I enjoyed being able to chat with everyone yesterday as well. I'm still a late shifter. So that's one of the few times I'm on here. Most people are fast asleep then.

Skunk if you want a decent affordable emergency filter as a backup te life straws are great and popular online everything business usually has them on sale around black Friday for about 10-11 bucks.

I have a Katydn but I have never used it. It has set in a pack for probably 7 years.

The lifestraws are pretty good but you need a lot of suction to get them working the first time.

MB, I do have a couple of the pioneer survival straws for Patty and I for emergency use as they only work for a smaller amount of water. I am talking about something to use if you can only get water from a natural source or that the municipal water supply if it is still working has been compromised in some way (as in a boil water alert). In other words I am looking at something much more/larger than a life straw.

Have you considered making your own? A 5 gallon bucket style filter? Otherwise the Sawyer looks like a solid buy.

At one time Randy talked about getting the double bucket set up but I don't think he got it. I also told him of a Katadyn Pocket Filter that was on sale for $100.00 (new!) at the time but he passed on it. Sometimes I wonder about him!

Now, all that fell through Tom, Unfortunately. Of course that was before I retired and didn't have the semi available funds like we do now. I had forgotten all about that.

Good morning Yard.

G'mornin Dogs. Supposed to be a Sunny 93 degrees and 87% humidity here today.

Afternoon Dogs!

Back to the grind. Getting ready for work and it supposed to be 93 today. That's way too warm for my hilly billy self. I'm betting I have over 300 emails waiting for me when I get to the office. LOL, I'm refusing to look before I get back in front of a computer in my office.

Good afternoon, Yard.

I had been involved with disaster communications for the Red Cross for many years and then MARS. This lead to an interest in prepping. All of the food and water I bought 20 years ago is of course gone now but I still have the durable goods. Also, I have been a backpacker and camper for many years and have all the gear for that. I have not been diligent the last few years in keeping up my emergency preparations because of laziness really. I still had a few supplies and the knowledge of what this pandemic could do to create shortages. I was able to build up an adequate food supply back in January and February.

Good on you Ray. The only thing Patty and I was sweating about was TP, and even that wasn't really critical. I think the lowest we got down to was 8 rolls.

The only REAL backpacking I've ever done was when I went to Philmont for two weeks back in '68. I was 14, and it was GLORIOUS! Don't get me wrong, carrying a 40-45 pound pack was rough but man was it pretty country. 10 days out in the Mountains with only what we had with us. Well we did get a resupply at day 6 I think, but we refused the mule pack train and decided to Shanks Mare the entire 10 days with US playing the er ah Donkeys.

If I remember correctly. and I HAVE slept since then, so who knows, I fell short of Eagle Scout by 4 badges.