SteriPEN UV Water Purifier

“http://www.travelsmith.com/ts/cookie.jsp?ContentOID=3123167&express_item_number=9949

I found this in the TravelSmith catalog today. It's not cheap at $149. But it's intriguing if it really works.



Purify Drinking Water Anywhere
with Safe UV Technology

Worried about the local water? Make it safe almost instantly with this sophisticated yet easy-to-use purifier. SteriPEN� is the only patented portable purifier that uses ultraviolet light to destroy waterborne microbes, including viruses, bacteria, particulates, and protozoa-even giardia and cryptosporidium, the bane of travelers worldwide. Just insert it into any wide-mouth water bottle, fill, and in 90 seconds you'll have 32 ounces of safe, clean-tasting drinking water. Rugged design weighs just 8 ounces. Runs on four AA batteries (not included). Includes carrying case.
SteriPEN� UV Water Purifier”

“Roam did a thread on this one in November. It got lost in the election noise.”

“You still have to filter out the dirt, bugs, chemicals and feces.”

“Yep, I missed that one the first couple times around. I sure like the concept of it only taking 90 seconds. But too pricey yet.”

“MMMMM, dirt, dead bugs and FECES”

“The technology is there to make it work but I've always questioned how often will you miss that drop of water teeming with life that the light never passes through? Maybe it�s on the lip or outside of your bottle or maybe in the groves of the lid.
last edited: 1/20/05 10:19:09 AM”

“My question is this--how many uses before the battery is too low and renders the unit ineffective? Also, I wonder how well the unit would run at very hot or cold temps?”

“MIOX.”

“Same deal with MIOX - you could run out of salt, the battery could go dead, the electronics could fry...

Aqua Mira.”

“hehe.. fight fight..

I filter (MSR- double action) mine.. but I do want to buy a MIOX.
last edited: 1/20/05 1:58:52 PM”

“Aqua Mira!





I's gots my dukes up!

;-)”

“I got the MIOX. I like it, the rock salt lasts a long time, and so did the batteries.
But its doesnt filter out the other crap, so
I filtered it through a bandana before treating the water. Very small and light too.”

“I've just been melting snow the last couple times I've been out. Don't even carry teh filter out.

:)”

“Beware of the yellow snow !!”

“Check it out.

The AquaStar.

Same concerns with this technology still exist, but this unit is light and fits inside your water bottle. Maybe something to keep an eye on.”

“I almost bought a steripen today. Had it at the outdoor shop on the N side of Gatlinburg (the one I like) for $99. Guy said he would make me a deal on one if I wanted one.

Decided to wait on this. Still not sure how much I would like it as opposed to the good old filter.”

“i almost got one, one time. the problem is, you cant use it at isle royale. it wont get the parasites”

“parasites taste good!”

“I got some of the Aqua Mira stuff (lightweight and it works from what I hear)...anyone have experience with that...I still enjoy my Pur Hiker.”

“I started using Aqua Mira on my last trip and I am still alive. I will only use it when I know there is running water where we will be hiking. I will not use it in the horse ponds along Indiana trails.”

“I also have a PUR Hiker, and I'm happy with it. Ruby, you might read this thread from another site for one user's perspective on the Steripen.
http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=199410#199410”

““I started using Aqua Mira on my last trip and I am still alive. I will only use it when I know there is running water where we will be hiking. I will not use it in the horse ponds along Indiana trails.”
Wounded Knee
2:00:37 PM
9/28/06

That's the way I like it.
That's the way I like it....
Me too, WK.

Pond water = pump filter
Clear stream/spring = chemicals
Ocala FL pond water = pump + chemicals”

“I've been using Aqua Mira for several years now (4?) in all types of water. I researched its component chemicals and how it kills parasites, etc. and I'm confident in its use no matter the source. No, I don't go looking for cloudy stagnant water if water from a spring head is nearby, and I do strain out particulates first if the water is murky, but otherwise its fine. Just need to give it time.

Cleans up the taste and clarity of the water, too. Bonus.”

“I have a steripen. haven't used it yet, but I will this weekend on the AT in Georgia. I hope it works.”

“i am concerned that there is no way to sterlize the threads of a bottle used to collect the water like you can with aquamira... but i talked to the company that makes the steripen and they say the resulting risk if you wipe the threads dry is very small. you decide for yourself...”

“I drank the water in that section several times without filtering. I am not afraid of a little on the threads. But I will wipe it dry.”

“the reason "sterilizing the threads" sticks in my mind is because of CMB... that dude tells a story of giardia that will strike the fear water drops into you... i may not be remembering his story correctly but i seem to recall he contracted giardia from water he treated but failed to treat the threads on the container. i hope he reads this so he can correct me if i am wrong.”

“Symptoms of giardiasis normally begin 1 to 2 weeks after becoming infected. This is what bugs me about all the terror talk about guardia. How the hell does someone know where they contracted it? You could have gotten it from touching a bathroom door on the way home from the trip, or it was in that big greasy hamburger grilled up by a cook who just wiped his ass moments before you walked in the door. Heck, a bunch of people got sick drinking the water at the Walasi Yi Center at Neels Gap last year. There are so many ways of contracting guardia that a few drops on the threads of my bottle is the least of my worries.”

“i hear you... that said, i love the guys that plan to thru-hike the 211 miles of the JMT in record time and don't bring water treatment... just a plastic cup. they figure, "heck, if i get it i'll be off the trail since it takes a week to contract."

...nuts if you ask me. chlorine dioxide is light and effective and if you get the klearwater stuff you don't even have to wait to mix it like aquamira. you gotta want to shoot for that record REALLY bad.”

“2 weeks (minimum) of explosive diarrhea is a poor trade off for a record :). I do filter my water most of the time,e specially in areas where there may be urban areas above the trail, or where there is livestock, or in low areas, but if I am high up on the side of a mountain and no cows, houses, or horses around, and my water bottle is empty and I am passing a nice flow of clear water coming out of the ground, I am chugging that water without wasting time with my filter. Of course, with the steriPen and a little stirring, I can wait another 30 seconds before I chug it down.”

“do you really think this steriPen is enough? i don't feel comfortable with it.”

“yeah, it's a solid technology... it's more about process than anything else. i have one now (new) and will start using it over the next few months. i think it's the most promising water treatment technology out there... esp with the advances in UV LEDs... in three years or so this might drastically change the market. there will still be those that want the "reliability" of a mechanical pump (questionable) or cling to chemicals (i'll still keep them as a backup) but i think UV treatment is fast, very effective, and potentially very competitive from a weight perspective.

i remain concerned about treating water on the threads but the argument the company made to me was compelling... so i went out, bought the product, and will let you know how it sits with me.”

“I suppose it depends on where you hike. I wouldn't use it in rivers that have industry dumping chemicals into them. **** Crash Bang, if you read this thread take note, don't drink the water out of the Linville River. **** But I would use it in creeks and springs that just have critters polluting it. Heck, I have drunk straight out of the creeks feeding the Linville River without fear. Gaurdia is a risk, true, but I have seen people religiously filtering their water, yet eat in in their tent in bear country. WTF?, one has a slight risk of making you crap a lot for 2-6 weeks, the other has the greater risk of causing you to be crapped a lot out of the back end of one of mother nature's beautiful creatures.”

“i'll listen for you report Jimmy san. i do like the light weight aspect. i always carry a bandana for filtering ickies and wiping threads.”

“BTW, I didn't buy mine, I won it at traildays a while back, but haven't used it yet.”

“gotta learn to drink the ickies... :)”

“"so i went out, bought the product, and will let you know how it sits with me.”
Jimmy san

You mean, how well you sit, and how long? (grin)”

“Hey Jimmy, ever see people drink the grey water after a meal, but won't drink out of their water bottle if a leaf fell in it :).”

“Steripen is solid...I've been using mine exclusively and I live in beastie-beaver heaven...I do not remove the top and drink out of it...I'm either pouring it into another, smaller bottle or, in the kayak, use the Naglene OTG bottle. I am not concerned about the threads and I have had personal experience with giadia...”

“haha

i try to never review a product i have not personally field tested.

i am thinking it will work the way mata characterizes it.

the batteries that come with it are serisously cheap. i'll prolly test it with surefire batteries (top-grade lithiums).”

“I have used the steripen and the Aquastar+ for a bit and the UV technology is solid. In fact your local municipal water supply may employ it - certainly your hospital does. I prefer the Aquastar since the pen doesn't work well with most water bottles and if the light tube looses contact with the water during the treatment process, you have to start again.

The Aquastar+ is my prefered method, quick, easy, and I don't have to wait or carry water around for up to 4 hours. During my use the lithium batteries have treated more than 60 liters of water before being replaced but both units are very sensitive to cold batteries. By cold I mean anything at or below freezing. If you have a great deal of debris in your water or foul tastes, it won't get rid of them. If you use MIOX or any chemical treatments you most likely aren't as particular as those that filter, and this may work for you.

The Aquastar with spare batteries comes in at 8.5oz. The steripen is smaller and lighter but requires a widemouth bottle. The new model with the case and solar panel is considerably heavier and you still need the widemouth bottle.

I know that is more weight than chemical treatment, but a lot of you are carrying around 32oz of water or more waiting for it to become drinkable. After 90 seconds, I drink my fill at the source and then carry 20oz until it's gone and I am at the next source. Not a bad tradeoff in my view.

BTW, I still carry Aquamira in case of a mechanical/electrical failure on long trips. If the trip is just a few days I will rely on boiling if need be.”

“hehe, signed up today.

no email address in profile.

posts in defense of a piece of gear.

manufacturer troll alert! hehe”

“Just thought you might like someone's experience on the product and technology in question. I can be reached at jvance@swirecc.com (Swire Coca Cola) or johnvicki2001@yahoo.com I will update profile info.....”

“it's very much appreciated, actually. i was just making a joke. sorry.”

“One of my best friends from high school is married to one of the guys who invented the Aquastar. If anybody wants some kind of direct info, let me know and I could probably hook you up, although they have their contact info on their web site, so you could probably just email them yourself - I'm sure they would answer whatever questions you have....”

“i emailed the company and they told me to "wipe the threads dry". Also, the inventor of the pen made an outstanding post to backpackinglight.com saying the same thing but putting numbers behind it. i really appreciate their coming right out and addressing these things openly in a public forum. i really applaud companies like this that make innovative products for adventuring that they support and stand behind.”

“I just got my spring REI catalog - they now have a SteriPen with optional solar recharger. Total cost of $180, a bit steep, but for someone that must have reliable water treatment w/o a chance of resupplying chemicals, this might be the thing.”

“the steripen adventurer i bought was $130 minus my 20% discount (and "free" with my REI dividend). it doesn't come with the solar charger, however. $180 might have been a bundle with the charger. that seems like about the right price.

i see no value in the solar charger as it's currently designed. it's heavy and the rechargeable batteries will only process 35 liters. good quality disposables will process 50 liters and a set of spare batteries weighs MUCH less than the solar charger. it has a very high "nifty factor" and i don't own nor have ever used it, but just from a pure tactics perspective i can't even begin to justify using it because of the weight versus the utility when there is such an obviously better solution that weighs much less.

the regular steripen is $99. it's a little heavier but has a few advantages that i can see. the most significant is that it takes standard AA batteries... so you can use 4 lightweight lithiums with it. the only drawback that i can see is it is physically larger (hence bulkier) and heavier at the oz level. to many on this board this is not a significant detriment so you can save yourself some $$ and get the regular steripen. for me, being an oz counter, the adventurer was the only way to go and even the weight of this unit is borderline. my eye-dropper/aquamira setup is VERY hard to beat from a weight perspective (less than 1 oz).

i am very interested in UV water treatment, as i said earlier. i think it's very, very promising... especially when ongoing developments in LEDs. if the lamp can be ditched and a less power hungry UV emitter can be used (hence better power profile) i think uv may be the new king of water treatment in 3 years. it kills off stuff that filters don't get and chemicals don't kill even with 4 hours exposure and it's super convenient. there is little lost in the technology as i see it.

like is said, i have yet to field-test the steripen adventurer but i am very excited about it and have high expectations.”

“The thing I really like about the
steripen is the prefilter...you just screw in on a standard Naglene with the prefilter cartridge, then either dip it in your water source or use a collapsable cup if the water is shallow, as is often the case around here. Remove the prefilter cartridge and insert the Steripen which fits perfectly. Then do your sterilizing thing.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=48066641&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&&ext_cat=undefined

I also have no interest in the new Adventure Steripen...I prefer using AA batteries...when it is cold I can keep them warm inside my coat...I have used the Steripen a few times in below freezing temps.”

“Aquamira is still my top choice, too. Cost/weight/size/effectiveness beats all filters and iodine. If UV is improved so it comes close on cost/weight/size, I'll consider it. I know it can be more effective - IF you don't allow any large particulates in. So improved UV + bandana might be the thing to use in the future.

This reminds me, I need to order more Aquamira, my current batch is almost past expiration.”