Hey guys, we all know that the TABS canteen straw is a must have accessory but, as Aoresteen has shown in his canteen straw mod post (
http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...=canteen+straw), there’s a lot of room that the TABS straw leaves for improvement. But, what if we rethought the canteen straw all together? There shouldn’t be any reason for us not to have access to both of our canteens, negating the need for either purchasing 2 straws or stopping to switch canteens in the middle of an event.
Here’s a new canteen straw design my buddy came up with and gave me his blessing to share it with the rest of the community. It's a vacuum design that removes the straw from inside the canteen, but it will still pull water even if your 2qt canteens are right side up and not full.
I’m calling it That Rucking Straw.
The only tools you need are a pair of pliers, small vice grips, scissors and a couple of #1 or #2 flathead screwdrivers.
http://s23.postimg.org/qyz3dmraz/01_Tools.jpg
The parts you need include…
http://s22.postimg.org/p3fitr57l/02_Parts.jpg
2 x NBC canteen caps
2 x barb connectors (
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...8098&catid=465)
1 x barbed tee connector (
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=62064)
6 ft. of 1/4” inner-diameter, 3/8” outer-diameter vinyl tubing cut to 1.75”, 30” and 36” (
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-3-8...GE10/202257571)
Camelbak mouthpiece - I use the same ones found on the issue camelbak
1. Remove the NBC rubber cover on your caps.
http://s22.postimg.org/qwifi2qe9/04_Rubber_Removed.jpg
2. Use your pliers to remove the NBC spring. It should pop right off, just be careful b/c the pieces can go flying everywhere.
http://s22.postimg.org/nqxtrv7s1/05_Remove_Spring.jpg
Steps 3 - 5 are necessary due to the short length of the barb connector. Once I find a longer connector, these steps won’t be needed.
3. Using your small vice grips get a good grip on the NBC grommet and yank it out. This takes a lot of force, but don’t worry the grommet won’t tear.
http://s22.postimg.org/8icyb7kf5/06_Remove_Grommet.jpg
4. Cut the bottom ring off the grommet. This provides the space for a good bite on the connector while leaving enough space for connecting the hose to the top.
http://s22.postimg.org/k8qvsld7l/07_Precut_Grommet.jpg and
http://s22.postimg.org/qayij31nl/08_Cut_Grommet.jpg
5. Reinsert the grommet using your screwdrivers. I stick one screwdriver through the grommet for leverage as I pry the lip of the grommet through the hole with the flathead.
http://s22.postimg.org/w2ymq8bhd/09_Insert_Grommet.jpg and
http://s22.postimg.org/gsyrj1fz5/10_...t_Inserted.jpg
6. Insert the 1/4” straight barb connector in both canteen caps. Make sure only the first barb goes all the way through, that way you have a good bite and enough room for the hose on the other side.
http://s22.postimg.org/nyqilhp29/11_Insert_Splicer.jpg and
http://s22.postimg.org/7g7d6eqzl/12_...r_Inserted.jpg
7. Connect your 1.75” tube piece to one of the caps and then connect the tee connector to it.
http://s22.postimg.org/kgeip3o69/13_Small_Tube.jpg and
http://s22.postimg.org/gzcgm4p41/14_Connect_Tee.jpg
8. Connect to your 30” tube from your other straight connector to the middle of the tee connector.
http://s22.postimg.org/v4i9nxy5d/15_Almost_Done.jpg
9. Insert your mouthpiece into or over the 36” tube piece and connect the other end to the tee connector.
http://s22.postimg.org/uwz856ckh/17_...ed_Product.jpg
Voila! Now you can drink from both of your canteens at the same rate and at the same time. No more stopping in the middle of rucks, stupid straws getting in the way of refills or sucking air when your canteens are near empty.
Linear Mode
