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Bouncy
11-06-2012, 15:11
Hello,
I was planning on using the Sawyer squeeze but was curious about the steripen and how long it lasts? Also has anyone used one of the off brand named ones that are cheaper and how long do they last? Going SOBO in July 2013.
Thanks,
Bouncy

FlyPaper
11-06-2012, 17:08
Hello,
I was planning on using the Sawyer squeeze but was curious about the steripen and how long it lasts? Also has anyone used one of the off brand named ones that are cheaper and how long do they last? Going SOBO in July 2013.
Thanks,
Bouncy

I have a Steripen brand purifier. Can't tell you how long it last because it still works. Seems like back up batteries are a no brainier though.

If it fails, you should consider how comfortable you are with "plan B". I usually hike with other guys who have filters. I can just borrow theirs if my steripen fails. If you are hiking alone or without a companion that has another purifier, "plan B" may be to drink unfiltered water. This might not be too bad considering that many people hike the whole trail and never treat water at all.

ChinMusic
11-06-2012, 17:15
I have been using a Steripen for years. I have a perfectly funtioning Classic but have switched to the Opti. I can't tell you how long it will work since both are still functioning perfectly.

From what I can see the Sawyer Squeeze is a good product as well.

snifur
11-06-2012, 17:16
Why not treat the water in the Sawyer bag with a few drops of bleach and then filter? then you dont need to worry about the steripen. or you can boil it. or get another filter and filter it twice. or a combination of all mentioned. i understand that pee is sterile, but i would not recommend that route as a plan b. i used bleach from GA-ME. dont start out carrying the full gallon though. it gets heavy.

Don H
11-06-2012, 18:33
Carry a 1 or 2 oz. eyedropper for your chlorine bleach and charm the little old ladies at the laundry mat for a refill as needed.

snifur
11-06-2012, 18:38
+ 1 to DonH he earned it!

Starchild
11-06-2012, 18:54
Can you link to the off brand ones. I know camelback has one that uses a nalgene bottle with a UV light, and MSR uses a battery powered purifier that uses salt, but no other brand that uses UV.

Deadeye
11-06-2012, 21:28
According to the specs with my SteriPen, the lamp is good for 8,000 treatments (1 liter each) and 2 regular batteries will treat about 50 liters of water (about 30 liters for rechargeables). Based on that, a set of batteries should last about 2 weeks+ (treating 4 liters/day), and the lamp will probably outlast the whole shebang, that is I'll probably drop it or step on it or lose it before the lamp wears out!

I like it - it's my go-to treatment now. Quick, effective, user-friendly, great for seances, no affect on taste. I use a McNett filter bottle for backup. I'm already carrying the bottle, so only the filter itself is extra weight.

Deadeye
11-06-2012, 21:32
BTW, I use my cooking pot for treatment. I can scoop up a liter of water, then sit down and treat in a comfortable place, no need to be stuck at the water source. I treat in the pot, pour into a bottle, and drink whatever's left. I usually treat & drink a full liter right there, and find I drank more using the pen than I did using a filter just because it was so easy.

Lando11
11-07-2012, 03:09
I started my thru in '11 with a steripen. Lasted me 100ish miles before it stopped working.
I did bring a eye dropper of bleach for backup, but looking back if you need a backup, your primary product is flawed.

Though a UV pen is a great idea, I would never try one again. That thing was a hunk of junk that I am thankful I saved the receipt for.

Gipsy
11-07-2012, 04:18
My Classic has been working since 2010 with no problems. I love it! It is super fast! I keep it in the padded pouch and take care of it. One of the best investments I have made as far as drinking water goes. However, I always keep aqua-mira drops as a safety back-up, or if I run into really cloudy/muddy water.

Don H
11-07-2012, 08:32
I started my thru in '11 with a steripen. Lasted me 100ish miles before it stopped working.
I did bring a eye dropper of bleach for backup, but looking back if you need a backup, your primary product is flawed.

I used the SP Classic for the second half of my thru. I started having problems with it in VT. It started getting hard to get a full cycle out of it. I called SP and they sent me a new one to Hanover, NH (great customer service!). That one went the rest of the way. What I found out later is that if you don't dry them after you're done using them moisture seeps into the electronics and cause a short cycle/incomplete dose red light. The fix for that is to occasionally leave it out in the sun for a while with the batteries and cover removed.

I would suggest that you carry a back up for whatever method you use. I saw an AquaMira bottle split and leak in someone's pack. You can't treat water with Part A only!

Maddog
11-07-2012, 08:44
I started my thru in '11 with a steripen. Lasted me 100ish miles before it stopped working.
I did bring a eye dropper of bleach for backup, but looking back if you need a backup, your primary product is flawed.

Though a UV pen is a great idea, I would never try one again. That thing was a hunk of junk that I am thankful I saved the receipt for.

+1 The first time I tried to use my steripen (Gooch Gap) it over-heated and melted. I sent it back to REI from Neels Gap! YMMV! Maddog:D

Don H
11-07-2012, 16:42
Well you're not suppose to jump it from your car battery :)

never heard of one melting

Maddog
11-07-2012, 16:58
Well you're not suppose to jump it from your car battery :)

never heard of one melting

Me either!:) I'm glad I had a "plan B"! Maddog:D

Airman
11-07-2012, 18:27
Lando11, never had a problem with my steripen. You must have got a lemon.

TT2
11-07-2012, 22:01
My Steripen died on day one of a section hike. My hiking buddy pulled his new one out, and it was no good either. Both worked when tested pre-hike. Bring Aqua-Mira.

In my experience they last less than one day.

Don H
11-08-2012, 07:54
TT2, which model did you have?

snifur
11-08-2012, 09:30
TT2, i also have not had much luck with the steripen. I went through 2 of them before I decided that a filter and treatment works just fine. The first one worked fine for a week before failure. The second worked for 3 days. It is a bummer and i hate wasting money.

RED-DOG
11-08-2012, 14:56
Throw the steripen and sawyer away and get yourself a Katahdan Hiker Pro better than both of those put together.

Deadeye
11-08-2012, 16:48
Like everything else in your pack or on your person (shoes vs. boots, trekking poles, tents vs hammocks, umbrellas, stoves), everyone has an opinion and you'll just have to figure out what works for you!

TT2
11-08-2012, 21:16
Don H, the one I tried was a Steripen Classic. My friend had one with smaller batteries than the AA the classic uses, but not sure which model.

Don H
11-08-2012, 21:37
That's the one I use.

soilman
11-08-2012, 22:54
I used the SP Classic from GA-ME in 2010 and only had to use my Aqua Mira backup once. Like Don H said, I discovered you need to make sure you keep the contacts dry. I would dry mine off and/or lay it in the sun. I went with the Classic because it used AA batteries. I found a pair of lithium batteries would last me about 1 month and I was probably treating 5-6 liters/day.

WILLIAM HAYES
11-09-2012, 18:06
been using one for years very reliable just carry some backup batteries

Starchild
11-09-2012, 19:25
but looking back if you need a backup, your primary product is flawed.

Have to disagree as the steripen is a weight saving device in almost all applications I have used it in, more then making up for its and a 'light weight' backup method's weight (such and iodine tabs) in less water needed to be carried on average in almost every backpacking situation.

Besides dogging down every mud puddle you come across without regard to safety, I can make a very strong case that the steripen + backup is the lightest weight choice as actually used on the trail due to convenience (so you purify less volume of water but more often), speed and leaving the water source with some water already drank (unlike a filter which tempts you to top up, and chemicals which require a wait period)

If it does fail, revert to your backup method, and even if you chuck your defective steripen you will be already be carrying more weight then the steripen + backup in my experience.


YMMV

Starchild
11-09-2012, 19:27
this was a repeat of the above and can't seem to cancel it

Bucho
11-12-2012, 22:35
Throw the steripen and sawyer away and get yourself a Katahdan Hiker Pro better than both of those put together.

What do you have against the sawyer?

I've never tried the Sawyer Squeeze but I used the Sawyer 3-way for my thru hike last year and loved it. As for the Katahdan Hiker Pro, I used it in Yosemite in '04 and liked it but at 11 ounces it's way too heavy for a lot of thru hikers.

Bucho
11-12-2012, 22:38
I started my thru in '11 with a steripen. Lasted me 100ish miles before it stopped working.


Mine made it 300ish and then Hydro-Photon replaced it with a defective unit.

Bucho
11-12-2012, 22:56
Besides dogging down every mud puddle you come across without regard to safety, I can make a very strong case that the steripen + backup is the lightest weight choice as actually used on the trail due to convenience (so you purify less volume of water but more often), speed and leaving the water source with some water already drank (unlike a filter which tempts you to top up, and chemicals which require a wait period)


I found using a Sawyer filter inline to be faster, lighter and more convenient than my steripen. Oh and I didn't need to carry a backup in case it shorted out.

Don H
11-13-2012, 08:37
I found using a Sawyer filter inline to be faster, lighter and more convenient than my steripen. Oh and I didn't need to carry a backup in case it shorted out.

Yep, it will never short out and the batteries will never die but if it ever freezes it will ruin the filter medium. Your filter has now become ineffective and is allowing pathogens to pass through and you might not even know it.

Sorry no water treatment method is perfect. I'd suggest carrying an eyedropper bottle with bleach as a back up just in case.

Bucho
11-14-2012, 00:02
Yep, it will never short out and the batteries will never die but if it ever freezes it will ruin the filter medium. Your filter has now become ineffective and is allowing pathogens to pass through and you might not even know it.

Sorry no water treatment method is perfect. I'd suggest carrying an eyedropper bottle with bleach as a back up just in case.

I wouldn't suggest that. Bleach isn't the most effective against Cryptosporidium and Giardia:
(http://www.cdc.gov/crypto/)http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/safe_water/personal.html#make_safe

That's kind of a problem since those are the two things that most AT hikers are looking to protect themselves from.

I'll certainly join you in stating that no water treatment method is perfect. Yes freezing is destructive to all filters. I wouldn't recommend filters for winter backpacking, but for a thru hike they work great.

If one has any concern that their filter might freeze use body heat to keep it warm and hollow fiber filters like the sawyer can actually be checked to make sure that they're intact.