Steripen

I saw this awhile back in Backpackers, but I just now got around to checking it out on the internet. Has anyone purchase one yet? I'm curious about what you guys think about this technology.

I have had a Steripen Adventurer for four years now. There is a learning curve associated with it and I always take the (lightweight) instructions along but it has been reliable for me. You need to use quality batteries with it (I use Panasonic), some people have had problems with cheap or rechargeable batteries. And, some people have had problems using the switch. It is not a good water purifier for turbid or murky water but it does deactivate protozoa, bacteria and viruses quickly in clear water.

I have one, but have not had the chance to use it yet. I have taken it on a hike, along with the instructions, but never needed to use it.

+1 to taking quality batteries for it.

If your simply trying to shed A few pounds it's probably worth taking a look at the swayer squeeze fitler. It's a great piece of gear and the weight is right. I've been using the Saywer squeeze fitler and I can't praise it enough. That being said I don't typically backpack when the weather is below freezing which can present problems for a lot of fitlers. Anyway, check it out before you invest in a steripen which is unreliable at best. Personally, I HATE relying on batteries for safe water and I like the taste of fitlered water.

I have two friends who have one; and older version, and the newer one. Like Pika said, there is a user learning curve one these. But after that they seem reliable. Not good for high particulate loads in the water; need to be pre-filtered. I also have been curious but am leary of anything with a battery.

I was on a trip this past weekend and a guy was using one. he likes it because it is lighter than a pump filter. He said he did have to replace the bottles he carries water in since the Steripen won't go into bottles with small openings (plastic water bottles or gatorade bottles). He uses the wide mouth plastic nalgene bottles now

I'll consider looking into the Steripen when I manage a six month period in which a Steripen user does *not* ask if they can borrow my filter.

Some things I want them to be reliable as possible.

I have been using one of the original 4XAA battery models since '05. Just came back from another trip with it. It failed me once a few years ago when I swam a creek with it and the battery compartment got wet. After drying in the sun it was good to go.

There seems to be much anecdotal evidence that gives the Steripen a bad rap, but I'm not convinced its overall failure rate is any worse than mechanical filters. I have seen many of them fail too.

FWIW the original Adventurer received (deservedly) some bad feedback for excessive battery use when idle and bugginess in the old style safety interlock. The Opti version has corrected both issues and seems to be quite dependable.

For solo and two people it seems to work quite well and is a viable option. For more than two, I thing it's too much stirring and pouring, a liter at a time.

My sole complaint is the end doesn't plug into a narrow-mouth bottle for inverted treatment. I like that option, which I've had with a different UV unit.

Cheers,

I tried the Steripen Adventurer three years ago and ended up returning it. In addition to other problems, I couldn't turn the switch on and off without help. Good thing that was a family trip and my son#3 was along! I've heard similar complaints from other women that the switch is too stiff. The second problem was that the thing kept switching off mid cycle, despite the fact that my son (an electrical engineer) and I spent a lot of time carefully reading the instructions. The third problem was that the Steripen is very inefficient for a group, unless you really enjoy stirring and stirring sitting by a buggy creek. After a day of this nonsense, I switched to the chlorine dioxide tablets I always carry as backup.

I also am very hesitant to trust my health to something requiring batteries. They do have a habit of failing! Call me a luddite if you will, but IMHO the headlamp (an essential) and camera (essential for me) are enough batteries to haul around.

I have a steripen and its served me well for a year. Like OM, I don't care to be dependent on battery powered devices and would never carry the steripen as my only water treatment device. The steripen is light, fast, and effective in water that's not cloudy.

OK, Ms.Luddite....What powers your GPS? (You don't have a GPS??? OMG.....:)

Sheesh...I had to look Luddite up (I thought it was a mineral). But now my vocabulary has expanded by 1. :-)

I do not own or use a GPS. I have many, many years' experience navigating with map and compass and the seat of my pants, and see no reason whatsoever to attempt to learn yet another electronic gadget (I'm still working on the owners manual of my 4-year-old camera!). Nor do I think it necessary, because you need the map and compass skills regardless. To me it's basically a toy that adds weight (which I'm increasingly unable to carry as I get older) and requires still more batteries.

I looked it up a year or two ago from someone mentioning it on this site.

You are perfectly right. With good topo maps and reasonable skills, a GPS is just a toy. But it is such a nice toy!

I try to minimize my GPS habit by using a small, lightweight mode (Garmin Foretrex 201)l, with no map display, but which will give me miles traveled, speed, altitude, and time. And, since I pay attention to battery compatibility, it also holds two batteries ready for use in my headlamp or flashlight.

Aren't you fellers suppposed to also shake your fist and yell at those kids to "get off your lawn"?

cheers,

Gramps

On a trip I just finished, a man hiking with his sons was making a big deal about how he had returned the steripen because it was so bad. As I used it, and he was pumping, he and one son made eye contact and he replied "Oh." I''m not sure what revelation they saw. Maybe the whole lamp underwater?

In terms of the problems I've tried to troubleshoot for others (many, many others; this thing is a non-starter for lots of people): bad batteries is #1 (nothing, or red light failure), pushing off-center on the switch so it never starts, not keeping the lamp under water (red light failure), pushing twice instead of once for a quart and thinking it doesn't light long enough, keeping the lamp underwater too long and not seeing the green light and assuming failure. One case of flooding the battery compartment by not screwing the end into the case tightly enough.

Bad batteries that last only a few quarts is the usual suspect. My batteries (cheap in bulk but well-reviewed) typically last 6-10 days. I start a trip with the batteries from the previous, use until and if they fail, and then put in the extra set.The steripen is just not for everybody.

Did you use one of them paper type dictionaries or look it up on the internet?

Personally I have two gps units and have yet to take one backpacking! The compass is lighter and needs no spare Batteries.

I'm with OM onn this one. I have a GPS for my car (rarely) used, and several on my sailboat (always used) but just don't see the point of lugging one around in the back country.

But I do lug a fly rod...so everyone has his or her vices.

Ahem.. and I (in the rockies, with rivers full of rock flour) will consider looking into using a filter again when I go a hiking season without a filter user asking to use my Aquamira (pristine, CL02)



(still a charter member of the filter haters club)

We are all fond of our methods that work consistently for us.

My pump filter is after some years of inconsistent use starting to show cracks in the housing. My gravity filter, a bag of waterproof nylon and some hose plus a Cleanstream, is still going strong and filtering fast. Simplicity rules.

Have a Steripen Traveler Mini and love it. 105g with batteries.

It is a big savings versus the MSR Waterworks I used to carry. I spend most of my backpacking time on trout streams so silt is generally not an issue for me. Saved the Waterworks in case of trips elsewhere.

If the unit/batteries ever fail, I keep 10 Katadyn Micropur tablets (8 grams) in my emergency kit. I carried those emergency tablets when I had the pump filter as well.