Which method of water purification (mainly in North America, though I may need it in Taiwan, too) do you think is most effective (considering overall purification and the speed of the purification process):

-chemical (chlorine, etc.)
-filter pump (Hiker Pro, etc.)
-SteriPen

Darwin
daroos@indiana.edu

Speed? UV Purification = Steripen on your list.

I dont know what the virus situation is like in Taiwan but for North America you really dont need to worry about viruses that much so you really only need a good filter.

I use a steripen and I love it! So yes this is a VERY biased opinion. I also bring along purification tablets just in case. I do not like having to rely on batteries for clean water but I am fine with it as long as I have the tablets as backup.

I think people drastically overrate the reliability of pumps. I am not saying the steripen is any more reliable but any pump or filter or high tech UV purifier will eventually fail you. In light of this I think a steripen or other ultralight UV purifier with purification tablets as backup is the most efficient way of collecting water. Pump filters are big and clunky and too many iodine tablets can negatively impact your health so I avoid both and use the UV. I have taken water from beaver ponds, zapped with UV for 90 seconds, chugged it down and not gotten sick. UV works.

I forgot to add a steripen will purify a full nalgene in 90 seconds so to answer your question it is very fast.

“…considering overall purification and the speed of the purification process”

If you worry about speed, nothing beats a decent filter (40sec/L). Speed is great when you’re thirsty or you don’t want to lose the coolness of that cold mountain stream.

And for terrible tasting gagging pond water, I don’t know of anything that beats the filter.

-Barry

Filters don't purify.

By 40 seconds, I assume you are referring to the Hyperflow?

I would recommend a Steripen with, say, Micropur tablets as backup. I have used a Steripen Adventurer now for almost four years, IIRC, and have had good service with it.

At first, I had problems with it; they require quality batteries and I hadn't read the instructions as well as I should have. But now, with a clean water source, I can have a drink inside two minutes. The Steripen also works well on protozoa, bacteria and virus. Filters won't get viruses and chemicals are not reliable on protozoa cysts.

The Steripen does require that the water be clear to work; the UV is quickly attenuated by murk. I don't use my Steripen here in Arizona where a lot of the water sources are murky, to say the least. For most hikes in AZ I use a pre-filter (a coffee filter or bandanna) then a pumped or gravity filter and then chemicals. Even then, a lot of the water smells like reclaimed sewage effluent. But, I have never gotten sick from it.

There are individuals who have problems using the switch because of arthritis; I am among them. I solved the problem by using the side of my pocket knife to activate the switch. This is a minor inconvenience but one with which I'm willing to live.

“Filters don't purify.”

Filter vs. purifier: http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/water+filter+purifier+differences.html

Some filters that do purify are listed here http://www.rei.com/product/708980
here: http://www.rei.com/product/708981
and here: http://www.rei.com/product/767831

“By 40 seconds, I assume you are referring to the Hyperflow?”

I was being conservative but that’s one: http://www.rei.com/product/767564
Here’s another fast filter: http://www.rei.com/product/750927
And the fastest purifier: http://www.rei.com/product/767831


Ahhh the choices

-Barry

Steripen Journey Pack for $64.97 http://www.campsaver.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=str0010

This is the whole pack FitsAll Filter and a 32 oz wide-mouth Nalgene BPA-Free water bottle.

I ordered this and got great customer service and shipped free.

This is the same pack that I got. It works very well and the small prefilter is actually very good quality. I do however bring the nalgene to the gym and not the trail.

Me too. Too heavy to BP with, I think.