraw, which might sit in your emergency bag at home, you’ll likely have the LifeStraw Go on you when you need it because of its helpful and practical design.
