Finally caved and bought a water filtration straw after 4 years of mocking them
Tried it on a creek behind my uncle's place in Vermont during a fishing trip and realized I'd been hauling 3 gallons of boiled water in my pack like a fool, anyone else eat crow on gear they swore was gimmick?
Ate crow on a camping stove I swore I'd never need. Carried it for two seasons, never lit the thing once, then got caught in a downpour on a three day trip and it was the only way I got a hot meal. Same deal with the filtration straw honestly, though I went even dumber. I used to boil creek water for like twenty minutes because I was scared of getting sick, which wasted gas and time and made everything taste like a campfire. Bought a cheap straw last summer and now I drink straight from the source on every hike, no boiling, no hauling. My pack dropped like eight pounds and my back is thrilled. Sometimes the gimmick is a gimmick and sometimes you're just stubborn for no good reason.