One of the things that we should always have in handy as airsoft players or outdoors people is hydration. We need to have something to replenish the fluids lost in our bodies when we do some physical exertion. But in case our water or whatever liquid we carry in our hydration packs or canteen, what do we do, even if we're in area where there's lots of areas with water, especially if we're unsure if they're safe for drinking?

There have been purification tablets, UV filters, and what have you and they do a good job in helping you have some safe drinking water at hand. But they also run out, tablets run out, and UV filters require batteries like the Camelbak All Clear. Also we need something simple and quicker to use, almost like taking out a straw and sipping the water available in the wilderness?

Enter the SureAqua Corp's Straw+ which aims to do just that, a simple personal filtration system that all it takes is for you to just start sipping the water like a straw.

ADSInc is supplying the SureAqua Straw+ that can be used by military soldiers for long range missions and for even military-civic use. As described at their website:

The SureAqua Straw+ is a portable and lightweight water filter used to provide safe drinking water by removing bacteria & viruses. It is fitted with a special membrane which uses microfiltration technology of 0.1 microns which exceeds the US CDC recommendations. It will protect against water born bacteria and protozoa found in both tap & fresh water supply in many countries. When used in accordance with the operating and maintenance instructions it filters out 99.99% of water born bacteria including Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The straw plus is re-usable, filtering up to 1000 liters (264 gallons) of water with a safety cut off when its reached its filtration limit.

To imagine 264 gallons, that's around 2,000 500ml bottles that we usually buy at some vendo machine. The simple design means that it’s pocketable and can be easily carried and even inserted in MOLLE loops for easy retrievable when needed. It is claimed that water filtered through the Straw+ does not have any bad taste, which means the water will be pleasant to drink. So water in streams, lakes, and local tap water that you don't trust can be drank with this personal filtration system.

Since it's simple to use, children as young as 12 months should find no problem in drinking from it. What we like about this system is that it can be easily shared to people in disaster areas whilst waiting for rescue teams to bring in potable water. For those in the outdoors, running out of water will not be much of a problem. When the canteen or hydration pack is empty, the Straw+ can then be used until a safer source of water supply can be used to fill up them up.

Using the Straw+ is submerging the receptacle to a depth that is indicated by the high water mark on the straw and simply sip through the mouthpiece. After drinking, remove the excess away and store it away. It should be cleaned and stored away if not in use within 5 days. Please take note that it does not filter away chemical contaminants and heavy metals in water such as lead, copper, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.

As for pricing, this version of the SureAqua Straw+ does not have one indicated. But the regular white SureAqua Straw+ costs US$92.75 or €57.75. It may look expensive, but then what price is safe drinking water when it really matters?