Survival Straws: Are They Worth It ?

The "survival straw" is said to provide an effective method for extracting drinking water from ponds and rivers, thanks to the presence of an internal element that supposedly purifies the water before it enters the mouth.

I have at least two (2) survival straws tucked away in my backpack, and they've been sitting there, unused, for approximately seven or eight years or so. I know of at least one survival author who recommends survival straws (I believe that it was Mr. Keller in "Keller's Outdoor Survival Guide"). I am somewhat apprehensive about using them, however, because if they don't work, then it could mean that my family and friends will end up with a severe case or "giadiosis" or worse.

Do you think that it's good idea to carry a survival straw with you when camping or traveling around in wilderness areas, or do you think that it would be a better idea to chuck them into the trash ? LW.

Here's a summary of the information I could find:

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.ph...=true#Post81654

NightHiker,

Do you find it easy to "suck" the water through that filter? I've always thought about that filter but was afraid of the reduced flow.

Adam

I have one that is a filter. But it is exactly that: A FILTER. It will remove Gardia and Cryptosporidium with it's 0.2 micro filter. It will not remove virus's. Fortunatly most viruses are easy to kill with chemical purification. It is intended for use in situations where I cannot (for whatever reason) treat the water with MP-1 tablets or I am limited to whatever puri-tabs I can obtain locally. That would probably mean Iodine or Chlorine tablets. Possibly using a Vitamin C tablet from the local chemists as a neutralising tablet in order to make it drinkable afterwards.

So the plan is: Fill the bottle. Tab it. Neutralise it before drinking and than suck the water up through the straw from the bottle.

I had one about 20 years ago, when I finally got around to trying it, the old "...suck a golf ball thru a garden hose..." story came to mind...

Sawyer now makes a filter, or should I say purifier, that will remove viruses without the use of chemicals. They also claim an approximate purifier filter life of 3000 gallons. I've been considering purchasing one for several weeks now. I can't find anyone who has tried them out. I believe they are pretty new to the market.
The second link below has more information and also has a link to videos.
The price of the SP135 Purifier Kit shows to be $122.90 on Sawyers website but I found them for $79.00 at Moontrail.com


Sawyer Viral Purifiers

Just Drink

smitty

I carry and use a straw and something else, two silver rods and three nine volts connected in line it will kill all bugs.

I had one years ago. It was like trying to suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
I threw it away.

Welcome Boater, you copycat...

7 or 8 years ago.... Isn't that the time that the FDA ordered them off the shelves becuase they didn't work as promised and that promise was only like a 4 or 5 micron filter? If they are the ones I remember, they had a finite shelf life, no more than five years IIRC.

Yeah, they sucked, and they are probably stale. Try the McNett, a lot of people like it. I've got my reservations, but YMMV.

[quote=NightHikerI've used the katadyn xtreme bottle filter before and was expecting about the same but there's a lot less resistance.[/quote]

I used the original extreme bottle filter - it lasted only one trip. To much work to drink water.

Adam

< "Fortunately most viruses are easy to kill with chemical purification." >


I'd REALLY like to know if you can kill viruses simply by boiling the water.

Does anybody know if boiling water kills viruses ?

LW.

The short answer is yes.

Keep in mind that not all viruses are created equal; there are both RNA and DNA viruses and enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. These factors are more important with chemical disinfectants/sterilents and the such. Many viruses are inactivated by simply becoming exposed to less then ideal (for the virus) environmental conditions such dehydration or exposure to UV.

Some bacteria (spore forming- i.e. some Bacillus spp.) are more resistant to adverse environmental factors and may require either greater lengths of time, higher pressures (use of pressure cooker or autoclave) or higher temperatures (dry heat) to achieve organism destruction.

Pete

if you use a straw, make sure they water is CLEAR, not just clear but very very very clear or else it will clogg very quickly.

Would you trust one to protect you against Cholera? I sure as hell won't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholera

Has anyone tried the "first need" water purifier by General Ecology ?

There's at least one survival author who says that nothing beats it.

How about the Katadyn pocket filter ? It retails for a couple of hundred bucks at REI. Mucho expensive.

LW.

Any references to this process?

A roiling boil will kill just about anything. It is always the first choice for water sterilisation. However, the tactical situation might prevent you from lighting a fire. That might be due to lack of fuel, Altitude (Water boil's at a lower temperature at higher altitudes). A need for concealment or some other reason. Use of a filter therefor, presumes an inability to boil.