Gear Review
Hydro Photon SteriPEN JourneyLCD
This thing straight up sucks!
By Sean Chism
Ranked #106 - Trail Running Hydration
January 5, 2011
Let me say first that I have other Steripen products. I like them, I use them, and I trust them. Now let me tell you what I think of this piece. Fisrt off my review is based off of personal experience, and my eye witness account of three other Steripen Journeys. All four units chew batteries up at the average rate of one pair per liter. At home the unit worked as it should, but the first time I took it into the field it wouldn't even treat one half liter with two new pairs of batteries. It was cool with lows in the thirties, I slept with the unit in my bag, and treated no different than my Adventure model that I have used in much colder temps without a problem for years. To top it all off when I got home I tried both pairs of batteries in the unit again, and the Steripen Journey again said the batteries were bad. Then I put both pairs into my Steripen Adventure, and both pairs worked flawlessly. I have used the Steripen Adventure without a single failure for several years now, and I would recomend it to anyone out there. the Steripen Journey on the other hand, well I wouldn't recomend it to my worst enemy.
View Details: Hydro Photon SteriPEN JourneyLCD
Helpful Votes: 2 Yes
Change me.
3 Comments Last Reply: August 29, 2011 By: med3574810
It needs to be emphasized that the CR123A batteries can cost 4-5 (or more) bucks off the self if you need to buy them at the local supermarket. SureFire sells them for $22.50/12 and Amazon has Streamlight brand for $15/12, plus shipping, of course.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
I realize that it was probably defective, but my problem was with the fact that four out four units that I have seen in the field were defective. If Steripen has worked out the bugs on this unit then I might try it again, but until I know for sure I will not trust it!
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
If it's using two batteries for a single cycle, it's either defective or you have some very weak batteries. If you know it's not the batteries, return it.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes