View Full Version : Sharing Steripen battery
strawbale
09-28-2012, 09:49
In an attempt to go ultralight I've been using the light on my Steripen as my flashlight. That has worked out fine so far, but it does not leave me prepared for any critical situation at night. Since I take a back-up battery along for my Steripen I am wondering if there is a decent lightweight headlamp that takes two CRi23 batteries. I use the rechargeable RCR123 double batteries in my Steripen, so the headlamp would need to accept that larger single battery rather than a single CR123 or two CR123's side by side. Any suggestions?
Shep
yellowsirocco
09-28-2012, 10:11
Just get a CR2032 headlamp. They are cheap and tiny. You are over-thinking this. Plus it is a pain in the butt to swap batteries around.
strawbale
09-28-2012, 10:32
Thanks. I would only be swapping batteries if one of the batteries died. I take a backup battery for the Steripen, so my thought was to use that second battery in the headlamp. Going ultralight generally involves over-thinking things!
Shep
Blissful
09-28-2012, 10:56
Skip the steripen and go with chemical rx. Even lighter.
I've got to agree, dump the steripen and go with a lighter more reliable water treatment option and spend the weight you save on a headlamp.
Yes, in a better attempt to be UL, dump the steripen. I know from experience, they are crap. Mine died about 100 miles into my thru last year. Use chemicals
Mine died about 100 miles into my thru last year. Use chemicals
Mine made it 300 miles.
If you are like me and got a steripen in the first place because you REALLY didn't want to use chemicals. Here is a lighter, cheaper solution with a longer lifespan: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0034VR8ES/
strawbale
09-29-2012, 19:47
I've been preferring not to use chemicals and filters seem like a hassle. My Steripen has worked great for my 4 day and 7 day hikes. Those of you who had trouble, was it the battery or something else?
Shep
Slo-go'en
09-29-2012, 22:42
Thanks. I would only be swapping batteries if one of the batteries died. I take a backup battery for the Steripen, so my thought was to use that second battery in the headlamp. Going ultralight generally involves over-thinking things!
Shep
So, your going to disable your flashlight if you need a new battery in the Steripen? Of course, this would happen when you need to have both functional. Sure, now you can swap the battery back and forth, but that's a serious PITA. The weight of a single battery is not worth that kind of hassle. Carry one less sip of water instead. LED flashlights are common, small, light and cheap. Any of them will work.
BTW, before anyone else gets the idea of using thier Steripen as a flashlight - please read the instructions where it says "NO NOT USE AS A LIGHT SOURCE". And never, ever by-pass the water senser so the UV light can come on when not in a water filled container. The UV light can damage your eyes.
I've been preferring not to use chemicals and filters seem like a hassle.
Check out the picture I included, the filter splices into the tube on your water bladder. The water gets filtered as you drink it. I found it to be more convenient than using my steripen.
Wise Old Owl
09-30-2012, 11:14
Don't get so wrapped up about chemicals, they have the practical use too. They have been tested for years and approved by the FDA and other scientists.
It amazes me how deeply people get messed up by the "nature" miss-information folk who feel they need to inform/educate you over stuff that is harmful. Or the social need to eat a "free range" chicken or a tofu burger. There are pro cons to everything, you swim in a pool with gallons of chemicals - yet you won't jump into a dirty lake because it has frogs. people scream about whats in hand sanitizer, but you use a underarm deodorant that carries a "Warning Label" and can be far more harmful. You feel the need to buy "Natural" foods - but isn't Uranium & Lead Natural? Lead in the food chain comes mostly from direct deposit from the air to plants and from livestock eating soil laced with lead as they eat the plants. The bans on leaded gasoline and paint have reduced exposure. The average person gets a blood test and will have a small amount of lead in their bloods stream...I remember being told as 12 year old that we could not have milk for two weeks due to atomic bomb cloud over Michigan/Illinois. We just had an arsenic scare last week for rice. "Good Morning America" (unfounded) and an ongoing scare about getting children vaccinated (British Scare Unfounded) when vaccinations have done so much good.
SO enjoy your Aqua Mira and Chlorine tabs - you are not going to live forever, but you will be less sick on the trail.
Keep it in perspective, be informed.-Then question everything.
Moose2001
09-30-2012, 11:40
There's an old adage that says...."whatever can go wrong, will go wrong". It usually happens at the worst possible time as well. So at some point, you're going to find both your headlamp and your steripen dead because you lost, dropped, or ran out the batteries. If you do some reading here on the forums, you'll find lots of stories about steripens failing. Even if you're doing a short section, loosing your steripen could be unpleasant. Once again....an old adage. Use the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid)
My Steripen has worked great for my 4 day and 7 day hikes. Those of you who had trouble, was it the battery or something else?
Shep
I saw people have several different problems. In both my first steripen and the replacement the water sensor got screwed up on account of small amounts of water leaking in over time because of the part that you stick in the water wasn't quite as well sealed as it needed to be.
strawbale
10-01-2012, 21:19
Thanks for all your comments. It's obvious people have strong opinions on this. I have been very satisfied with my Steripen so far. I'm not sure why they would build a flashlight into it with instructions on how to turn it on and then say not to use it as a light source. I will consider chemicals for my next hike, at least for back up.
Shep
Slo-go'en
10-02-2012, 00:56
Thanks for all your comments. It's obvious people have strong opinions on this. I have been very satisfied with my Steripen so far. I'm not sure why they would build a flashlight into it with instructions on how to turn it on and then say not to use it as a light source. I will consider chemicals for my next hike, at least for back up.
Shep
What model do you have? There are a number of different models and the backpacker one's I checked didn't have a flashlight built in.
ChinMusic
10-02-2012, 01:23
Thanks for all your comments. It's obvious people have strong opinions on this. I have been very satisfied with my Steripen so far.
I have been using a Steripen for about 5 years without issue. WhiteBlaze has a strong anti-Steripen contingency. I have learned to ignore them. I know the product works............if you are not all thumbs.
strawbale
10-02-2012, 09:03
What model do you have? There are a number of different models and the backpacker one's I checked didn't have a flashlight built in.
I believe I have the Adventurer Opti.
Shep
Slo-go'en
10-02-2012, 10:48
I believe I have the Adventurer Opti.
Okay, your right of course, the Opti can be used as a flashlight. Didn't know they made one with that feature.
In any event, it's a good idea to have a real flashlight. In fact, I think it's a good idea to have two in case one breaks or gets lost. In your case the backup light can be the Opti. I once missplaced my headlamp on an overnight winter trip and had no spare light. I had to do 1.5 miles of trail without any light to get out of the woods. Ever since then I make sure there's a small, spare light hidden somewhere in my pack.
ChinMusic
10-02-2012, 11:12
In an attempt to go ultralight I've been using the light on my Steripen as my flashlight. That has worked out fine so far, but it does not leave me prepared for any critical situation at night. Since I take a back-up battery along for my Steripen I am wondering if there is a decent lightweight headlamp that takes two CRi23 batteries. I use the rechargeable RCR123 double batteries in my Steripen, so the headlamp would need to accept that larger single battery rather than a single CR123 or two CR123's side by side. Any suggestions?
Shep
I have the Opti as well. I don't use the flashlight function. I want all the battery power to go towards water Tx. I carry an extra set of Cr123s and tablets for the event that the water is too turbid or I have a failure (any system should have a backup). I have tablets in the ready. I carry an iPhone so I have some short-term flashlight function for finding stuff in my tent. This is NOT for night hiking. IMO, you still should have a headlamp for heavier lighting needs.
Your idea of a headlamp using CR123s is a good one. I cannot help you with that. I will say that it is not worth your time fretting over this if your search is not an easy one. I would get a good, small headlamp that uses AAAs. If you are a shelter-dweller make sure you have the red function.
I know the product works............if you are not all thumbs.
Your product worked, ours didn't. Quality control *shrug*
bear bag hanger
10-03-2012, 08:07
I've been using the MSR MIOX for years. It's been tested and supposedly used by the military. As best I can tell, the Steripen has not. They look very fragile to me and the thought of having to clean up all that glass, after dropping one on a rock, is enough reason for me to not carry one. Back up for any water purifying system is boiling the water over a campfire.
I remember a Backpacker Magazine article that tried to test chemicals, filtering and just drinking the water (the Steripen didn't exist then). They measured the percentage of people who got sick in a given section of trail over a given time period. Don't remember the exact percentages (they carried to the tenth of a percent), but the results were something like: filtering the water - 15%, chemical treating the water - 15% and drinking untreated water - wait for it - 15%! I still treat with my MSR MIOX, but wonder if I'm wasting my time.
if u are a hardcore and pure ultra-light hiker you wont even bring a steripen...you will just drink your own pee and bum everything else you need off other hikers. there i saved you the trouble of over thinking and saved you weight.
The Cleaner
10-03-2012, 12:49
Maybe somebody could post the link for the dehydrated water to help lighten his load:rolleyes:........
i am sure there is a solar powered light of some sort that kills bacteria and microbes in water and also will light your way so that you dont have to carry the extra 5.5 gram battery. there just has to be one out there somewhere.
Alligator
10-03-2012, 13:50
Type CR123 and headlamp into Google. I saw two lights at least.
Alligator
10-03-2012, 13:55
if u are a hardcore and pure ultra-light hiker you wont even bring a steripen...you will just drink your own pee and bum everything else you need off other hikers. there i saved you the trouble of over thinking and saved you weight.
No need to be rude like this he's just working out his gear.
Alligator
10-03-2012, 14:05
Type CR123 and headlamp into Google. I saw two lights at least.Although they may not have been side by side.
strawbale
10-04-2012, 14:40
Thanks again to some of you for your responses. To the others, I hope you have enjoyed trying to convince someone to hike your hike.
Shep
Slo-go'en
10-04-2012, 16:24
i am sure there is a solar powered light of some sort that kills bacteria and microbes in water and also will light your way so that you dont have to carry the extra 5.5 gram battery. there just has to be one out there somewhere.
Yeah, Steripen makes one. The Opli model Strawbale uses has a built in light and there is a solar charger available for the battery. But I still think one should have a dedicated light.
High intensity UV LEDs are now available, so it might be possible to use them instead of the High Voltage flourescent light the Steripen uses. Using solid state lights could make it more reliable, but could also require higher current batteries to power. I'd be tempted to try making one using the new LEDs, but there isn't any way I could test it to find out if it really works.
YohonPetro
10-07-2012, 11:54
During my thru the Steripen worked great for three weeks, then I changed batteries (expensive batteries) and it stopped working. I had a friend come out and his stopped working after three days. You can't rely on something unreliable! If you must bring a back-up method of water purification, that's not UL, right? Just bring something less likely to fail, like Aquamira (unless the bottle leaks, that is!)