Video: LifeStraw Tested Under a Microscope

Unless you’ve gone through life drinking nothing but Perrier delivered by your personal butler, you probably know better than to drink straight out of the first stream, pond, or gutter that you come across in an emergency. Even crystal-clear, clean-smelling water can contain millions of tiny bacteria, protozoa, and other waterborne pathogens that are invisible to the naked eye. And if the water you drink contains substantial amounts of those pathogens, you’re going to be in for some serious misery. Passing the water through a filter such as a LifeStraw can strain out these harmful microorganisms — the YouTube channel Sci-Inspi shows the results of this filtration at 1000x magnification through a microscope.

After leaving some decomposing leaves, dirt, and water in a beaker for a few days, the Sci-Inspi video shows a sample of the dirty water under the microscope. Even at a relatively low 40x magnification, the results will make your skin crawl. Under higher magnification, the water is absolutely teeming with life.

This water is then drawn through a LifeStraw filter using a sterile pipette, and the results are clear — literally. Although this isn’t a by-the-book test that precisely quantifies the number of remaining microorganisms, as required by NSF/ANSI test protocols, it does paint a general picture of why water filtration matters. Watch the 5-minute demonstration below, and keep this in mind next time you’re tempted to drink some questionable water in the woods.

For an overview of some of the options for water purification in a survival setting, refer to our previous articles:

Widener’s “Epic Water Filter Test” Lives Up to Its NameIn this “Epic Water Filter Test,” Widener’s passed contaminated water through 17 filters and purifiers, and had the resulting samples tested at an independent lab.
Thirst Quencher: 10 Ways to Fight Dehydration in a Survival ScenarioToday we’ll be taking a look at 10 methods to fight dehydration in a survival setting. There’s a lot more to it than just drinking from the first stream you find.
Survival Sanitation: Dealing with the “S” in SHTFIn this semi-tastefully written article, we will discuss how to handle pee, poop, and trash in disasters or bug-out scenarios. Safe sanitation is critical.
Video: How to Actually Survive QuicksandYes, people have actually died as a result of quicksand, but not in the way you might think. This video from The Infographics Show explains how to actually survive an encounter with this […]
Review: LifeSaver Jerrycan Water PurifierThe LifeSaver Jerrycan resembles a large fuel can, but it’s actually a basecamp water solution that helps you carry and purify water for your whole family.
How to Avoid Ticks and the Diseases They CarryTicks are an unavoidable fact of the outdoors, and while there’s no reason to lock oneself indoors during the warmer months, these tips can help you identify and avoid ticks.
Video: Unboxing a Pristine 1944 USN Pilot Survival KitIn the following video, Steve documents a “holy grail” item from his collection: a mint-condition M-592 USN Pilot Survival Kit from 1944.
Perishable Pills: Is it Safe to Consume Expired Medications?Dr. David Miller discusses some of the issues to consider when taking expired medications that have been salvaged from their imminent demise during a disaster.
Germ Warfare: How to Fight Infections After SHTFPreparing for microbial organisms and infections may not be on top of your list when planning for SHTF situations, but overlooking them can have fatal consequences.