SteriPEN

SteriPEN Adventurer Opti

This travels light, and is easy to use. Only thing to keep in mind is understanding the different led indicator signals before use.

Simple

I used this after purification with my be free if any of the water was stagnant. I mostly hike in Montana with beautiful bodies of water but on occasion I need it.

Pretty darn good

I took this on a 21 day trip to Nepal and up to Everest Base Camp. I treated about 10-12 liters a day and had to swap out batteries after about 15 days. I was using Energizer Lithium Ultimate batteries for the trip and I think I got the expected life out of them. I wish 2 things were different: 1. I wish that there was an indicator light on the top, or somewhere else visible, to indicate that it was working or that it had failed because I pulled it out of the water. Its current placement makes it difficult to see the red LED because it's submerged in the water and impossible to see thru a Nalgene covered in stickers. Same goes for the UV wand itself.. very difficult to see except for when indoors or once the light got low in the sky. 2. The offset/asymmetrical wand cover made it difficult to operate in the dark or by feel. Chances of breaking the wand would also decrease if the wand was centered instead of off-centered. Neither of us got sick from anything waterborne so all in all it was a big win.

A must have for backcountry adventures

Light and portable, easy to use, no more pumping and clogged filters. allows you to travel light and fast.

NO VOMITING OR DIARRHEA

6 trips and no vomiting or diarrhea!!!! Easy and simple to use. Even the lost hiker I encounter was able to use it.

Light, compact and never failed

Worked great for treating water. No chemicals, worked every time I needed to treat water. Highly recommend over drops.

Fantastic...with important caveats

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I've used my SteriPEN on trips including all-day climbs (Snakedike on Half Dome), week-long family backpacking trips, and months-long international trips to Micronesia. I haven't gotten sick once, though I have had to resort to boiling water and/or using chemicals (MSR's AquaTabs) when my SteriPEN's batteries wore out prematurely. Used according to the instructions, I have high confidence in the efficacy of the device. It's fast, convenient and light (lighter than anything other than chemical treatments, as far as I've found). The problem is that the batteries are expensive, hard to come by in most small US towns, and completely unavailable in many remote international places. Worse, in my experience, I found the number of treatments for every 2 batteries (the SteriPEN requires 2 cr123, 3.0 volt batteries) to be highly variable and strongly affected by cold temperatures. Note that reduced water clarity will have a substantial effect on treatment efficacy! In a pinch, you can let your water sit over-night to let suspended sediments settle out. It's a pain, but better than getting sick. I still rely on my SteriPEN, but I'm careful to check the condition of the batteries before heading out, and pack extras as well as AquaTabs. One other note: You essentially HAVE to use a wide-mouth 1 liter Nalgene as your water bottle--anything else is impossible to use with the SteriPEN or so difficult as to compromise the water treatment you're getting. I like using a hydration pouch for many outdoor activities, and this imposes an additional hassle, weight and volume.