How to use

Clean Water in Three Steps.

Everything you need to use your Blackout Survival Straw, with pictures and short videos for every step. No power, no pump, nothing to set up.

1Take off both capsKeep them for storage
2Drink or filterFour ways, shown below
3Backflush & storeKeeps it working
Show me how ↓ How to backflush
No powerNo pump. No batteries.

Know Your Straw

Two ends, two jobs. Everything below uses these two words.

A

The top (mouthpiece)

The narrow end with the cap and loop. You drink from here, and the syringe pushes in here to backflush.

The caps

One on each end. Take both off to use it, put both back on to store it.

ABThe Blackout Survival Straw standing upright, mouthpiece at the top, threaded end at the bottom
B

The bottom (threaded end)

Goes into the dirty water. It also screws onto any standard 28 mm water bottle or the squeeze pouch.

Inside

A 0.01 micron membrane catches bacteria, parasites and dirt. A carbon stage cuts chlorine, bad taste and odour.

In the box

What Everything Is For

Six pieces. Here’s what each one does.

The straw

The straw

The filter. Drink through it, or water drips through it.

The 1 litre squeeze pouch

Squeeze pouch

Holds 1 litre of dirty water. Squeeze it or hang it.

The backflush syringe

Backflush syringe

Pushes clean water back through to clear the filter.

The clear tube

Clear tube

A drip tube for gravity mode, or an extension to reach water.

The lanyard

Lanyard

Wear it round your neck or loop it to a bag.

The carabiner

Carabiner

Clip it to a bag, or hang the pouch for gravity mode.

!

Before You Start

  • Use fresh water only: rivers, creeks, lakes, rain barrels, or tap water during a boil notice. Not sea water or pool water.
  • The first few sips are the hardest while the membrane soaks up water. After that it gets easier.
  • Keep the top (mouthpiece) out of the dirty water. Only the bottom goes in.
  • Floodwater or anything near sewage? Filter it, then boil it or use a purification tablet. The straw isn’t rated for viruses.
Four ways to use it

Pick the Way That Suits You

Same straw, same clean water. Choose whichever fits where you are.

Drinking straight from a creek1

Straight From the Source

Sip right out of a creek, lake or bucket.

See how →
Drinking through the straw on a water bottle2

On a Water Bottle

Fill a bottle, screw it on, take it with you.

See how →
Squeezing the pouch through the straw into a glass3

Squeeze Pouch

Squeeze clean water into a glass or cup.

See how →
The pouch hanging with water dripping into a jug4

Gravity Drip

Hang it up and fill a jug, hands-free.

See how →
Method 1
1

Straight From the Source

Creeks & riversLakesA bucket or rain barrel
  1. Take both caps off.
  2. Put the bottom (threaded end) into the water. Keep the top out.
  3. Sip from the mouthpiece like a normal straw. Give it a few sips to get going.
Can’t reach the water? Push the clear tube onto the bottom end and drop it into the water, like a narrow container or a deep rain barrel.
Method 2
Drinking through the straw screwed onto a water bottle
2

On a Water Bottle

Carrying water with youHanding it to someoneIn the car
  1. Fill any standard water or soda bottle with the dirty water.
  2. Take both caps off and screw the bottom of the straw onto the bottle.
  3. Drink from the mouthpiece with the bottle below, or turn it over and squeeze clean water into a cup.
Tip: fits the 28 mm neck on most plastic water and soda bottles. Refill the bottle as many times as you like.
Method 3
3

Squeeze Pouch

Filling a glass or cupCooking waterKids & older family
  1. Fill the pouch with dirty water from the source.
  2. Screw the bottom of the straw onto the pouch spout.
  3. Hold it over a glass and squeeze gently. Clean water comes out of the mouthpiece.
Tip: squeeze slow and steady. Hard squeezing doesn’t make it faster and is hard on the pouch.
Method 4
4

Gravity Drip

Filling a jugWater for the whole familyHands-free
  1. Fill the pouch with dirty water and screw the bottom of the straw onto it.
  2. Push the clear tube onto the mouthpiece.
  3. Hang the pouch by its loop with the carabiner, straw pointing down.
  4. Put the tube into a jug or pot and let gravity fill it while you do something else.
Tip: the higher you hang it, the faster it drips. A tree branch, door handle or hook all work.
Watch
Keep it working

How to Backflush

This is the one thing that keeps your straw flowing for its full 1,800 gallons. It takes about 30 seconds.

After each useWhen it gets hard to sipBefore storing it
  1. Fill the syringe with clean or already-filtered water.
  2. Push the syringe tip into the top (mouthpiece) of the straw.
  3. Press the plunger. Water flows backwards and out of the bottom, taking the trapped dirt with it.
  4. Repeat 2 or 3 times until it runs clear.
No clean water? Filter some through the straw into a cup first, then use that in the syringe.
After you’re done

Dry It, Cap It, Store It

Put one where you’ll actually need it.

Kitchen drawer
Car glove box
Go-bag
  1. Backflush it (above).
  2. Shake it out and let it air-dry completely, a day or two.
  3. Put both caps back on.
  4. Store it somewhere cool and dry, ready for next time.
10+ yearsShelf life, unused and sealed.
1,800 gallonsHow much one straw filters once you start using it.
Don’t let a wet straw freezeA new, dry straw is fine in a cold car. Once used, keep it from freezing until it’s fully dry.
Quick fixes

If Something’s Not Right

?It’s hard to sip through

Normal for the first few sips. If it stays hard, backflush it 2 or 3 times.

?Gravity mode is dripping slowly

Hang the pouch higher, check the tube isn’t kinked, then backflush.

?Nothing comes out when I squeeze

Check the straw is screwed on by its bottom (threaded) end, and both caps are off.

?A used straw froze while wet

The membrane may be damaged. Replace it to be safe.

Free printable

Your Emergency Water Card

Print it, fold it into your go-bag or tape it inside the kitchen drawer, so anyone in the house can use the straw without looking anything up.

  • Prints on one A5 card (half an A4 sheet)
  • The four steps, with pictures
  • Space to note where your straws are kept

Emergency Water Card

Blackout Survival Straw · keep with your straw
Read me first
1

Uncap

Take off both caps. Keep them.

2

Filter

Bottom end in the water, or screw it onto a bottle or the pouch.

3

Drink

Sip from the top, squeeze into a cup, or hang it to drip.

4

Backflush

Syringe of clean water into the top, push through. Dry, cap, store.

Fresh water only No sea or pool water Floodwater: filter, then boil Never freeze once wet
Straws in this kit:
Spares kept in:
Date packed:
1,800 gallons per straw · 10+ year shelf lifetryblackoutwater.com/pages/how-to-use

Still Got a Question?

What it filters, what it doesn’t, how long it lasts and more, all answered on our FAQ page.

Read the FAQ → Get a straw for everyone