Anyone have experience with

[Mark W Heninger]

Was perusing backcountrygear.com and found the Mcnett “Straw Filter”:

Mcnett Straw Filter

Anyone used this or had access to it?

[Ryan Faulkner]

Looks like an emergency tool, but it may work as a primary filtration system if used in conjungtion with aqua mira or Klearwater.

good find, 1/4oz and only $7

[Mark W Heninger]

Exactly my thought. I see this as a backup to the aquamira/Klearwater treatments.

Just ordered one to give it a try.

I wonder if these could be adapted to an inline filter?

[kevin davidson]

Actually used one on a 3 nite trip, last fall in the Sierra. I was curious and I had back up.

It works well enough for direct drinking out of streams and lakes but watch out for large, course, stuff ( pre-filtering is a pain because of sucking action). One can, of course, fill a bottle up w/ non-treated water and suck out of that.

Because it has a very limited lifetime, I think it wise to log quantity use.

I don’t see it replacing my Aquamira( just one more non-essential cluttering up my pack) but plan to keep one in my car bound emergency kit. I don’t think it could be easily adapted (if at all) for “in-line” use.

One of my hiking partners uses one in lieu of Aquamira as she can’t stand the taste (it has taste?).

[Anonymous]

“adapted to an inline filter”

Mating tubing to the influent side would be difficult without fabricating some type of fitting. Effluent side mating would be easier, requiring just some tubing the same diameter as the drinking straw – would probably need to use some type of adhesive to hold the effluent tubing in place.

Note that the 2 micron pore size will not remove all bacteria. It’s primarily aimed at cyst and spore elimination.

[Douglas Frick]

> Anyone used this or had access to it?

McNett Frontier Filter: my measured weight 0.6 oz (dry); straw weighs less than 0.1 oz, since filter and straw together weight 0.6 oz.

> Looks like an emergency tool, but it may work as a primary filtration system if used in conjungtion with aqua mira or Klearwater.

I’ve carried one in my day-hike kit, along with a bottle of iodine tabs, for several years in case I ran out of water (a dangerous thing in Hawaii).

You would have to first apply the chemical disinfectant to your water, then drink it through the straw to get rid of the big nasties that the chemical doesn’t get (cysts). It would be a good idea to pre-filter the water with a bandana if it wasn’t clear, to make sure the chemical was able to work effectively.

> I wonder if these could be adapted to an inline filter?

I suppose it could (maybe by superglueing a cut-open Camelbak Big Bite valve over the end?). It doesn’t take a lot of effort to get water out of it. I removed the straw, inverted the filter, filled it with water, and the water came out the straw-end in a steady flow of drops so it would probably also work as a gravity filter if you wanted to use it as a pre-filter before using the chemical disinfectant.

I used something similar to this thirty years ago as my only water treatment when we quit drinking raw water in the Olympic mountains.

[larry savage]

I used one mtn. biking off and on for a couple of seasons in the Cascades. Primarily as a back up when the bottles ran out. Finally took it out in a crash. I’ld hate to say it was effective by the fact I didn’t get sick..

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