A portable straw that is encased in a protective sleeve. The protective sleeve attaching to a connector sleeve that is fused with the surface of the straw and not to the straw sections themselves. The connector sleeve and the cap functions as a handhold to deploy and retract the straw without touching the surfaces of the straw that are submerged inside a cup or exposed to user's mouth. A convenient harness made of elastic band may be deployed along an arm of a user for holding the portable collapsible straw when not in use.

Drinking straws for aerating fluids are described. A straw includes a body and a cover. The body defines a flow space and an aeration area. The cover includes an aeration opening and a movable barrier. The cover encloses the body and the movable barrier can move between a first position occluding the aeration area and a second position exposing a portion of the aeration area. The straw body and the straw cover, when in the second position, enable air flow through the exposed portion of the aeration area so as to aerate fluid flowing through the flow space. The straw body and the straw cover dampen sound created by the aeration of the fluid when in the second position. The movable barrier may be a plug or a slider.

A container system having an access portal is disclosed. The container system may contain a selected material for access and withdraw through the portal. The portal may be engaged in any appropriate manner, such as with the application of a vacuum or pouring out.

A personal hydration system includes a curved body that fits over the user's mouth. The curved body includes an integrally molded rearwardly extending tube and a downwardly extending tube that are connected together, forming a passageway. A resilient nipple is optionally mounted to the rearwardly extending tube and is received by the user in the user's mouth. Tubing extends downwardly from the downwardly extending tube and has a free end positioned in a beverage.

A reusable drinking straw assembly is provided, having a plurality of modular segments joined end-to-end to form an elongate tubular portion. The modular segments are separable from one another to allow for adjustability of the length of the straw assembly and to facilitate cleaning of the straw assembly between uses. Each of the modular segments is itself separable longitudinally into at least two re-attachable components to facilitate cleaning of the straw between uses. A mouthpiece is removably attached to one end of the tubular portion. A filter is removably attached to the other end of the tubular portion. The mouthpiece may include a one-way valve for controlling the direction of fluid flow.

A hydration system including a fluid reservoir, a fluid path in communication with the reservoir, and a magnetic quick connect interposed in the fluid path is disclosed. A fluid delivery system for a hydration system is also disclosed that includes a magnetic quick connect interposed in a fluid delivery path of the delivery system. The magnetic quick connect can also be used in a wide variety of fluid delivery systems. A kit for forming a fluid delivery system for a hydration system is also disclosed, as are various components of a hydration system.

Drinking straws for aerating fluids are described. A straw includes a body and a cover. The body defines a flow space and an aeration area. The cover includes an aeration opening and a movable barrier. The cover encloses the body and the movable barrier can move between a first position occluding the aeration area and a second position exposing a portion of the aeration area. The straw body and the straw cover, when in the second position, enable air flow through the exposed portion of the aeration area so as to aerate fluid flowing through the flow space. The straw body and the straw cover dampen sound created by the aeration of the fluid when in the second position. The movable barrier may be a plug or a slider.

An elongated hollow tubular member for drinking the beverage, an agitator for mixing the beverage, and a linear to rotary mechanism combining the elongated hollow tubular member and the agitator for converting linear motion of the elongated hollow tubular member to rotary motion of the agitator for mixing the beverage.

A drinking straw has an elongated body with a longitudinal flow channel. The user end of the body is closed and rounded for safety. A pair of lateral channels open onto the body adjacent the user end and provide fluid communication to the flow channel. The straw is injection molded, and a mold is provided which accommodates thermal expansion of a rod forming the flow channel. A pair of opposed cavity inserts form the lateral channels. To reduce bending stresses on the rod upon removal of the cavity inserts, one cavity insert is formed longer to the other. This longer cavity insert is removed prior to opening of the mold plates, and as such the straw and rod are supported against bending during this removal.

A hydration system includes a liquid reservoir, a reservoir coupler, a tube, a hydration valve (e.g., bite valve), a tube coupler (e.g., quick connect), and a flow-restricting device (e.g., check valve). The tube comprises a first end having the hydration valve, a second end for coupling to the liquid reservoir, and the flow-restricting device interposed between the first and second ends.