Most of us take water for granted. If we want a drink, we turn a tap or twist a cap and there it is. But if you find yourself off the beaten track in triple-digit heat without it, locating some can mean the difference between life and death. Finding a pool of water in the shade of a rock may seem like a godsend, but then the question of waterborne diseases raises its head. That’s where the NDūR Survival Straw comes in.
Instead of having to start a fire and boil the water, or use some other time-consuming treatment, the Survival Straw enables you to follow your instinct and attack that tasty pool of water like a hungry bear on a salmon with nowhere to swim. However, you will have to keep looking if you hit the ocean before finding any other water as the device doesn't work with salt water.
Like the Lifestraw, the NDūR Survival Straw is a water filtration system built into a device that is as easy to use as possible. You'll still have to avoid splashing around in questionable water and getting it on the mouth of the straw, but otherwise, it's pretty much just dip and drink.
NDūR's straw is built around water filtration technology from Seychelle, a company which also produces its own Pure Water Straw. NDūR claims its device eliminates up to 99.9 percent of of micro-organisms, up to 99.99 percent of all chemicals and heavy metals, and up to 99.9999 percent of viruses and bacteria before the water hits the inside of your mouth. You can drink your fill with the straw filtering up to 25 gallons (95 l) of water before needing replacement.
The Survival Straw is marketed at everyone from outdoor enthusiasts building a survival kit or preparing for the apocalypse, to travelers puddle-hopping through country where clean water might be hard to come by. It could also be of use in third world countries.
For US$30, the NDūR Survival Straw is a cheap piece of kit that is small and light enough to throw in a backpack, even if you never need to actually use it.
It's a toss up which to prefer. The Lifestraw would be good in low population areas as a biological filter, but it makes little claim to removing chemical contaminants. The NDur straw claims to filter chemical contaminants as well as the biological hazards, but only filters 25Gallons.
Reviews also talk of premature clogging of the lifestraw, so it's rated capacity may be under ideal purity conditions where the 0.2 micron pores are not blocked by sediment/etc.
If your area is unlikely to experience chemical/sewage contamination then the lifestraw is a good choice. If you are buying one for a bug out bag and there is any flooding then the water will likely be contaminated with chemicals from sewage, flooded autos, and industry so the NDur would be a better choice assuming marketing claims are accurate.