Steripen - Anyone using one?

Q

Quirt

Joined
Oct 10, 2005
Messages
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Just saw one in use the other day...thought it was a gimmic but apparently not.

Comes with a carry case with solar recharger...small, lightweight, and fast!

Curious is anyone is using this system in lieu of other purification methods/systems.

Thoughts?
 
I've been curious about it as well ever since I saw it mentioned on another forum. The problem, at least on that forum, was that everyone had heard of it but no one had used it, or knew anyone that had used it. Hopefully this thread will have better luck.
 
I really like the idea, but apparently they aren't as effective as touted. A while back, someone posted a link to some gubmint testing of various water filters and purification methods. The SteriPen did not pass. :(

-- FLIX
 
Wow, most of the reviews I've seen from people using it as way back as 2005 in places like Napel, C. America, Mexico, drinking water from watering troughs and other nasty places with 4.5 to 5.0 out of 5 stars consistantly.

If someone could located the guvment link on testing that would be helpful.
 
I use one, I have the adventure model and use solar cells in the field to recharge the batteries. If the water is really dirty I use a Katadyn combi water filter or a bandanna (which ever I'm carrying) to filter out the mud. The main thing is you want to let the heavy sediments fall to the bottom so the light can kill them. There is one guy in India drinking raw sewage from a river using the thing and didn't get sick but used several doses before he drank it. UV has been around for a long time and has it's merits. I never got sick with mine but I've never tested it drinking fro a sewer either. Just lakes and such. Take a look at these threads, some are positive as well as negative, but in the end if you do some googeling you'll find out it does work. The earlier models a long time ago (years back) had problems with lamp breakage and have been dramatically improved. It's all in what you want. You can carry salt (Miox) or batteries (steripen) or tablets or pay an outrageous price for this http://www.lifesaversystems.com/techinfo.html . Oh and if you did decide to get one, don't waste your money on their solar recharger, get a 20W or greater solar cell to charge your batteries, power GPS and other things. Their recharger is extremely slow.
See this thread: http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthrea...rds=falcon5000&topic=0&Search=true#Post100670






http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthrea...ds=+falcon5000&topic=0&Search=true#Post104415
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthrea...ords=falcon5000&topic=0&Search=true#Post89817
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthrea...ords=falcon5000&topic=0&Search=true#Post89705

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And as for the government report ( http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/wpd/CompareDevices.aspx ) basically said that it did not perform well in turbulent (cloudy) waters but performed well in clear. This is why people do multiple doses or pre filter it in these conditions. It kills when exposed to UV, if it can't see it, it can't kill it. When you let water stand for a few minutes the heavy sediments sink, prefilter with a bandanna, sand or what have you and you'll be fine.

....Effectiveness Against Microbial Pathogens
Independent testing using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Guide Standard
and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers has been conducted with the SteriPEN
(references 1 and 2). Only bacteria and viruses were used in this testing. This testing indicated
the device did not consistently provide adequate bacteria (6-log) and virus (4-log) reduction1.
Although the testing confirms the SteriPEN provides a 6-log bacteria and 4-log virus removal in
clear (low turbidity) water only, it did not confirm the SteriPEN provides similar bacteria and
virus log removals in more challenging (higher turbidity) water. It is important to note that the
more difficult challenge water #2 (i.e., higher turbidity) was passed through another COTS
device, the General Ecology First Need Deluxe, prior to the water being treated by the SteriPEN.


™ SteriPEN is a registered trademark of Hydro-Photon, Inc., Blue Hill, ME. Use of a trademarked product does not
imply endorsement by the U.S. Army, but is intended only in identification of a specific product.

1 The term reduction is used here to provide consistency of language with other device evaluation papers. UV light
does not reduce microbial pathogens by killing or damaging cells like chemical disinfectants. Rather, UV light
prevents the cell from reproducing, thereby preventing it from infecting a host. A more suitable term is inactivation."
 
Just for referenece: Turbulent means erratic or confused. Turbid means cloudy. Turbulent water may or may not be turbid. The steripen was shown to have low efficacy in turbid (cloudy, but not necessarily erratically flowing) water.

It says that the turbid water was passed through another filter prior to treatment with the steripen. It is puzzling that the steripen would show low efficacy with pre-filter treatment. I wonder if the more turbid water was brought to the same level of clearness as the non-turbid before treatment. If it was, that is a real puzzle. If not, then it just shows that the water needs to be as clear as possible before treatment.
 
I had a friend who loved his Yugo.

For anyone out there who has used one of these critters, what is the advantage over a good filter in terms of speed, cost per ltr., safety, and weight? Were those 123 batteries I saw in the picture?
 
I seriously considered one, but after factoring-in the size/weight of total kit + cost + amount of water purified/time, it wasn't any different than a normal filter. To me, a normal filtration-type water purifier would be less likely to be damaged from shock.
 
Just got one about a year ago so I've used it on several backpack trips this year. It weighs about half what my other filter weighs (an MSR) and no pumping, just swish the water around in the bottle for about 90 seconds I think, until the light goes off. So far I'm liking it and I haven't got sick so I'm good with it. It seems pretty sturdy but I always carry back up iodine pills after my MSR let me down on day 2 of an 8 day trip. I got mine at about 50% of usual cost which is why I bought it, it seemed at first glance kind of gimmicky but for now I like it.
 
A friend of mine has one. We have used it on a couple trips with relatively decent water sources.

I have a Miox from MSR which I have used for about 3 years now. No complaints except relying on anything that uses batteries is asking for trouble.
 
Yes they are CR123 batteries, that is what the adventure uses. And Turbid not Turbulent, I used the spell checker too fast. I haven't got sick yet from using it yet, I like it because it's quicker than boiling and no filter clogging. Yes you could say what about the lamp breaking or batteries, but everything has something that could happen to it. You just have to field yest the heck out of things to see if they fail.
 
By the time you pack all of those batteries, solar cells, and everything else, you can take a katadyn pocket filter and 2 hand fulls of micropur tablets and still weigh less than all that. I didn't realize it required all of the "extras" - neat concept but maybe not as practical as it could be.
 
There are trade offs with everything...filters are fine but they do not purify they just filter. For most US streams and lakes a filter is fine and all one needs. But for urban and many rural water sources a filter is of little value because that water needs to be purifed because of the presence of virus and other contaminates a filter cannot touch. In tainted urban sources there are critters there that need to be nuked not filtered - namely dysentery, hepatitis, and Legionnaires’ Disease, Botulism, cholera, smallpox just to name a few.

In an emergency situation if we all think we're going to bug out into the wild "outback" 100% of the time and in every situation then we're not being realistic. There is a good possibilty in an emergency we'll either stay put in our home or in an urban setting depending upon the circumstances. There are some here who have to travel great distances to get into any sort of wilderness secluded setting. That means urban water sources must be used at times.

There are other ways of purifing other than this system...but eventually you run out of tablets, bleach becomes inert, or a heat source is not readliy available. If you have access to these supplies and/or the time then great. Plus many purifing chemicals cannot be transported in carry on baggage on airplanes...the tablets can be taken but they have a shelf life and are limited to stock on hand in your bag.

Also in a hostile environment minimal exposure to water sources decreases you chances of being detected. Filtering is great but not the most expiditious and low profile method. With this pen you can capture your water at the source, move out, and purify later on in a more secure and less populated area and at 90 seconds (with no aftertaste) per liter this is extremely fast.

Relying on batteries is never the first and best option of course - but if you can recharge and have the means of resupplying oneself with spares later on then it isn't that big of an issue - besides we all need batteries for other tools - lights, radios, etc. I'm not sure why the need for all the batteries...according to the literature and other sources two sets of rechargeables is all one needs and one could suffice with only one set. I believe it good for several hundred zaps before needing a recharge...one could recharge when doing other tasks or while on the move. Once settled in a secure area you have the luxuary of being time rich and could religate back to a primative method of filtering or purifying depending upon the circumstances saving battery life.

This system purifes water fast, is lightweight, has a small footprint and long shelf life of purifying 1 liter of water three times per day, everyday, for 4.5 years isn't too bad of a system. Granted it is an electronic, mechanical system but if you have a primative purifying skill set for a back up you're not up poop creek!

Interesting dialogue...I can see some applications.
 
You don't have to pack all that stuff up, the kit is designed for a unlimited travel plan. It's designed to keep all the electronics and equipment running until something fails. For a normal run, just carry the amount of batteries you need. The cells power my GPS up without batteries as well as charging lights, radio, cell phone unlimited as long as you have a sun. It's extremely overkill but it's set where I'm not Dependant on anything. You could carry a General Ecology or what have you and pull your pump out and pump away or fill your bottle from a stream and push a little button and wave a magic wand and wala drinking water. It's up to you how you set your rig up, I'd carry the same rig even with a Miox or a regular filter for what I use it for.
 
Quirt said:
There are trade offs with everything...filters are fine but they do not purify they just filter. For most US streams and lakes a filter is fine and all one needs. But for urban and many rural water sources a filter is of little value because that water needs to be purifed because of the presence of virus and other contaminates a filter cannot touch. In tainted urban sources there are critters there that need to be nuked not filtered - namely dysentery, hepatitis, and Legionnaires’ Disease, Botulism, cholera, smallpox just to name a few.
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I take your point about a virus.

Yet dysentery is caused by a bacteria, as is cholera, Botulism, and Legionaires (And the latter is contracted by inhailing the infected water.) Bacteria are filtered by a good filter. Cholera bacteria are especially large.

Moreover, Botulism's ill-effects are caused by a toxin. The Steripen is no help for that.

The "nuke" for germs is boiling, which destroys Botulina toxin (if not the Botulina bacteria itself).

A good, cheap, effective, portable still would be nice.

I see that the Steripen fills a nitch, especially if the water is clear. If not, you have to filter, with all that implies.

Also in a hostile environment minimal exposure to water sources decreases you chances of being detected. Filtering is great but not the most expiditious and low profile method.[/quiote]
I'm too old to bend over for long. I use a 1 gallon nylon bag (4 oz) and filter from that at my leisure.
Click to expand...
 
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