Steripen Reccomendations

[CornerCreek27]

Hello all, I am looking at getting a new steripen for my chuck hike of the South Island of the Te Araroa this winter. For my AT Thru in 2012 I used the Freedom which worked really well but now I see there is also a rechargable Ultra that actually has controls so that the unit won't turn on by itself.

here's links for the Freedom:
http://www.amazon.com/SteriPEN-Freedom-Water-Purifier-Green/dp/B005HG3VYE

And the Ultra:
http://www.amazon.com/SteriPen-Hydro-Photon-Ultra/dp/B00CIGYJ5G/ref=pd_sim_sg_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=1XY0FGGEQ6G5RAGRMWZG

Does anyone have any expirience with the Ultra and how they liked it??

Maybe more generally I am currious why the hiking community hasn't embraced Steripens as a water purification method? I know they have some hiccups but they still work really well for me; much lighter than filters and don't make water taste like a swimming pool.
Cheers
CatNap

[flemdawg1]

Most people avoid steripens because they have a bad reputation for being unreliable. Most of the issues are with older Classics and their contacts giving the dreaded redlight error.

[HooKooDooKu]

Maybe more generally I am currious why the hiking community hasn't embraced Steripens as a water purification method? I know they have some hiccups but they still work really well for me; much lighter than filters and don't make water taste like a swimming pool.

First of all, Steripen does not purify the water. It only disinfects the water. The water will still contain any chemical contaminates and suspended solids.
Second, most hikers will not be encountering water sourced that are contaminated with virus. As such, most any of the water filters available 'will do'.
Third, there are cheaper solutions. With the Sawyer Mini available in WalMart (and other sources) for <$20, I think it is going to become a game changer in the industry.

So the only times I would even consider a Steripen would be if I was hiking somewhere I needed to worry about virus contamination or hiking in sub-freezing weather (most, but not all, other water filters must be protected from freezing).

[Starchild]

The Freedom starting all by itself issue can be compensated for by drying off the metal contacts (as best as you can) after each use.

Additionally, in cold temps it is helpful to have the freedom in a pocket (getting body heat) to ensure a good start.

As for why it is not more embraced, I think part of the reason is that they are not really designed with the hiking community as their primary market and the design is more for worldly travel.

[CornerCreek27]

i figured this is how the forum might have turned out. I never minded floaters in my water and simply just want to get rid of the giardia etc. from possible excrement in the water. I would like to try the new sawyer models but don't want to fiddle with water bladders, dirty bottles and all. I see that the Ultra model of the steripen uses on/off switches so that there are (I believe) no diodes to get wet, a plus mark for this model.

But I guess nobody out there has tried the Ultra to give it a review?
CatNap

[mtntopper]

I started using a steripen last year. I really like it. Fast and reliable has been my experience. I collect my water in a bag. Filter it thru a coffee filter in to a bottle just below the top. Dip the pen. Wait the amount of time required then drink. Much easier and faster than any filter I have used.

[thecyclops]

Sawyer mini /thread

[mtntopper]

Sawyer mini /thread

what do you man sawyer mini thread?

[thecyclops]

what do you man sawyer mini thread?
That meant sawyer is the best on the market.END THREAD

[thecyclops]

IMO opinion,having used many filters (MSR mini works/katadyne/lifestraw/steripen) the sawyer mini is superior in all ways.
Price/ease/quickness/effectiveness/number of gallons it can filter/weight/design...just everything is superior.

[Starchild]

IMO opinion,having used many filters (MSR mini works/katadyne/lifestraw/steripen) the sawyer mini is superior in all ways.
Price/ease/quickness/effectiveness/number of gallons it can filter/weight/design...just everything is superior.

I recently got a mini at Walmart, I brought in on a recent 5 day backpack, I could not wait to get my Steripen Freedom back.

For the Sawyer:
Price (major check)/ease (major fail - it is awkward to fill and use and can get your hands cold)/quickness (fail for small quantities (1/2 a L) of water gathered, check for larger quantities)/effectiveness (neither got me sick, so equal)/number of gallons it can filter (I assume a similar life battery of the Steripen vs the inevitable clogging of the filter), /weight (comparable but I do usually carry less water with the steripen - see quickness)/design (it's neat in it's lightweight filter design, but so is the steripen for it's purpose)

So it comes down to personal preference, and the Sawyer Mini is worth a try but certainally not the end of thread IMHO ;)

[The Old Boot]

Whatever you do, don't follow in my footsteps....my first choice was the Steripen that you crank...no batteries to worry about.

It took a very athletic, much younger male to get it cranked fast enough and long enough to get the 1 minute cycle completed. And even he remarked that if he had to do that job for more than a liter a day, he'd be too tired to paddle!

It went back and I'm extremely happy with my Sawyer, although it bugs me that the Mini became available within a month of me buying mine..sigh.

[thecyclops]

I recently got a mini at Walmart, I brought in on a recent 5 day backpack, I could not wait to get my Steripen Freedom back.

For the Sawyer:
Price (major check)/ease (major fail - it is awkward to fill and use and can get your hands cold)/quickness (fail for small quantities (1/2 a L) of water gathered, check for larger quantities)/effectiveness (neither got me sick, so equal)/number of gallons it can filter (I assume a similar life battery of the Steripen vs the inevitable clogging of the filter), /weight (comparable but I do usually carry less water with the steripen - see quickness)/design (it's neat in it's lightweight filter design, but so is the steripen for it's purpose)

So it comes down to personal preference, and the Sawyer Mini is worth a try but certainally not the end of thread IMHO ;)

How is it awkward??? Its incredibly easy to work with,which is probably,beside the speed,is its best feature + you would HAVE to pre filter the water (if it has solids) before a steri and MAYBE pre filter before a sawyer,depending on how crusty the source is
The steri is delicate,the sawyer is built like a tank
$20,100,000 gallons,and no batteries VS how much for the steri???
and the design of being able to fit it in line,use as a straw or screw to pretty much any kind of water bottle just blows the steri away.

[thecyclops]

I also bought a outdoor products 1liter bag,that the mini screws to.I can filter a liter of water QUICK and the bag has a squirt type top that can be used to back flush the mini.

[Venchka]

I also bought a outdoor products 1liter bag,that the mini screws to.I can filter a liter of water QUICK and the bag has a squirt type top that can be used to back flush the mini.

Some kind of reference photo/link/SKU/help locating said bag would be most helpful. Is this bag for clean, filtered water? There were 2 Sawyer Minis on the peg board at the Boone, NC Walmart last Sunday.

Wayne

[mattjv89]

So it comes down to personal preference, and the Sawyer Mini is worth a try but certainally not the end of thread IMHO ;)

Agreed, much of the water treatment debate seems to end at what you consider convenient. I'm pretty set on Aquamira as a solution because I love the compact size, lack of messing with any sort of filters or bags, and don't mind the increased cost over time. That said I appreciate how others do mind the cost, time delay for both mixing the chemicals and treating the water, and the slight taste it imparts. Par for the course.

[Venchka]

This must be it. All gone in Boone. Shucks.

http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Products-Foldable-Water-Bottle-1-liter/23760387?type=search

Wayne

[Starchild]

How is it awkward???

This was my experience with it, YMMV. I found the filling of a flexible bottle underwater sometimes challenging as they tend to collapse and you need to get your hand wet, sometimes I needed to transfer water from a rigid container to the flexible one. The hands on the flex bottle to squeeze gets hands and fingers cold, and the need to constantly aim from one into the other.

In my steripen setup I used to have I could dip the bottle in and fill it holding on to the attached top and not get my hands wet at all (or place in under a stream of falling water, same no wet/cold hands), I could stir/steri it while I continued hiking and frequently do, albeit slowly.



Its incredibly easy to work with,which is probably,beside the speed,is its best feature + you would HAVE to pre filter the water (if it has solids) before a steri, The steri is delicate,the sawyer is built like a tank
I rarely prefiltered the water (I think 1x or 2x on my thru), from my understanding the Steripen is effective with some suspended solids and some opaqueness. So as far as robustness, a bunch of dirty water is not going to disable my Steripen, but it could my Sawyer and I've seen it happen to others.

Also you can freeze the steripen, your 'tank' breaks if it freezes. Your tank seems to have 2 major design flaws which can permanently disable it in mission critical situations which the Steripen is immune to.


$20,100,000 gallons,and no batteries VS how much for the steri???

I conceded cost to you already but.

I am assuming you mean $20 for 100,000 gallons, lets compare:
Steripen Freedom
Cost $100
Lamp Life is 8000 cycles and from what I understand free replacement after that. Each treatment is 1/2 a L, so 4,000 L at 4 L/gal (reasonable and easy approximation), it will do 1000 gallons per lamp for the $100 + the cost of electricity (battery is internal rechargeable).

Practically I would expect the Li-ion battery to fail before the bulb reaches it's max life however and I don't know the replacement cost of that.


But also practically the Mini suppose to last 100,000 gallons can be clogged after 1 gallon if you happen to chose the wrong water source, and not to mention the freezing issue.


and the design of being able to fit it in line,use as a straw or screw to pretty much any kind of water bottle just blows the steri away.

One major design flaw of the Steripen Freedom is that a wide mouth bottle is needed and it is a royal PITA to find one that is the right size, lightweight and seals well. The should have made it more like the classic where you can use a regular 'disposable' water bottle.

[HooKooDooKu]

That meant sawyer is the best on the market.END THREAD
Apparently Not... because the thread continues.


the sawyer mini is superior in all ways
Sorry, but I've got to take exception to the word ALL above.

The Sawyer mini is:
1. Not Impact safe (drop it and the glass tubes inside can break and there's virtually no way for you to know)
2. Not freeze safe (let it freeze and again the glass tubes inside can break and there's virtually no way for you to know)
3. Difficult to acquire water if there isn't falling water.

By comparison, the MSR Sweetwater filter is impact safe, freeze safe, and can easily suck water up out of the flattest shallowest water flows.

[thecyclops]

This must be it. All gone in Boone. Shucks.

http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Products-Foldable-Water-Bottle-1-liter/23760387?type=search

Wayne
Yup,thats it...I suppose you need to get your own system,but that is the bag I use,with a narrow mouth 1 liter nalgene and a 2 liter bladder.

[thecyclops]

Apparently Not... because the thread continues.


Sorry, but I've got to take exception to the word ALL above.

The Sawyer mini is:
1. Not Impact safe (drop it and the glass tubes inside can break and there's virtually no way for you to know)
2. Not freeze safe (let it freeze and again the glass tubes inside can break and there's virtually no way for you to know)
3. Difficult to acquire water if there isn't falling water.

By comparison, the MSR Sweetwater filter is impact safe, freeze safe, and can easily suck water up out of the flattest shallowest water flows.
My MSR mini cost 5X as much and I would trade it in a second for a sawyer,thats just me I suppose.
Its more impact safe than the steri,much more
I havent had it out in sub freezing conditions I will say,but keeping anything you dont want to freeze close to your body(a shirt pocket/pants pocket/down your draws/any where close to body heat) SHOULD (again,I have never had it out in the cold,err,that cold) solve that problem and its small,super small so to me,should be a non issue
Ive never had any issues acquiring water as long as I stay on top of my game and get water at every opportunity
Its OK though.Some people scoff at new technology,some people embrace it.People laughed at the wright brothers too.

[Starchild]

...
...Its (Sawyer) more impact safe than the steri,much more...


From the Steripen web site:


Misconception 6: SteriPENs are Fragile and Break Easily

Despite using a UV lamp, SteriPENs are quite sturdy. We’ve heard reports of people accidently dropping SteriPENs off cliffs and recovering them in perfect working order. Part of our development process consists of dropping SteriPENs from more than 50 feet to make sure they still function.
We use a buffering system on the lamp (a pair of exotic polymer composite o-rings if you want to get technical) that act as a shock absorber, and allow UV light to pass through. The lamp is encased in what looks like glass, but is actually high-strength quartz, which provides very strong protection of the lamp.

Having said that, SteriPENs of course aren’t indestructible, and should be handled responsibly.





From http://www.steripen.com/steripen-misconceptions

While I never dropped mine off a cliff, I have had it for a entire thru, numerious day hikes before over many years and continue to use it and never had a impact/breakage issue.


Its OK though.Some people scoff at new technology,some people embrace it.People laughed at the wright brothers too.

Pot meet Kettle, Kettle meet Pot.

[thecyclops]

From the Steripen web site:



From http://www.steripen.com/steripen-misconceptions

While I never dropped mine off a cliff, I have had it for a entire thru, numerious day hikes before over many years and continue to use it and never had a impact/breakage issue.



Pot meet Kettle, Kettle meet Pot.

OK,I dont want to get in a pi$$ing contest here...So Ill say this,everything that has been brought up in the discussion against the mini (freezing/clogging/breaking tubes) has not been experienced by myself and the sawyer website says exactly what I said regarding freezing,keep it close to body,easy peasy.

So to the final question and a real concern,the breaking of the tubes/impact resistant abilities of the mini.
I "googled" and "binged" Sawyer min impact resistance/sawyer mini durability/sawyer mini breaking/sawyer mini tubes breaking and the only thing that has shown for me,is the durability of the bag itself.Not saying anyone is wrong about it,just I could not find it. So I have emailed the company to find out about this,not to prove you wrong,but I need to know for myself.Especially need to know if there is no way of telling,which would be a serious design flaw that would need to be addressed by myself,if only keeping it in something more suitable to prevent it...I will report back on what they email me.

[CalebJ]

OK,I dont want to get in a pi$$ing contest here...So Ill say this,everything that has been brought up in the discussion against the mini (freezing/clogging/breaking tubes) has not been experienced by myself and the sawyer website says exactly what I said regarding freezing,keep it close to body,easy peasy.

So to the final question and a real concern,the breaking of the tubes/impact resistant abilities of the mini.
I "googled" and "binged" Sawyer min impact resistance/sawyer mini durability/sawyer mini breaking/sawyer mini tubes breaking and the only thing that has shown for me,is the durability of the bag itself.Not saying anyone is wrong about it,just I could not find it. So I have emailed the company to find out about this,not to prove you wrong,but I need to know for myself.Especially need to know if there is no way of telling,which would be a serious design flaw that would need to be addressed by myself,if only keeping it in something more suitable to prevent it...I will report back on what they email me.
For what it's worth, I own a mini and used it on my last 8 day trip through the BMT. It got the job done, but I'm going back to Aquamira.

The Sawyer flow rate was slow (at least a couple of minutes per liter of water filtered). Filling the bladder underwater is kind of a pain, so I used a waterproof hat to dip and pour into the bag. Freezing may not be a tremendous issue, but it's at least something to be cautious about. Also, I don't believe for a second that anyone will get 100,000 gallons of real life out of one. That's an 'up to' rating in completely optimal conditions. I'd be more inclined to believe a few thousand gallons, enough for a thru-hike or two.

[thecyclops]

For what it's worth, I own a mini and used it on my last 8 day trip through the BMT. It got the job done, but I'm going back to Aquamira.

The Sawyer flow rate was slow (at least a couple of minutes per liter of water filtered). Filling the bladder underwater is kind of a pain, so I used a waterproof hat to dip and pour into the bag. Freezing may not be a tremendous issue, but it's at least something to be cautious about. Also, I don't believe for a second that anyone will get 100,000 gallons of real life out of one. That's an 'up to' rating in completely optimal conditions. I'd be more inclined to believe a few thousand gallons, enough for a thru-hike or two.

WHat about "nasty water"?Just prefilter with bandana,etc?

[CalebJ]

Sure, I'd do that with any treatment option. With a filter to increase its life expectancy, and with chemical/pen to get rid of the large crap before I ingested it.

[thecyclops]

Sure, I'd do that with any treatment option. With a filter to increase its life expectancy, and with chemical/pen to get rid of the large crap before I ingested it.

Gotcha.I prefilter when I can see the particulates,but if its clear Im usually all systems go :) Suppose I should,couldnt hurt.

[CalebJ]

Same. It's not something I do every time (pretty rarely, actually), but my criteria for doing so would apply to any form of treatment.

[HooKooDooKu]

So to the final question and a real concern,the breaking of the tubes/impact resistant abilities of the mini.
I've got to admit that I no longer recall where I heard the Sawyer filters were not impact safe.
Searching the Sawyer web site, the only thing I could find regarding impact was in their warranty.

DO NOT DROP FILTER FROM HIGH HEIGHTS, IT MAY DAMAGE HOUSING WHICH IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY

[Starchild]

WHat about "nasty water"?Just prefilter with bandana,etc?

One thing I like about gathering water along the way is the taste. Filtering seems to dull that, for me at least. So there are 2 sides to this as well.

Happy Trails

[Starchild]

OK,I dont want to get in a pi$$ing contest here...

Always good to learn so await your posting.

For me I bought it (Sawyer) and tried it, gave it a fair chance and did not like it. As I stated it seemed t0 me awkward to use, and had me make more water then I wanted, and effected the taste IMHO negatively (by what I assume is removing things that are not water).

In a former posting you said you tried the Steripen, I would like to know how it worked for you and how it didn't. You state that is is fragile, was that your experience or impression? Yes it cost more, I admitted that on day one.

[thecyclops]

Always good to learn so await your posting.

For me I bought it (Sawyer) and tried it, gave it a fair chance and did not like it. As I stated it seemed t0 me awkward to use, and had me make more water then I wanted, and effected the taste IMHO negatively (by what I assume is removing things that are not water).

In a former posting you said you tried the Steripen, I would like to know how it worked for you and how it didn't. You state that is is fragile, was that your experience or impression? Yes it cost more, I admitted that on day one.
I suppose (As I mentioned Im not big on prefiltering) either having to prefilter or getting dank looking water,using steripen and it being"safe" but still looks like murky water.I would rather get clear,clean water and the aforementioned delicacy,that I may have over stated.Looking at it at least,it appears it could break easily at the sterilization end.
The MSR mini I have seems to slow its rates way too often and anybody who has carried that beast knows its heavy,LOL

[HooKooDooKu]

For me I bought it (Sawyer) and tried it, gave it a fair chance and did not like it. As I stated it seemed t0 me awkward to use, and had me make more water then I wanted, and effected the taste IMHO negatively (by what I assume is removing things that are not water).
The Sawyer can be awkward or can be simple depending upon your setup.

For example, it can be awkward if you need to fill a 2L MSR dromedary bag, and you collect the dirty water in the supplied 500mL bag. You have to fill the bag multiple times, and trying to get the water from the mini thru the opening of the dromedary, while holding the dromedary is going to be a tough job unless you have two people.

But if you get an Evernew 2L bladder (punch a hole in the corner and tie a string thru it), and a 2L platypus hoser (remove the bit valve), you can take JUST the Evernew bladder to collect water, return to camp, screw the mini onto the Evernew bladder, push the hose from the hoser over the mini-output, hang the Evernew bladder from the string, and in 4 minutes (while you're busy doing other things) you'll get 2L of gravity fed filtered water.

On the subject of taste... did you do a side-by-side taste comparison between the seripen and the mini (i.e. pulling water from the same source at the same time?). Because the mini isn't going to be able to filter dissolved solids. It's only going to filter large particle. So if the mini is changing the taste, then the thing providing the flavor is large suspended solids (silt, leaves, etc).

[Starchild]

The Sawyer can be awkward or can be simple depending upon your setup.

For example, it can be awkward if you need to fill a 2L MSR dromedary bag, and you collect the dirty water in the supplied 500mL bag. You have to fill the bag multiple times, and trying to get the water from the mini thru the opening of the dromedary, while holding the dromedary is going to be a tough job unless you have two people.

But if you get an Evernew 2L bladder (punch a hole in the corner and tie a string thru it), and a 2L platypus hoser (remove the bit valve), you can take JUST the Evernew bladder to collect water, return to camp, screw the mini onto the Evernew bladder, push the hose from the hoser over the mini-output, hang the Evernew bladder from the string, and in 4 minutes (while you're busy doing other things) you'll get 2L of gravity fed filtered water.

Carrying 2 L of water is awkward to me, Steripen = 1/4 L carried ;)


On the subject of taste... did you do a side-by-side taste comparison between the seripen and the mini (i.e. pulling water from the same source at the same time?). Because the mini isn't going to be able to filter dissolved solids. It's only going to filter large particle. So if the mini is changing the taste, then the thing providing the flavor is large suspended solids (silt, leaves, etc).

No, so it may be just my opinion and imagination, but as least for now that opinion matters to me personally - but the sawyer just seems flat (taste wise)

[thecyclops]

Carrying 2 L of water is awkward to me, Steripen = 1/4 L carried ;)



No, so it may be just my opinion and imagination, but as least for now that opinion matters to me personally - but the sawyer just seems flat (taste wise)
Well,speaking of which...Even the website says it wont filter chemicals/taste,BUT I have heavily chlorinated water here at the house and when I use the mini I swear it takes out the taste,I get no chlorine taste....$hit I dunno what the hell is going on!!! Im in the twilight zone!!!

[Starchild]

Well,speaking of which...Even the website says it wont filter chemicals/taste,BUT I have heavily chlorinated water here at the house and when I use the mini I swear it takes out the taste,I get no chlorine taste....$hit I dunno what the hell is going on!!! Im in the twilight zone!!!
IDK but If you let chlorinated water sit the chlorine will off gas.

Two other things that comes to mind: 1 That your water has something in it in terms of suspended solids that absorb the chlorine which is getting filtered out or 2: Perhaps something in the filter itself is absorbing the chlorine even though that was not part of the intended operations and if so soon may saturate and not do this after a certain amount of time filtered - or perhaps the Cl will off gas from that too making it something it will continue to do. Again IDK.

[thecyclops]

IDK but If you let chlorinated water sit the chlorine will off gas.

Two other things that comes to mind: 1 That your water has something in it in terms of suspended solids that absorb the chlorine which is getting filtered out or 2: Perhaps something in the filter itself is absorbing the chlorine even though that was not part of the intended operations and if so soon may saturate and not do this after a certain amount of time filtered - or perhaps the Cl will off gas from that too making it something it will continue to do. Again IDK.
Well I hope it keeps doing its thang,we have terrible water here in Hickory.If Im at the house,its either store bought water or sawyer water.I
I know one year the city said we had an"algae bloom" (whatever that is???) and the water was like freakin bleach for a few weeks...terrible.

[Dedicated Hanger]

After backpacking for many years I have gone from tablets to pump, to gravity filter systems, back to tablets, and now to a Steripen. Would say that each system has it's advantages and disadvantages and there is not a clear winner over another. It is the back up plan that has become the most important to me for all things have a failure mode.

[jbwood5]

I like to experiment from year to year, especially if I can find a lighter option that functions good. This year through northern NH and southern ME, I tried the Sawyer squeeze (not the mini, but that will be next). I really liked this product and will probably just stick with it. It is simple and fast. I have 3 of the qt bags and fill them all when I get to my evening campsite. That gives me enough water for the evening meal, morning breakfast and most of the morning part of the hike. I've had to dump some of the unused, unfiltered water when there is more leftover than I care to carry.

A couple of things I like are that I can fill the bag from a spring or stream, screw on the filter, and immediately drink to my heart's content nice ice cold water right from the short hose on the end of the filter. That is a wonderful feeling on a hot day. Also, with my sore knee, I use freshly filled bags like an ice pack to bring down the soreness in my legs. That's another wonderful thing and after a couple minutes of that, I just filter the water into a 20 oz disposable water bottle that I just keep re-using. That keeps everything pretty light. So far I have not broke a bag or even a cheap throw away water bottle.

I never would have guessed it would be so easy. No messing with pumps, batteries, electrical contacts, etc. No chemical taste.

There was one spring at a Maine shelter that was just a seep hole with no moving water to help fill the bag. I just used my cook pot as a dipper and filled the 3 bags. That happens once in a while but it is not that big a deal.

[thecyclops]

The response I got in regards to the breaking of the tubes from Sawyer....
"The housing on the all of the filters is shock resistant for a simple drop or fall. The real concern is not the fibers cracking (the fibers are not glass) it is the o-rings unseating inside of the filter. A rule of thumb is if the housing is intact the filter is fine."

[mudsocks]

I suppose (As I mentioned Im not big on prefiltering) either having to prefilter or getting dank looking water,using steripen and it being"safe" but still looks like murky water.I would rather get clear,clean water and the aforementioned delicacy,that I may have over stated.Looking at it at least,it appears it could break easily at the sterilization end.
The MSR mini I have seems to slow its rates way too often and anybody who has carried that beast knows its heavy,LOL

I used the mini this summer on the LT and was satisfied. I won't use my Sawyer system during the winter months here in Maine because of it's inability to withstand freezing temperatures. I find in short term, freezing winter conditions aquamira tablets are the lightest, smallest and most dependable solution.


The response I got in regards to the breaking of the tubes from Sawyer....
"The housing on the all of the filters is shock resistant for a simple drop or fall. The real concern is not the fibers cracking (the fibers are not glass) it is the o-rings unseating inside of the filter. A rule of thumb is if the housing is intact the filter is fine."

I think there may be some confusion regarding the Platypus GravityWorks filter and the Sawyer Squeeze. The GravityWorks should not be exposed to shocks. Read What if the filter takes a hard drop (http://www.cascadedesigns.com/platypus/FAQ)?

As others have pointed out each system has it's own advantages and disadvantages. Anyone able to answer the OP's first question?

[Traveler]

Is anyone using the Katadyn Hiker PRO pump system?

[maxpatch67]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayoRUFkBy3A&list=UUK7CQGyEXgJeVKbYK-fRe3Q

This is a link for a video I just made that reviews the steripen sold at Costco for $39. Hope this helps.

[Tianto]

First of all, Steripen does not purify the water. It only disinfects the water. The water will still contain any chemical contaminates and suspended solids.
Second, most hikers will not be encountering water sourced that are contaminated with virus. As such, most any of the water filters available 'will do'.
Third, there are cheaper solutions. With the Sawyer Mini available in WalMart (and other sources) for <$20, I think it is going to become a game changer in the industry.

So the only times I would even consider a Steripen would be if I was hiking somewhere I needed to worry about virus contamination or hiking in sub-freezing weather (most, but not all, other water filters must be protected from freezing).



Sawer does not remove chemical contamination either and is rarely (if ever a reason) that hikers carry a filtration system. Steripen comes with a screen that does filter solids from your water. Steripen DOES purify water. And no, I have no vested interest in Steripen though I do own and use one.