LifeStraw is the original award-winning ultra-light and portable personal water filter that makes contaminated water safe to drink. The straw-style filter lets people drink directly from streams and lakes or from any container. This makes it ideal for hiking, backpacking, camping, travel, and emergency preparedness. LifeStraw removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, and 99.9% waterborne protozoa, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium. It also reduces turbidity or muddiness, by filtering particulate matter larger than 0.2 microns. The thin straw-like cylinder is just 9” long, weighs 2 ounces, and requires no electrical power, batteries or replacements parts. Throughout its life, LifeStraw will transform 264 gallons of contaminated water into safe drinking water. It will last for nine months if a person uses it to drink eight glasses of filtered water a day. At the end of its life, the flow rate will decrease until the LifeStraw stops pulling water through the filter.