Life Straw

A water purification system is an important part of anyone backpacking kit and there are many such systems available.  I love my msr water purification system and it is perfectly suited for damn near everything.  But what about those hikes where you just want to be as light weight as possible, maybe you are scaling some wicked cliffs hoping from rock to rock up some creek some where, in general playing.   The pump is a little overkill and bulky for that, but water is heavy and just as bad.  There is a new device available at www.vestergaard-frandsen.com that solves the problem perfectly.  The LifeStraw is a new purification system that sets the standard for minimal.  It is essentially just what the name implies-a straw, albeit a bit bigger than the average milk shake or coke straw.  This system is by far my new favorite for hiking in areas where I know there will be a lot of natural water.