Making a polite comment about boresnakes is difficult...
I actually fell for the "pitch" and bought one for every caliber. After all, it would make cleaning rifles fast and easy. And would be easily packed for field use.
After a few uses, they were so dirty I wanted to clean them. And that wasn't fast or easy.
The reference to using a boresnake to clean the bore after using a stick to push most of the crud out is interesting...it points to the need for a cleaning rod, without actually admitting it.
I finally found a civilian version of a sectional cleaning rod (like the ones that were used with Garands) which is a good compromise. The broken-down length is only 7", and it allows use of standard cleaning techniques. No, it isn't a one-piece carbon fiber rod, but I believe it is OK for occasional or emergency use.
Here's one candidate for a boresnake replacement -
http://store.safariland.com/kleen-bore/product274.html
For some reason, my LGS has one-piece and two-piece rods, but does not stock these. You can find several sources online, however.