I recently went to Texas on vacation. I stopped at a 7/11 on my way home and i found that they are selling aluminum straws for 99 cents. i picked one up and used it on the way home. seems like it could be useful.

Thanks better start calling around.

Lee

They make real good blow guns.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news -- But what do these straws turn into - crack pipes / meth pipes.

A lot of places won't allow their sale for that reason. Same with the mini-flowers in a glass tube, also an easy to make crack pipe.

Sadly, this is true... I have yet to buy one though, seems like a good addition to a B.O.B.

I'd known about the flower tube crack pipe - the aluminum straws are a new one for me, though they do sound handy for frozen drinks! They wont' collapse!

I was thinking the same thing about the metal straw & how it might be looked at. Unfortunatly people only seem to see the negative use of certain itmes & not the positive.
Be carefull using the straw on a very cold drink think Christmas Story. I've only frozen my toungue once where it started to bleed and that was from a popsicle.

How about stainless...

http://www.amazon.com/STAINLESS-WIDE-STR...0077&sr=8-3

Cool find, Bill! Stainless steel might be a better choice as it doesn't conduct heat/cold as well as aluminum.

-Blast

they do get pretty cold when used in a slushie. they make your lips feel chapped or a minor burning feeling. not enough to stop me but maybe not a good idea for cold environments. but a metal straw is useful, and can take my abuse much better than plastic. i had not thought of the illegal usages.

I found out that the city I live in... not the greatest... does not sell them due ti that fact, so I need to find somewhere that does, or order one... which raises a question... what is a CF Straw? anyone know post links if possible!

CF? Carbon Fiber maybe. My local 7-11 (Tampa, Fla) had these about a year ago. Picked one up and its been in the murse since. Its been handy several times already.

Thats what I thought, but countless google searches show no results.

I'm going back for a few more and 2 for sybert.

Lee

Thanks Leemann, Appreciate it ALOT!!!

This reminds me of a little blurb in Colin Fletcher's book "The Complete Walker". It was in the second edition that I have, I don't know about subsequent editions or prior editions.

It was related to those metal 35mm film canisters were used to be able to get (I miss those things!) Someone was on trial after a cop saw a film cannister and called that probable cause to search for drugs. The defendant used Fletcher's book where it pointed out other uses for these cannisters. I believe it was a successful defense, but can't remember.

Just buy some of this and make your own straws:

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/coppertubing.html

If I were making my own, I think I'd use rigid plastic tubing, to avoid the cold weather issues.

I've experienced both lip and tongue frozen to cold metal. I have no desire to repeat either. Ever.

(Both were when I was young and stupider. The tongue was a "Would that really happen?", and the lip was on a dare, because I thought they wouldn't stick if I wiped them with my hand first. I was wrong.)

I could see a straw being useful in fire making or obtaining water from a very small trickle of water, but I have found a short length of 1/4" diameter surgical tubing extremely useful in both of those activities. The tubing could theoretically be used in a tourniquet, but I have never had to do that.

my friend sybert777 found out that the 7-11 straws are the same inside diameter as a .40 cai. blowgun. thus, the .40 cal. blowgun darts fit perfectly. But, DO NOT TAKE TO SCHOOL!

Duno about that, copper is poisonous and tastes like crap.

Huh?

You mean the MILLIONS of feet of copper water pipe in this country are poisionous?

It's ONLY a problem when heated, with certain acidic foods - which is why you tin copper pots

Yes, you can't cook acidic foods like tomatos for long in a copper vessel. But I think for normal hot & cold running household water copper is probably fine.

I think it's more of the lead from the solder used it join the copper pipes.