Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So I intentionally got lost in the wilderness with a couple friends with the LifeStraw in my pocket and nothing else. We came across a river and decided that we should get some hydration before venturing any deeper. I plopped it into the water and sucked... and sucked... and sucked and sucked and sucked, to no avail. I couldn't get a single drop through the straw. My friends tried their hands at it as well and still couldn't get that life affirming liquid to their lips. We were doomed. We were going to die of dehydration out in the redwood wilderness, huddled around a useless LifeStraw. So we laugh it off and they make fun of me for the next several hours as we trek back to our car. I was a little downtrodden that I had wasted money on such a worthless product, even when everyone was saying how amazing and lifechanging it was! I was ready to just toss the piece of plastic off to the side and forget it among the trees. But I held on to it. Once I got home, I looked through the directions - and I realized my mistake. You are supposed to SUBMERGE IT before trying to get the water through. The water has to soak into the fibers totally before you begin sucking. So I grab a cup of water and dunk the LifeStraw into it, letting it soak for a few minutes. After the time passes, I suck... and WATER! I drink the whole cup up with very little issue. Frantically I call my friends and tell them how it wasn't a piece of junk and how we were just stupid guys who didn't read the directions. Ever since I learned the correct usage, I've used it on every hike I go on. It's an excellent piece of equipment to bring along and works well when you know how to use it. So trust what everyone else is saying - this thing works!