First Need

I bought my First Need water purifier which is made by a company out of Pennsylvania called General Ecology?almost ten years ago for a trip to Mexico. Since that trip where I first used it to "make" water it has seen action in seven 3rd world countries, plus in the woods of Minnesota, to provide healthy, clean, pathogen free drinking water. I will reccomend this irreplaceable tool to anyone. Bringing it to India was a last second decision thankfully pushed through by Gretchen.

We have been purifying the tap water out of our hotel rooms since day one. The First Need is the only mechanical portable purifier, to my knowledge, on the market that has the capability to remove pathogens on the virus scale. Do not confuse this tool with the popular "filters" that many of you may have used in the Boundry Waters or on other back woods excurtions.

I routinely quality check the device by mixing a few drops of blue food coloring into a glass of tap and if it comes out clear we are good to drink.

I had my reservations of using the First Need here in Varanasi where the water works pumps its tap water right out of the Ganges where the water has thousands of times the safe limit of fecal parts per million- don't quote me on this mumbo jumbo- lets just say it is shitty water. But I am continuing to use the First Need. The filter has a life of around 150 gallons. I have been making about 2 liters a day for drinking and tooth brushing. At the same time saving the hundreds of plastic bottles we would have used if not for the First Need.