The small filters sawyer makes are more practical for storing your water as you find it and no more a burden than that little straw.
I cosign.. I have a Sawyer "squeeze" that's way better than the "straw" for most of the camping I do.. It's great for filling canteens etc, but you do have to carry extra shit like that syringe for backing out the crap-water before you put it away for the next use. It's like a water e-cig.
That being said, there's a place for the LS. I'm not a traveler, but thanks to all of the good info on this site, I'm way way way better prepared than I would have been if I'd never stumbled upon this site.... I'm a camping enthusiast, & usually have the luxury of preparing for my time out in the woods.
I go back and forth to Jacksonville from Gainesville two or three days a week*, and have put together a robust pack/gear set up that would allow me to walk home really comfortably over the three days it would take in the worst case scenario with tons of tips I picked up here- The LS is part of that kit. I would not depend on one as a reliable source of water, but in a pinch, I really think one could save your life...
I think the filtration is fine, but if you're trying to fill a pot to cook something, I think you'd have to suck then spit into your canteen cup or mess kit in the absence of accessories, and that's just sub-optimal, the Sawyer is better, but if you're just trying to get home after the zombies attack, I'd pack one.
*No one spanges the South bound lanes under the bridge in Baldwin to this day. If I see you there, we'll go to waffle house!
