Bought a Steripen at Costco yesterday. Does anyone use one? This model uses 4 AA batteries and it comes with a bottle, two tops, and a prefilter. Supposed to purify in 48 seconds. Also only $50, most others i have seen are considerably more.

I've owned and used a smaller steripen. I rarely use it now as I use mostly the sawyer squeeze bottle (29.00 at walmart) or a gravity system. It works well, but batteries can always run down, and mine at least had no pre-filter capability. THere are pluses and minuses with every system.

Mine , the batteries died on a family backpack trip, due to the amount of water a family was using. You also have to have a bottle a certain size to use it in.

The sawyer is simpler and faster

Thanks Kevin, I have a pump also and it works well. I was thinking of using rechargeable batteries with a solar panel to recharge the batteries, though don't have one yet.
Jon

Overland Journal did a test of purifiers that included a laboratory component to see if the purifiers actually, well... purified.

The Steripen was the only one that didn't render water safe to drink. OJ went back and forth with Steripen's manufacturer to see if they were missing something. One of SP's claims was that the organisms weren't removed but were rendered inert. Fair enough. However, SP "purified" water that was left to culture for a few days showed a marked increase in the number of microorganisms. Nothing inert about them.

So, aside from the battery issues (I've seen that failure in the field too), Steripens don't actually purify. Pretty much a No-go.

http://www.overlandjournal.com/medi...ompletes_water_filter_and_purifier_test/

I went back and forth on the steripen and the gravity filters a few times before settling on the platy gravity. I am really glad I went that route after both using it and reading your post. I think I'll grab a Sawyer from Wally World too. Heck, at $45, why wouldn't you?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sawyer-Products-Squeeze-Water-Filter/21811663

Thanks for the comments!

I've used the Steripen extensively, and here's my observations...

1 still alive and never got sick
2 does nothing for taste... Some water was pretty nasty tasting
3 batteries... Nough said
4 PITA to carry a clear Nalgene bottle to purify, then pour into my platypus insert in my pack.


I still have it, and will keep using it, but that's more because I paid $100 for it and want to get some use out of it.

This forum can get expensive. The Sawyer is yet another new idea I must try.

The Sawyer filter is the bomb. I have the squeeze bags, but use a 20oz water bottle. There is alway's lot's of runoff water everywhere I hunt here in OR, but "beaver fever" is what you'll get without a filter. I used to pack at least 2gals of water and now I'm down to 1qt. and the 3 oz. filter. Much easier on the back.

Yep. Cut your platy zip bladder hose and run it inline. You can just dip to refill and drink, or hang it as a gravity filter. I converted my hunting partners this year after they was it in action.

Steripens are a gimmick. They a) don�t filter anything large or small out of the water, b) the magic light doesn�t render the water bug-free, and c) it needs batteries.

I started using the Sawyer last year and it flat out rules for 3-season filtration. One would be extremely hard pressed to find a better filter for the cost and size of unit.

The squeeze bags...definitely not a fan. They are recreational at best. We had 2 out of 6 bags catastrophically fail during a hunt last year. I�ve since swapped mine out for Platypus bags and it can easily be rigged for gravity filtration.

I�d opt for something else if you are expecting extended cold weather as the Sawyer can get ruined in freezing temps if there is any water or moisture inside the filter membranes. If you are concerned about freezing temps at night, just put it a ziplock bag and chuck it in your sleeping bag at night. I switch to the the Katadyn HikerPro and/or boiling during the late fall hunts.

I have used a steripen a lot and never got sick when others got the beaver fever.The steripen kills virus's also and batteries are batteries,I treat it no different than a flashlight.If you don't want light, don't take extra batteries.

Gimmick or not, they work just dandy here.

Jayco