Well, whats your alls opinion about the steripen? I decided I was tired of filtering water with the water pump...
_Chairman_Steripen - Appalachian Trail
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#1
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#2
I also decided to try something other than my hiker pro....so I bought the steripen adventurer and a sawyer inline to try both. I used both on my 104 mile CT trip. The steripen always worked as advertised I guess since I didnt get sick. You will need a large mouth bottle to get your fingers and the pen through the openning. We used the wide mouth collapsible nalgene with great success. It was light and reliable. I modified the sawyer inline with a platypus hose with bottle attachment, collapsible bottle, and katadyn quick connect piece. I would plug the inline system in backwards and squeeze water into the bladder one liter at a time. Pumping never lets you know how much you put in without looking. This also worked well and was light. The problem between the two systems is that most water sources were dry or 1 inch deep which made it hard to fill up a bottle either way. These 2 systems weigh together what the hiker pro weighs. It was nice having the steripen when there were ebaver ponds nearby.
_jbsbestfan_
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#3
I have been using the steripen for years. You can drink treated water in ninety secounds. The pen works well with a gatorade bottle. Steripen sells a bottle like a nalgen with a special top that supports the pen. I like the lightness quickness no taste and reliability of the product. I have used the steripen for about ten thousand miles under many conditions.Its not as light as chemical treatments like bleach aquamira or iodine but you can drink water much quicker with out the chemical taste. I use my bandanna across top of gatoraid bottle to filter floaters if from a poor source. Hope this helps.
_Bush Whacker_
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#4
Steripen is great until it doesn't work. I've had a couple of failures with it. The company has been great about replacing it, but if you always have to carry drops as a backup, you might as well just carry drops alone. Just my $.02 worth...
_markv_
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#5
I've use a Steripen Journey for several years without problem. When it is cold it may not work; rub it in your hands or drop it inside your shirt to warm it up. One set of batteries will treat my drinking water for two weeks.
One caution - the Steripen is not certified to sterilize Hytadid Cysts found on Isle Royal and other points north. These cysts are in the 25 micron range so are easy to filter out.
_Dioko_
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#6
If you can scoop the water, the steripen works well. When hiking where you think sources will be trickles (desert or dry year on the CT) a filter might be better.
We find that a set of batteries works for 35 to 45 liters. If you hike alot, buy the batteries in bulk to save money.
When you use a steripen, be sure you pour out a little clean water before you pour into your drinking bottle to clean the rim of the scooping bottle.
Our strategy for very poor water sources - scoop with a ziplock bag, pour through coffee filter or bandana into wide-mouth bottle, use steripen. So far, it seems to work.
_Turtle Walking_
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#7
turtle is right on track.......small amounts of water may be easier when filtered. I like the ziplock idea he has also.
_jbsbestfan_
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#9
Been using for several years. I'm on my second unit. Drops as a backup always a good idea as all things fail. As for Isle Royale and the Hydatid, who knows? Tests for certification are expensive and cyst can hide in abdomen, chest or brain for years; so I would like to know. I can come up with several besides myself that are a living test for 7 or so years. But you might go that long drinking out of Lake Superior with no treatment.
I do know that the little wigglers they don’t want to pass to the inland lakes die and fall to the bottom during UV treatment. Can see them with my bifocals. Added protein you know.
_Mike Winegard_