Its been a while since ive been out in the wilderness, however im considering going back in. With that in mind I would like to be caught in a situation where im out of water. Florida gets hot as heck... I never think one could have too much water... any way, im thinking of adding a water purification straw to my survival kit. Has anybody used one of these devices? If so are they effective? or should I buy a regular filter? I also have a limited income and dont know to much about the good and the bad.

I've got one I've used several times. In AZ, it just seemed like a good idea. Haven't had to use it out of necessity yet, but I've used it out of a "curiosity" basis, with myself as the guinea pig. I didn't get sick, so I'm assuming that it works.

I like it because of the weight savings as compared to a normal ceramic back-packing filter, which I also have and even though they don't weigh that much. I can toss the straw into my daypack (where it normall resides) and not worry about it.

Something so small and so simple could make a helluva difference if'n you really ended up needing it..

I use the Camelbak Inline Micro-Filter. It hooks directly into the drinking tube on my hydration bladder. That way I can just fill up my bladder and go. Awesome idea and it isn't much bigger than one of the straw filters.