I am a bit confused... Does the shelf life of 5 years begin after first use? Or 5 years even if unused? Does it have a manufactured date on it? If we don't use them do we need to replace them every 5 years? I am a bit confused... Does the shelf life of 5 years begin after first use? Or 5 years even if unused? Does it have a manufactured date on it? If we don't use them do we need to replace them... » Read More I am a bit confused... Does the shelf life of 5 years begin after first use? Or 5 years even if unused? Does it have a manufactured date on it? If we don't use them do we need to replace them every 5 years? « Show Less
196367
i thought this can only filter 25 gallons? I'll have to go back to my manual to verify. 265 gallons seems like way too much. even my bad ass water filters on my fishtank can't do that many gallons.
196368
I tested mine out with fresh water then blew it out and put it in my bug out bag. It has been in there for around a year, I just took it out to put some more fresh water through it and it is completely clogged, Nothing being drawn through, then I blew through it and nothing came out, I poured some fresh water into it from the end and let it trickle through it. That loosened it up and I was able to suck fresh water through it.Now I am not so sure I trust it to filter water.
196369
I emailed Lifestraw and this is what they sent me...LifeStraw® does not have a shelf life - we have tested it up to 5 years without detectable deterioration in our water lab, and there are no organics or otherwise unstable elements in the unit.Take it for what it says... ???
196370
There's actually no longer a shelf life listed. It was initially 3 years, then 5 years, and now Vestergaard of Switzerland (the manufacturer) has removed the notice completely. They were designed for use in African countries where the constant hot sun degrades any plastic, and the shelf life notice was created in case some users left them outside for years in the sun. Turns out it wasn't much of an issue to worry about, so the shelf life notice has been lifted. You can use it, store it, and use it again without problem. Just be sure it's totally dry inside before storing - in fact you can store it uncapped to be sure. There's actually no longer a shelf life listed. It was initially 3 years, then 5 years, and now Vestergaard of Switzerland (the manufacturer) has removed the notice completely. They were designed for use in African countries where the constant hot sun degrades any plastic, and the shelf life notice was created in case some users left them outside for years in the sun. Turns out it wasn't much of an issue to worry about, so the shelf life notice has been lifted. You can use it, store it, and use it again without problem. Just be sure it's totally dry inside before storing - in fact you can... » Read More There's actually no longer a shelf life listed. It was initially 3 years, then 5 years, and now Vestergaard of Switzerland (the manufacturer) has removed the notice completely. They were designed for use in African countries where the constant hot sun degrades any plastic, and the shelf life notice was created in case some users left them outside for years in the sun. Turns out it wasn't much of an issue to worry about, so the shelf life notice has been lifted. You can use it, store it, and use it again without problem. Just be sure it's totally dry inside before storing - in fact you can store it uncapped to be sure. « Show Less
196371
Unused it can sit indefinitely. The life span is based on the gallons filtered. Once you begin to use it with proper cleaning and dry storage it will purify a minimum of 1000 litres (264 gallons) of water. This is enough water for one person for a year with regular use. However, kept clean and dry it can last years with occasional use.
1677442
I've used this product for a number of years and it works great! I've never had a problem with shelf life. There Website for this product may provide you what you're looking for:http://www.itwconsumer.com/devcon-products/product.cfm?id=DUCO%C2%AE%20Cement%2C%201%20fl.%20oz.%20carded-52 Good Luck,Bob
1593482
I purchased mine about 6 months ago. Package says use by 9/2015 so I guess that was about 2 years shelf life. As others have stated these last much longer.
2091857
There's actually no longer a shelf life listed. It was initially 3 years, then 5 years, and now Vestergaard of Switzerland (the manufacturer) has removed the notice completely. They were designed for use in African countries where the constant hot sun degrades any plastic, and the shelf life notice was created in case some users left them outside for years in the sun. Turns out it wasn't much of an issue to worry about, so the shelf life notice has been lifted. You can use it, store it, and use it again without problem. Just be sure it's totally dry inside before storing - in fact you can store it uncapped to be sure.
1998594
I have received some units with only a little over two years of shelf life left, and some with almost 4 years. I have purchased 5 from Amazon.
1547833
There is a "manufactured date" but no expiration date. I called the company awhile back and was told it was good for two years from the manufactured date. Mine was stamped 8/2013 so it is good until August of 2015 (this year) which is about when I will be re-ordering more. ( I purchased a large supply when it was on sale)
141169
when they cant sell it on the shelf anymore. we use ours and they are about 4 months expired and still work just fine. the only downer is after that they tend to dry up faster if they aren't getting everyday use. ;( hope that helps.
2117855
Mine had March 1, 2015 on it. I don't want to sound cavalier about it, but this is one of those products I don't worry about with regard to expiration, although there's plenty of time left. It's made of roasted grain that has a long shelf life. I suppose it could eventually get rancid, but it may take a long time. By that time it will be gone.
1184916
I have had mine (ordered a full box) for 5 months. It recommended refrigeration to prolong shelf life. It is still delicious.
681817
It's usually the last day that the seller should sell the item. It DOES NOT mean that the item will be no good the next day! There is a "shelf life" for perishables - usually about 3 years for most batteries. That is a more reliable way to figure out if something will last - or is still good. The "expiration date" takes that into account. So - after the last recommended date of sale - the batteries should still be good for another year or two.
158009
From investigating on the internet, the shelf life is 5.5 years from date of manufacture. I would expect that it probably is effective much longer than that if kept in its original unopened pouch. At worst, I would expect it to be much better than nothing even after seven or eight years.
469591
I'm not sure. I never had a problem with mine. I used mine up already and I don't believe they last as long if they were dated. If they were dated ten years from now, would you want to wait that long to see if they were still good?
1242216
It is because Amazon makes us put an expiration date on the bottle. However, our manufacturer puts on the date the product was made. These have at least a two year shelf-life. We are in the process of real time testing to determine that. We don't make false claims about expiration dates which is why we use date of manufacture. Many companies just randomly come up with expiration dates of three years out or more. We are being conservative at 2 yrs. As we get our stability testing back (real time), we will be updating the bottles from manufactured date to expiration date.
2093486
Mine says it was bottled on 11/1/2013 and has a 3 year shelf life. I got it today (5/12/14), so it did sit for almost 6 months meaning I get 2.5 years of use out of it. I'm sure I'll use it all up in that time frame though, even just using a few drops at a time maybe a couple times per day.
232792
There is no expiration date. If you look online you can deduce the "manufactured" date. They can be good for up to ten years but it depends on the temperature, etc. in which they are stored. Again, refer to sites about this. As a retired military member I can tell you that I will probably consume mine within 5 years and replenish my stock .
400161
I suspect we were sent knock-offs because ours came without any dating on them at all. It's fine that the listing at Amazon says they're good for a shelf life of 8-10 years, but that's only useful if there's a date on the package ... our has none, so who knows?
1351427
the items that I received had the full time as described. So if the water said it had a 5 year shelf life, it was 5 years from the date I purchased, one date I remember seeing on some of the items exp date july 2017, these items I had purchased the end of 2012 so it was just a couple of months shy of 5 years