View Full Version : SteriPEN™
Hello Everyone,
I've searched WhiteBlaze and not found any mention of a SteriPEN. I have gleaned lots of information about this product from the internet, and from my local outfitters, but I've never talked to anyone who has actually used one on the trail.
Through my research, I've discovered pros and cons, and formulated my own opinions, but I would value the opinions of those who have carried this device. If you have experience with a SteriPEN, I'd love to hear your point-of-view.
Thanks,
ACH05
Hello Everyone,
I've searched WhiteBlaze and not found any mention of a SteriPEN. I have gleaned lots of information about this product from the internet, and from my local outfitters, but I've never talked to anyone who has actually used one on the trail.
Through my research, I've discovered pros and cons, and formulated my own opinions, but I would value the opinions of those who have carried this device. If you have experience with a SteriPEN, I'd love to hear your point-of-view.
Thanks,
ACH05
Try searching using "steri-pen". You seem to have formed an opinion based on your research; please let us have it. I remember something on trailforums?about a test done by a poster. The test was not very scientific but might provide some information.
Groucho,
Thank you for your comments. At your suggestion, I modified my search and found several WhiteBlaze threads dealing with SteriPEN. I was very interested to read that JojoSmiley carried a SteriPEN on his thru-hike this year. His feedback would be valuable.
I also searched trailforums, as you suggested, and found a related thread. There, a couple reports to have carried a SteriPEN on their 2003 AT hike and loved it. At the time, the cost was $200; now it is available online for $125. As the price drops, we may hear more about them.
Groucho,
Thank you for your comments. At your suggestion, I modified my search and found several WhiteBlaze threads dealing with SteriPEN. I was very interested to read that JojoSmiley carried a SteriPEN on his thru-hike this year. His feedback would be valuable.
I also searched trailforums, as you suggested, and found a related thread. There, a couple reports to have carried a SteriPEN on their 2003 AT hike and loved it. At the time, the cost was $200; now it is available online for $125. As the price drops, we may hear more about them.
You're welcome.
JoJo is a woman: I would also like her opinion on the pen. Where can you get it for 125? That's getting down to a tempting price.
I would be concerned with durability and efficiency when there was suspended matter in the water. Do you know anything about these issues?
I assume that the temperature of the water wouldn't be much of a problem.
Thanks,
Groucho
You're welcome.
JoJo is a woman: I would also like her opinion on the pen. Where can you get it for 125? That's getting down to a tempting price.
I would be concerned with durability and efficiency when there was suspended matter in the water. Do you know anything about these issues?
I assume that the temperature of the water wouldn't be much of a problem.
Thanks,
Groucho My apologoies, JoJo. I'm the new kid on the block. It was an honest mistake. ;)
Groucho: There are a number of outfitters selling the pen in that price range. I hesitate to post URLs, as addresses often change, and then become dead links, but here are a few.
http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/steripen.php
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/
I have never done business with these vendors, nor am I promoting them. Google identified them as the cheapest sources for SteriPEN.
You are absolutely right about the reduced efficacy of Steripen in turbid water. Because this device kills pathogens with UV light, the liquid must be sufficiently clear to allow the transmission of light through it. If one were forced to take cloudy water, it is recommended that the water be strained, to remove the suspended solids. Coffee filters and bandanas have successfully been used for this purpose.
I am also concerned about the fragility of this product. Perhaps Jojo, or others, could speak to this.
Just dusting-off this thread and dragging it out from the back shelf, hoping to get a response from Jojo.
Thanks for your reply of 12/14; somehow I missed it! I did google and find where it was on sale for that price.
Can't always tell sex from a trailname, or even reading journal entries. Ran into a thru in VA that had been a bit smitten with a hiker further up the trail. The penwomanship in the registers was superb, the entries sublime, poetic; he couldn't wait to catch up. You know the rest...
I couldn't find the post, from who knows where, that related test results on several methods of water treatment. The test was unscientific but not a bad screening for further work. As I remember it, the posters were surprised at the Pen results: nothing living after treating pond water. Readers, don't rely on this ill-remembered snippet to make a decision.
It is also advised that the pen not be used on colored water
JoJo was on a few days ago, but maybe she missed the thread. Perhaps I'll email her.
JojoSmiley
01-04-2005, 10:02
Yes, I did miss this thread. We used the steripen on our hike on the North Country Trail. Only problem we had was the top kept popping as if the batteries were too big for the compartment. We just taped it and it worked fine. We think this is an individual unit flaw not a design flaw. We went to wide mouth bottles to accomadate the pen. We hiked 1000 miles with it as well as biked another 1000 miles too. We like it and intend using it again up in Alaska for our Chilkoot hike late this summer.
Yes, I did miss this thread. We used the steripen on our hike on the North Country Trail. Only problem we had was the top kept popping as if the batteries were too big for the compartment. We just taped it and it worked fine. We think this is an individual unit flaw not a design flaw. We went to wide mouth bottles to accomadate the pen. We hiked 1000 miles with it as well as biked another 1000 miles too. We like it and intend using it again up in Alaska for our Chilkoot hike late this summer.
Thanks
I'm considering buying one of these and first hand accounts are the best. Did you use anything to filter trash, biofilm, etc. out of the water when it was present?
Did you do a liter at a time?
baseballswthrt
01-05-2005, 00:11
How long did the batteries last you? How much water did you use a day? I'm afraid we would have to pack and carry too many batteries to be a weight savings!
SGT Rock
01-05-2005, 00:14
I think you might want to look at the Minox device. At least it looks a little more durable and half the weight.
saimyoji
01-05-2005, 00:50
Do you mean miox by MSR? There are some other threads here with good info if so. From what I could determine, the company itself was unsure about the exact 'cocktail' that the brine solution creates. Their test results show reduction in "water-borne-baddies" but what are the side effects on humans of this "cocktail?"
I've not used it myself, but it looks like a good way to purify. You'll still probably want to filter...can't imagine chocking down a quart of brackish, speckled, "safe" water.
Then again, I've not thru-hiked...YET.
Yes, I did miss this thread. We used the steripen on our hike on the North Country Trail. Only problem we had was the top kept popping as if the batteries were too big for the compartment. We just taped it and it worked fine. We think this is an individual unit flaw not a design flaw. We went to wide mouth bottles to accomadate the pen. We hiked 1000 miles with it as well as biked another 1000 miles too. We like it and intend using it again up in Alaska for our Chilkoot hike late this summer. Jojo: Thanks for your reply. Your input is valuable, as this is a relatively unknown product, and I’ve had difficulty obtaining first-hand accounts.
For those interested in comparing SteriPEN™ and MIOX®, I copied the following from their respective websites:
SteriPEN™ specifications:
Weight: 3.7 oz without batteries
(6.5 - 8 oz. with batteries, depending on type)
Dimensions: 7.6" (L) X 1.5" (W) X 1.5" (H)
Battery: 4 disposable or externally rechargeable AA batteries.
Dwell Times:
SteriPEN’s™ dose time ranges from 38 to 48 seconds for 16 ounces to 90 seconds for 1 quart (or 1 liter).
How it works:
SteriPEN™ purifies water using Ultraviolet (UV) light. Whether your source is a clear running brook or a hotel tap, SteriPEN™ destroys viruses, bacteria and protozoa–including Giardia and Cryptosporidium seconds. By not using chemicals, SteriPEN™ avoids problems of chemical toxicity and unpleasant chemical taste.
http://www.hydro-photon.com/pgs/faq.html
MIOX® Purifier:
Weight:
Pen: 3.5 oz./99 g
Kit: 8 oz./227 g
Dimensions: 7 in. x 1 in.
Battery: 2- CR123 lithium camera batteries
Dwell times:
Viruses, bacteria: 15 min.
Giardia: 30 min.
Cryptosporidium: 4 hrs.
How it works:
Miox® Purifier works by creating brine out of untreated fresh water and salt, then passing a small electrical charge through the solution, which results in a powerful dose of mixed oxidants. This 'cocktail' is poured into untreated water, leaving you with safe, purified water.
http://www.msrcorp.com/filters/miox.asp
JojoSmiley
01-06-2005, 10:47
Lets see, lots of questions here. We tend to look for clear running water to filter so straining tends not to be a problem there. We have always seemed to find running water or been able to ask a local resident for water when it wasn't present. Batteries lasted for aprox. 3-4 weeks filtering aprox. 2-3 gallons a day in the heat of summer. We tried to always use lithium as they weigh less. As for the weight of carrying batteries Nomad was using a GPS that seemed to eat them up so we always carried a lot of them.
Hope that helps.
[QUOTE=ACH05]
[font=Arial]
SteriPEN™ specifications:
Weight: 3.7 oz without batteries
(6.5 - 8 oz. with batteries, depending on type)
Dimensions: 7.6" (L) X 1.5" (W) X 1.5" (H)
Battery: 4 disposable or externally rechargeable AA batteries.
Dwell Times:
SteriPEN’s™ dose time ranges from 38 to 48 seconds for 16 ounces to 90 seconds for 1 quart (or 1 liter).[font=Arial] ]/QUOTE]
Iodine Pills: $5. or less
Kool-Aid 25cents
NO BATTERIES NEEDED! :D
I know one thru-hiker who used it and was very happy. Other than that, I don't feel one way or another about it. I used AquaMira and was happy. :)
Haiku.