Preparing for Outages with Sagan Life: Water, Storage, Kettle

Sagan Life LLC sells water purification, water and food storage, and Kelly Kettle camp stoves under one roof. The range sits at the point where emergency preparedness and camping overlap: a filter that works with no mains power, a container you can stack in a cupboard, a kettle that burns twigs. This is a research-based guide, not a hands-on test, built from the product details Sagan Life publishes for each item.

It suits households building an outage or storm kit, campers and hunters who want to drink from streams, and anyone who wants to reduce reliance on bottled water. Seven products are covered here, one from each distinct line, so you can see how the pieces fit together rather than reading seven near-identical filters.

At a glance

• AquaBrick Portable Water Purification System: a 3-gallon container with a pressurised filter and hand pump.
• AquaDrum 55 Gallon Drum Water Purification System: a filter and two pumps for a drum you supply.
• XStream Straw Water Purifier (Deluxe): a long drinking straw plus a spray pump, with two filters.
• RapidFlo Survival Water Filter: the lightest pump filter in the range.
• 5 Gallon Jug Water Filter System: a USB-rechargeable dispenser and filter for a standard water bottle.
• AquaBrick Food and Water Storage Containers (6 Pack): stackable storage for water or dry food.
• Kelly Kettle Base Camp: a stainless steel kettle that boils water over natural fuel.

AquaBrick Portable Water Purification System

The AquaBrick system combines a rugged blue container with a DuraFlo filter, tubing, a spigot and a manual hand pump. You fill the brick from a freshwater source, fit the filter, pump to build pressure, and then open the spigot to dispense into bottles, cookware or cups. It needs no electricity or batteries, and it is meant for non-saltwater sources such as lakes, rivers, rain collection or an emergency supply.

What sets it apart from a typical camping filter is that it stores water as well as treating it. The container holds three gallons, has integrated carrying handles, and is designed to stack and interlock with other bricks. It can be used for plain storage when you are not filtering, which makes it a flexible piece of kit for a home preparedness shelf as well as a camp.

The DuraFlo filter is rated for 99.99999% of bacteria, 99.99% of viruses and 99.9999% of protozoa, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The system is also described as reducing heavy metals, chemicals and other contaminants. Check the product page for the filter's replacement guidance before you rely on it.

Key specs:

• Capacity: 3 gallons (11.35 litres)
• Dimensions: 9 in W x 18 in L x 6 in H (22.86 x 45.72 x 15.24 cm)
• Empty brick weight: 2.36 lb (1.07 kg)
• Pump: manual hand pump, no power needed
• Material: BPA-free, food-grade high-density polyethylene
• Included: AquaBrick, DuraFlo filter, hand pump, tubing, spigot

Best for: households that want storage and purification in one stackable unit, and campers with a fixed base camp.

AquaDrum 55 Gallon Drum Water Purification System

The AquaDrum is for people who already keep, or plan to keep, a large barrel of water. The kit adds a Journey nanofiber filter, a USB-rechargeable PowerPump, a manual hand pump, a hose assembly and the required fittings. It works with a 55-gallon drum or any barrel with an opening of 2 inches or more. The drum itself is sold separately.

The point of the design is that stored water is purified as it is dispensed. There are three ways to draw it: the electric pump, the hand pump, or siphoning with the hand pump. That redundancy matters in a long outage, because the electric pump needs a charge while the manual route does not.

The Journey filter is listed as removing 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.99% of viruses, 99.99% of Giardia and 99.99% of Cryptosporidium.

Key specs:

• Storage: up to 55 gallons in a drum you supply
• Drum opening: 2 in or larger
• Dispensing: USB-rechargeable PowerPump, manual hand pump, or siphon
• Filter: Journey nanofiber filter
• Included: filter, PowerPump, hand pump, hose assembly, fittings, setup instructions

Best for: homes, cabins and off-grid properties that want a large water reserve with a built-in way to treat it.

XStream Straw Water Purifier (Deluxe)

The XStream is a personal purifier you drink through. You place the Journey filter in the water, connect the drinking tube and sip, with no pumping, batteries or chemicals involved. The tube is 48 inches long, so you can stand or kneel beside a stream instead of lying on the bank.

The Deluxe version also includes a spray pump, which turns it into a way to fill bottles, rinse cookware and wash hands or produce, and to share water with others in your group. It comes with two Journey filters; each is rated for roughly 250 gallons. A Basic version without the hand pump is also offered in the range.

Key specs:

• Filter: Journey, rated for about 250 gallons each
• Listed removal: 99.9999% bacteria, 99.99% viruses, 99.99% Giardia and Cryptosporidium
• Drinking tube: 48 in
• Power: none; no batteries, no chemicals
• Included in Deluxe: two Journey filters, spray pump, straw and tube, storage components, instructions

Best for: backpackers, travellers and anyone building a grab-and-go emergency pack.

RapidFlo Survival Water Filter

RapidFlo is described as the lightest and most compact purifier in the range. It is a pump-style unit: a Journey filter sits in the water, and you squeeze the hand pump to fill your own bottle or someone else's. Together they weigh 6.2 oz, and the whole unit measures 22 inches from the top of the pump to the base of the filter.

The practical difference from the XStream is how you use it. With the straw you drink from the source; with RapidFlo you pump into a container, so you can fill several bottles for a group and stay dry on the bank or even over the side of a boat. It also includes a spray pump for rinsing and sharing water.

Key specs:

• Weight: 6.2 oz (with pump)
• Length: 22 in from pump top to filter bottom
• Filter: one Journey filter, rated for up to 250 gallons
• Listed removal: 99.9999% bacteria, 99.99% protozoa, 99.99% viruses
• Also reduces lead, fluoride and arsenic, as listed
• Power: none

Best for: hikers and kit builders who want the smallest, lightest pump filter that can serve a group.

5 Gallon Jug Water Filter System

This is the everyday-use option. It adapts a standard 3- or 5-gallon water bottle into a countertop dispenser: a Journey filter goes inside, and a USB-rechargeable pump on top delivers water at the push of a button. No plumbing or tools are needed, so it suits apartments and rented homes, offices, RVs and cabins.

Using it daily has a side benefit for preparedness: you already know how it works if an outage arrives. A standard bottle is needed and is not part of the kit, and the blue donut cap that comes with it rests on the bottle to steady the pump rather than screwing on. The filter is rated for up to 250 gallons, and replacement filters are sold separately.

Key specs:

• Fits: standard 3- and 5-gallon water bottles
• Pump: USB rechargeable
• Filter: Journey, rated for up to 250 gallons
• Listed removal: 99.9999% bacteria, 99.99% viruses, 99.99% Giardia and Cryptosporidium
• Installation: none; no plumbing required

Best for: households and offices that want a portable alternative to buying bottled water, and a ready dispenser for outages.

AquaBrick Food and Water Storage Containers (6 Pack)

If the purification kits are about treating water, the six-pack is about keeping it. Each AquaBrick holds 3 gallons of water or about 20 lb of dry food. The bricks are BPA-free HDPE, watertight, opaque to block light, and stack in a variety of configurations. Two integrated handles help with carrying, and grooves on the sides take straps for transport or for securing containers on high shelves.

The pack includes one spigot for dispensing liquids and a funnel for filling the bricks with dry goods. A separate ventless spigot and cap accessory is sold to turn a brick into a beverage dispenser. Care notes for storage include keeping water bricks off bare concrete, stacking no more than five high and rotating stored water every twelve months.

Key specs:

• Capacity per brick: 3 gallons of water or about 20 lb of food
• Material: BPA-free HDPE, opaque walls
• Included: six bricks, one spigot and a funnel
• Suggested stacking: up to five bricks high

Best for: anyone building long-term water or dry-food storage who wants uniform, stackable containers.

Kelly Kettle Base Camp

Water is only useful if you can heat it. The Kelly Kettle is a stainless steel kettle with a central chimney: you light sticks, twigs, dry grass or bark in the fire base underneath, and the flame runs up the chimney through the water. Because it burns natural fuel, you do not carry gas or liquid fuel. A green whistle stopper sounds when the water has boiled.

The Base Camp is the largest of the three kettle sizes. It boils about 54 fl oz at a time, roughly nine 6 oz mugs, which suits families, scout camps, hunting camps and car camping. It weighs 2.55 lb and stands 13 in tall. A fire base, whistle and drawstring bag come with it, and the fire base inverts up into the kettle for compact storage. Always carry a kettle upright when it is full, and remove any older rubber or cork stopper before boiling.

Add-ons such as a pot support, cook set or Hobo Stove let you cook small meals over the same fire. The smaller Trekker size is the one aimed at one or two people.

Key specs:

• Capacity: about 54 fl oz
• Height: 13 in
• Weight: 2.55 lb
• Material: stainless steel
• Included: kettle, fire base, whistle, carry bag
• Fuel: sticks, twigs, dry grass, pine cones and bark

Best for: families and groups who want a hot drink or boiled water without carrying fuel.

How to choose between them

Things to know before buying

• Freshwater only. The purifiers are described for non-saltwater use, such as lakes and rivers. Salt water is not what they are made for.
• Drum and bottle are separate. The AquaDrum is sold without a drum, and the jug system needs a standard 3- or 5-gallon bottle that you supply.
• Filter life varies. The Journey filters are rated for up to 250 gallons, but the actual life depends on how dirty the water you treat is. Replacement filters are sold separately, so check which one fits your product.
• Power. The AquaBrick, XStream and RapidFlo work without electricity. The AquaDrum and jug system use a USB-rechargeable pump, though the AquaDrum also has a manual pump.
• Weight and size. Compare the 6.2 oz RapidFlo with the 2.36 lb empty AquaBrick if you are carrying it on foot.
• Kettle fuel. A Kelly Kettle needs dry natural fuel and a safe place to burn it; check local fire rules where you camp.
• Check availability. Some items can be on backorder or out of stock, so look at the store page before planning around a specific product.

Questions readers ask