Backcountry water treatment-SteriPEN

[Wawona1]

Has anyone ever used a SteriPEN for your water treatment?

How did it work out? Can it be used in any container..ie kleen kanteens, hydration systems, ect..or only in a nalgine?


Thanks in advance...

[KC]

Had my first conversation with someone who actually used one this week. I was camped in the Tuolumne Meadows backpackers' campground the night before starting my trip. The person I shared the site with used the pen. He said he used it in Nepal and that he did not get sick. I guess you have to filter the water with something if it's dirty, but generally, according to him, it seemed to work well.

I've read other stuff on the net that made me leery of the pen. Still, after that conversation, it sounds intriguing. I'm still using my old Katadyn Hiker. While I like it, more and more I find myself wanting to try other options just to save weight and time.

[AlmostThere]

I have read reviews that it can fail for various reasons... I am leery of it because batteries do not work well in freezing temps, and I do not care for having another battery operated device...

You can only treat a liter at a time, in a wide mouth container. It does not actually kill anything - the UV damages the genetic material of the organisms and keeps them from reproducing. People use Nalgenes, liter platypus with the top cut off, gatorade bottles (wide mouth) - whatever they want to carry for the treatment stage.

[holz]

Hi,

Ok, I have to admit to not having used one, but I am intrigued.

There are a three reasons why I personally have not used one yet. First there is a fairly significant up front cost. $75 or so. Next, it is battery powered and needs to be handled somewhat carefully. I don't think it is "fragile", but it can break. Finally, it isn't convenient in all situations. The water must be very clear. In places where there is silt from glaciers, it may not be ideal. Yes, I realize that filters should be filtered first through a bandana, but that would make me a bit more nervous.

With that said, UV light does kill EVERYTHING. And I do mean everything. UV is nasty stuff and we should all be very thankful for the atmosphere keeping it off us!

Long story (fairly) short, I used to be an operator at a nuclear power plant in the midwest. One of the jobs there was to monitor the sewage treatment plant. . . . (yes, it was very unpleasant, but bear with me. . .) The final step in the treatment was to run the water through a glass pipe with a large UV lamp shining on it. The effluent was then checked for everything under the sun and it was literally squeaky clean. Really much more pure than what comes out of the tap at one's house although I never had the guts to try a sip. . . . . *shudder*

In any case, while a filter may physically remove the offending "bugs" from the water, UV light does kill them dead dead dead. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this technology is sound. I have seriously considered purchasing one for my business travels.

All in all, it is one of those things that I just haven't gotten around to. My water filter works very well and doesn't flavor the water. I suppose it is comfortable. The reviews about reliability also give one pause although there are plenty of posters that say that the failures are due to the directions not being followed correctly.

Take a look at rei's site. There are a ton of reviews there from plenty of folks that have used them, some extensively.

[crazychester]

I've owned and used a Steripen for the last 2 summers. Haven't had any problems with it. Occasionally it can take a few tries to work in cold weather (say sub 40f) but otherwise it's been great. Lighter and smaller than a filter and it makes collecting water much easier. I'd recommend it with the caveat that it's probably not the best choice if you're water sources are going to be silty.

[hotrod4x5]

I've owned and used a Steripen for the last 2 summers. Haven't had any problems with it. Occasionally it can take a few tries to work in cold weather (say sub 40f) but otherwise it's been great. Lighter and smaller than a filter and it makes collecting water much easier. I'd recommend it with the caveat that it's probably not the best choice if you're water sources are going to be silty.

What do you mean a few tries? How do you know it didn't work the first go around?

[AlmostThere]

holz, with all due respect... it doesn't kill anything.

The Steripen FAQ itself specifically says otherwise.

http://www.steripen.com/support-faq

[bill-e-g]

A few notes/comments:

A bazillion people don't use any treatment in the Sierra and they
all claim they never get sick so even if it didn't "work" you
may not even know it.

Lithium batteries work just fine and dandy in freezing temps.

I still use a Katydyn Hiker. Connects right to my hydration bladder...
never take it out of my pack. Pump and go. Not sure how the
pen is more convenient or quicker.
Another benefit... (and why I just carry the darn PUMP) is I can't
tell you how many times I've pumped out of, say, a solution pocket
on top of a granite knob, or pumped out of a very very small
trickle of water made into a small pool by digging a hole and
letting it trickle thru.

All that being said.... I have thought about buying the pen...

[backpacker3]

When I use the SteriPEN, I fill a 1 liter plastic cup and treat the water in the cup. I then pour the water into a water bottle or bladder. Whatever treatment vessel you use needs to have a wide mouth.

I've used tablets, the Katadyn Hiker PRO, and the SteriPen. They've all worked well for me and all have their pros and cons, and it is definitely a personal choice. The biggest advantage of the SteriPEN for me is its speed.

[KC]

Has anyone tried Aquamira drops? Thinking about a lighter and speedier option on my next trip.

[dan]

Has anyone tried Aquamira drops? Thinking about a lighter and speedier option on my next trip.

I use Aqua Mira. A fellow backpacker I know, who is a dentist, looked into it and told me about it. I used to use iodine or a water filter. I didn't like the iodine taste or the filter weight. Aqua Mira has no taste (at least for me). I highly recommend it.

As for speed, you have to combine (mix) drops from 2 bottles into a cap. IIRC, you wait 5 minutes or so after combining solutions from 2 bottles. Add to your water, and wait 15 minutes or so. Wait longer for dirty water.

The stuff expires after 2 years or so, as marked on the package.

- Dan

[Kpeter]

I purchased and used a Steripen for the first time on a trip in June. I've never owned a filter--they seem heavy and make for another chore, so I just poisoned my water with iodine instead. So to me the iodine free water produced easily with the pen was a major improvement. Not only does the water taste better, but it is treated in 90 seconds instead of 30 minutes. With it so easy to treat water, I find myself carrying less of it at a time.

There are two considerations I would bear in mind.

1) The pen has a sensor so that the UV treatment light cannot go on unless the pen is immersed in water. This is a safety issue. Only get the late model pens with the optical water sensor--not the earlier version with electrodes. My pen worked fine every time. Others I have talked to could not always get the earlier models to work since the water would be so pure as to be non-conductive and not activate the electrodes in the sensor. People were adding a pinch of salt to their untreated water to get it to work. The Steripen Opti does not have this problem--but they are still selling the earlier versions.

2) I prefer to treat the water in a transluscent wide mothed bottle so I can see the uv treatment light from the pen. The small diode light on the pen that tells you when the treatement is done is hard to see, so I found myself just watching the uv lightbulb through the side of the bottle. This was also hard to see in full daylight, but possible with practice. In the shade it is never a problem. And at night it is quite a lightshow. The sides of any bottle do block the UV sufficiently to make it safe to observe.

[Yury]

I doubt very much that Steripen has any real effect.
Do we have any independent experiments confirming its effectiveness?

When I was a university student an apparatus to produce UV light had a rather substantial weight and required a rather substantial power.
On the other hand Steripen weights almost nothing and needs just a small battery.

Is this really possible?

[Kpeter]

I doubt very much that Steripen has any real effect.
Do we have any independent experiments confirming its effectiveness?

Well, the Steripen site lists a couple of dozen tests by various universities, if you can trust them.

http://www.steripen.com/micro-biological-testing

They also claim that some municipal water works use UV to sterilize water, so the basic idea has been around for a long time. A couple of other companies are now bringing out competing versions, too, so I think this is a technology that will be around. Still, I would not rely on it in areas where the water was cloudy or had a lot of debris in it.

[Sankaty]

Use water tablets. It's the lightest weight option.

Don't like the taste? Just add a Crystal Light lemonade package.