well, since my last posting, I had an excellent string of good luck with my steripen...until a couple weeks ago! Actually it wasn't the pen itself itself, but rather some brand new batteries straight out of the plastic wrap that were defective. Very irritating, seeing as how as I was in the backcountry. I boiled water...til my fuel ran out. Oy! But it was a great trip all the same. And I still like my steripen.
Actually, I didn't give quite the whole story. I figured that perhaps only one of the new pair was defective. As it turned out, this must've been true and I was able to take the one good new battery and combine it with one of the old used-up batteries and make the pen work for about a day.
Sure. I bought them at Grainger, the building and maintenence materials supply house. It is packaged under there house name, don't know the manufacturer. Lithium CR123A type (some steris use other battery types). Interestingly, when I was buying them, I noticed another pack with obviously corroded batteries inside. However, despite my problem with them, I'm going to keep buying them I guess, because I get a huge discount through my company, 90% off. I pay 80 cents apiece, and generally they have done fine (my headlamp also uses them) That said, what brands are truly the most reliable? There are times when reliability is of the utmost importance
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6800
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
I buy brand name batteries (Everready or Duracell), generally, or at least supposedly, more reliable. I gave up on Steripen a few years ago--couldn't get it to work even with the directions along and my electrical engineer son helping, My summer headlamp (Petzl e+lite) and my bathroom scale also use the CR123 batteries. I'd rather pay more and risk less than get the cheaper generic or house brand batteries.
IMHO, your water treatment system should have a backup when taken into the wilds. Katadyn or Aqua Mira chlorine dioxide tablets weigh next to nothing, certainly a lot less than the extra fuel and fuss required to boil water if your electronic gizmo or filter give out. I've had both happen!
Edited by OregonMouse (05/10/1403:50 PM)
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