OK, first of all we thought it was a joke, but there have been several mentions of this idea around, so we thought we would post about it!
Yes, the Yabbie Straw, an "essential" piece of hiking gear many Tasmanian's carry.
What is it?
A piece of clear plastic tubing , maybe one metre long
This photo is from the Launceston Walking Club's current "Do You Know Tasmania" multimedia show. It is taken from a section covering an extended trip along the Prince of Wales Range.
What do you use it for?
If you are short of water, often there will be yabbie holes around the button grass or other vegetation in the area you are hiking. You can use the straw to suck water out of yabbie holes. This can be an excellent emergency supply of water.
Some people have been known to draw water out of shallow puddles and footprints with their yabbie straw. (saves stirring up the mud) When you are thirsty, any source of water is a bonus.
We posted a trip report by Nik on Frenchmans Cap and the Irenabys
where he mentioned using his Yabbie Straw to source cooking and washing water
The Hobart Walking Club mention a Yabbie Tube in their list of Equipment and Clothing Checklist .
There is a whole thread on the Bushwalk Tasmania forum regarding Yabbie Straws. It is a great read, and outlines the lengths walkers occasionally have to go to when sourcing water from unusual places.
Have you ever used or needed a Yabbie Straw? Share your experience via the comments section of Our Hiking Blog.
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