Steripen

[ChinMusic]

I carry Micropur tablets as a backup instead of Aquamira.

[sheepdog]

I have a steripen and it works great as long as the water source is something better than a mud hole or a very small stream (which is sometimes your only options during the southern drought seasons). Also you run into problems getting small particles out of my water. I've attempted to pre-filter through my bandanna, but that takes a ridiculous amount of time. The big plus to the Steripen is it's size compared to a filter. It just has some limits. It takes the same amount of time to filter as it does to Steripen...so the Steripen doesn't really save you any time.

If floaties bother you, use a piece of nylon stocking.
love my steripen

[warraghiyagey]

If floaties bother you, use a piece of nylon stocking.
love my steripen

Not all dudes have extra stockings with them. . . .

[Gumbi]

not All Dudes Have Extra Stockings With Them. . . .

Real Men Do...

[warraghiyagey]

real Men Do...

:d. . . . . . . .

[Hyway]

I was going to post that I love my steripen (won it in a pack at traildays) and that my only complaint is that its hard to fill a water bottle from minor water sources unless you have a small cup to scoop with. But I didn't get to post any of that because I was laughing to hard at the post about not all men having extra stockings with them.

[flemdawg1]

Real Men Do...

but my fishnets won't catch the floaties.

I also have a Steripen Classic and love it. Only time I've had trouble was when the contactors were wet (twice out of nearly 100 uses). I let it dry about half hour then it was fine.

[Summit]

but my fishnets won't catch the floaties.

I also have a Steripen Classic and love it. Only time I've had trouble was when the contactors were wet (twice out of nearly 100 uses). I let it dry about half hour then it was fine.

Rather than wait, stash a single sheet of TP in the Steripen top. Slips between the contacts and body nicely and drys them off instantly!

[AzWildflower]

I use a small square of no-see-um, 8" square, to filter the floaties.

Now that I no longer spend 8 in a cube, I have no need for panty hose

[NorseWoman]

Steripen classic here
yes for Lithium batteries I prefilter with bandana-not so hard I do carry Aqua Mira backup
I always do it twice with mixing between- cap on
I have done my own bacteria counts and Once is very good- very little growth
twice is very very good- almost no growth I used a heavy inoculation- heavier than you would find in most streams
Norse Woman

[crux]

Did a SOBO last year and came across several people not filtering water please watch this video.

Why Filter Water ?

[Maddog]

I carry Micropur tablets as a backup instead of Aquamira.

same here! steripen with micropur for back-up!

[Christus Cowboy]

Been using the "Classic" for over three years. It uses 4-AA batteries, which are easy to find. Can't speak to the newer models that use the CR-type battery. I get about a month out of 4-AA Lithium batteries - what's not to like about that?

Press the activating button once for a liter of water - about 90 seconds of UV treatment. Press it twice for 1/2 liter - about 45 seconds. Time is consistent doing this.

I'd recommend the "Classic" due to the type of batteries - easy to find, and they can often be found at steeply discounted prices.

My three-year-old one performed flawlessly (not a single misfire) this past October on a week-long hike, where I shared it with a hiking partner (so effect was two weeks of use). It's probably got the equivalent of 4 months of continuous use on it.

All I can say is I love mine and consider it a great investment.

I agree with Summit on this one after using his Steripen Classic in the Nantahala Forest under winter conditions. It worked alot better than my MSR filter especially in the freezing conditions and snow we encountered that first week in April.

[jombo22]

My adventurer uses CR123's which are pretty light (.5oz each, 1oz per set). I suppose you could buy in bulk, keep a few sets with you and put the rest in your bounce box.

I used a steripen (cr-123 battery version) on my recent southbound thru. For the first few months it worked great and I really enjoyed having imediate access to cold, natural tasting water.

As the temperatures began to drop the issue of short battery life became even more significant. One set of batteries was often only lasting a few days, even though I kept it in my sleeping bag at night to keep them warm.

Eventually we gave up on it, like most others who've posted, and bought aqua mira for the remainder of our trip. We had to wait a little while before drinking I noticed the chlorine taste in the water, but it was much less of a headache than the steri at that point.

Did you remove the batteries from the steripen when it was not in use? Maybe the "ambient battery drain" from leaving the batteries connected is amplified in colder temperatures.

I keep my batteries in a pocket (in a ziplock) while hiking in cold weather, and then of course keep them in my sleeping bag at night. However, I haven't used my steripen continuously over a long enough period of time in cold conditions to be able to refute or corroborate your experience.

"A few days" of battery life is miserable. The website claims 50L per set of batteries, or 50 uses at 1L a pop. So you "should" need to replace them once every 1.5 weeks or so, which would sort of be a drag on a thru anyways.

same here! steripen with micropur for back-up!

I also use a steripen with micropur for backup. Works great for my shorter trips, but now I'm concerned about battery life.

[Connie]

The LED model sounds interesting.

This brand has rechargeable LiIon CR123A batteries offered.

It is the mÜV micro-UV water purifier available either as a floating model that recharges off any battery, or, as a water bottle model apparently using the CR123A LiIon batteries and charger that appears to be 110 VAC and 12 VDC.

If you like the SteriPen better, maybe get the rechargeable LiIon batteries and charger.

LiIon batteries withstand cold better than other batteries, and recharge faster.

[leaftye]

I hope that LED model uses AA batteries.

[Wags]

as you've probably read there's a bunch of people (on review type websites) who complain that it doesn't work. this is 99% due to the little metal prongs being wet prior to purifying. i carry a little 1"x1" square of shamwow and keep it right with my steripen case. this allows me to treat multiple liters at a time without having to wait for it to dry out.

mine's been working well for over a year now. if shallow springs are really a concern, you can always modify some sort of water scoop out of an empty bottle. i've gotten really productive use out of a set of batteries as well.

i really like mine a lot and feel my water set up is one area i'm really happy with in my kit

[ChinMusic]

as you've probably read there's a bunch of people (on review type websites) who complain that it doesn't work. this is 99% due to the little metal prongs being wet prior to purifying. i carry a little 1"x1" square of shamwow and keep it right with my steripen case. this allows me to treat multiple liters at a time without having to wait for it to dry out.

I dry the prongs on my shirt tail before resheathing it, works so far. But you are right. Especially with older models, if the prongs are wet the unit may not initiate. I have had not problems with multiple uses at one sitting.

if shallow springs are really a concern, you can always modify some sort of water scoop out of an empty bottle.

Even if you use chemicals it is a good idea to bring a small scoop if you suspect the water sources to be shallow. I usually steal one from our laundry room that is a detergent box. I don't like the idea of using anything from my cookset, but that is just me.