The Water Purifying iStraw
As shown, the iStraw is a very simple, yet highly effective water purifying device, which is invaluable to those travelling abroad to places where water treatment is not commonplace, or where they will be living in remote areas without access to clean water.
It is perfect for volunteer travellers abroad, who often visit countries which do not have the same high standards of water treatment as found in the countries where they travel from.
The iStraw uses special, non-chemical technology developed in Australia, which filters out undesirable bacteria and other micro-organisms which live in the water. There are some simple operating instructions, but it is simply a case of inserting the straw into the fluid and using it just like any normal straw. Each straw can be used to filter up to 500 litres of municipal or town tap water, or water from clear streams. It should not be used in hot water (over 32 degrees celcius or 90 degrees farenheit), nor cloudy or salty water, nor should it be frozen. It does not filter out chemical contaminents, so you need to be sure your water source is not chemically contaminated or you may have to use a secondary water cleaner too to remove the chemicals.
Use of the iStraw can help prevent unwanted bouts of travellers diarrhoea and sickness caused by contaminated water, and which can adversely affect your volunteer holiday, trip, or even a significant part of your volunteer experience. The iStraw does need some cleaning and maintenance to ensure it remains effective, but there are clear instructions on what to do. The iStraw does not use iodine, which means there is no nasty chemical aftertaste following use of the straw. You can find out even more about the iStraw and buy it here for £19.99 plus postage and packaging.
If you have used the iStraw and would be happy to give us your view, please contact us here making it clear you are talking about the iStraw. I have used the iStraw on a couple of occasions when drinking municipal tap water in Ecuador, without any obvious problem that I could attribute to use of the straw itself. It is a little larger than expected but easy to carry. I found that I decided not to swallow the first few mouthfuls of water due to a slight plastic taste/smell associated with new things when drinking from the straw, however, this did seem to go after a few sips through the straw.