True Must Have

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I bought this last year for a trip down to Peru for the Inca trail and then on to Patagonia. I was able to drink tap water throughout Peru and from streams on the Inca trail with no issue. This little jawn is lightweight and fills 50 Nalgene's on a charge. I've used it throughout Colorado camping and trekking where clear water is available. I think I may have sold a few friends as well due to the 90 seconds it takes to clean a Nalgene versus 15 minutes of pumping, especially when you are exhausted. I also always take it fly fishing with me so I don't have to hike in with water and am guaranteed ice cold water during a long day of fishing. It's worth mentioning you need clear water for it to work since it uses UV light and make sure you have a wide mouth Nalgene or you won't be able to agitate the water correctly. You can then fill Camelback bladders or other water bottles with it. I also get a bit sketched out that the water on the side of the rim gets contaminated when filling from a stream so I always fill the Nalgene top with the sterilized water and pour it over the rim to clean before drinking.

Ian S.

Love it, just what I needed

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

In heavily polluted Appalachia, sometimes is safer to use standing water than an orange stream thats running. But the risk of giardia is always there. Killing viruses was my priority in water treatment, but I also wanted a system that wouldnt require extra batteries. Thus, the SteriPen ultra. Its super easy to use, convenient, and I have yet to get sick. The battery can be charged from a powerbank or solar panel, so it's great for longer treks. Its super low maintenance,takes up less space than most filters, and doesnt burn extra calories or cause me to sweat while replenishing my water. My favorite part is being able to treat my water in the pot before heating it up so that I dont have to bring everything to a boil first and then burn my mouth on my morning coffee or oatmeal. Filtering out particulates presented more of a challenge, but the inexpensive fits-all filter from SteriPen makes it easy to customize a system for whatever bottles you use. Definitely one of my favorite pieces of gear in my pack

Danny R.

must have

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

A friend brought this along with a multi-day ski tour in the Eastern Sierra. We also brought enough jet boil fuel for the 4 days, ended up using less than half of that fuel since we found enough running water. In an alpine environment where you have access to clear water, this SteriPen was SO AWESOME to have. So easy to use! There are some people who would argue the water was probably clean enough to drink without treating, but when the Steripen is so small, easy, and quick to use, there is no need to take chances and worry. It works best in a wide mouth nalgene. I also had a platy bottle with a much smaller opening, so I would treat the water in the nalgene, then pour it into the platy bottle. Then refill the nalgene and treat the final liter. For hiking somewhere like southern Utah where the water is a lot siltier, I would suggest something like the MSR Guardian Filter instead, but when you have relatively clear running water sources, the Steripen is where it's at. I have also heard of many friends using it for travel to treat questionable tap water and avoiding sickness where their other friends did not. Quite the handy little gizmo!

Re Wikstrom

Gotta have

A definite must have

Nellie Lingwall

Convinced

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I was very familiar using classic pump purifiers, but took one of these on a recent backpacking trips - and ya it is amazing. When you are tire, thirsty and over the bugs, there is nothing better than being able to get your water quick without pumping and hovering over a watering hole for 15 minutes. Pumps are always good to have, but I will likely not go backpacking or on long day hikes without this thing. Too easy and small not to bring it with you.

ALEX ZUHL

Love it

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

The Ultra is so easy to use and the screen is also easy to read. I love not having to carry a larger water purification system and the Steripen makes me feel just as safe when drinking the water. I would recommend the ultra to any person looking to hike into the backcountry that is in need of a light weight, easy and safe way to purify water.

Dan Dalton

Ultra

Keith Reis

Bottles and pen

Went for two days, with 4 people and only used the Ultra in Rocky Mountain National Park. Worked great and so much easier than filtering!

Keith Reis

So easy!

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

While this may not be the best idea, while backpacking with my 6 and 7 year old kids and wife over the weekend we taught them to use the Ultra! Literally so easy kids can use it. The LCD screen is just that easy to read!

Keith Reis

Easy to use, read and love it!

I have used the SteriPEN Ultra on backcountry trips in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Italy and Canada. I found the screen to be very easy to understand and clearly communicated when my water was treated. With the SteriPEN I especially like that it is a purifier and not a filter. It gives me the confidence that I am killing all the bacteria, viruses etc. with 99.99% accuracy. Really made traveling easy. Plus in more remote or 3rd world areas where I didn't trust even bottled water I could easily purify in the bottle I bought it in, without having use multiple bottles, it was just super easy! Love this unit!

Keith Reis

Ultra

The Ultra

Keith Reis

The Ultra

SteriPEN Ultra is proven to be safe and effective, eliminating over 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa that cause water-borne illness. Featuring a user-friendly OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display Ultra is rechargeable via a computer, outlet or portable solar panel. Ultra's UV lamp treats 8,000 one-liter treatments.

Keith Reis