I bought and used my Steripen for hiking and backpacking and have been quite happy with it. I''m a big stickler regarding weight and the Steripen made the most sense looking at other option. But, the battery life is terrible.I live part of the year in the states and part of the year in New Zealand. I came down to Christchurch just after this last earthquake and brought my Steripen down with me knowing ahead of time that the city was instructing everyone to boil all water. I thought that the Steripen would be just the ticket. And it was until the batteries died. I thought it strange since the batteries were new and I only got 15-20 uses (liters) out of them. I went out and bought another set and yet again, I only got 15 uses! The company states 100 uses on one set of batteries. Uh, no....
In the US,the batteries are $7 so, that equates to around $0.50 per use. Not bad. Well, here in NZ, the CR123 batteries are $12 (USD) each! Since the Journey Steripen takes two, that''s $1.60 per use!! That''s only slightly less than what bottled water goes for. And, as you can imagine, it doesn''t take long to go thru water when it''s needed for drinking and rinsing off the dishes. So, is sat on the shelf as it was more cost effective to boil water or go get well water from a neighbor down the street. Thankfully, the boil order has since been lifted.
So, I''ll continue to use it for hiking since I rarely need to purify more than 15 liters on a trip. But, I did want to write a review to make you aware of the incredibly low battery life and the cost of batteries if you decide to travel with this outside of the US. And, know that the CR123 batteries can''t be tossed in the trash. They need to properly disposed of. So, depending on where you''re traveling, you may have to lug dead batteries around until you return to the US or other developed country.
No method of water treatment is perfect for every situation but for people who will be drinking relatively clean and colorless municipal, well, spring, or bottled water that merely requires disinfection to render microorganisms harmless, the SteriPEN is ideal.
Long Review:
All of the SteriPENs have the same basic mechanism with differences being in form, weight, type of battery, and expected battery life. Some of the models also have LCD readouts. They are sold in different colors and with or without batteries, a storage pouch, filters, etc. The primary difference is between the heavier ones that use four AA batteries and the ones that use two CR123 batteries. The Journey uses the CR123 batteries.
The SteriPEN website provides charts that compare some of the models to each other, a very extensive FAQ, and user manuals. It is well worth spending some time there before choosing a particular model.
Ultraviolet or UV radiation is invisible but the lamp on the SteriPEN also emits energy in the visible spectrum which appears as bluish light. UV must penetrate the water and reach the microorganism and then go through the cell membrane and body to disrupt the DNA molecules and prevent reproduction. UV does not remove the microorganisms or any particulate matter in the water and it does not affect the way water tastes or smells. UV radiation has only been used in the U.S. to disinfect water since 1916 but sunlight was known to disinfect water in ancient Greece and India and UV is now commonly used in municipal water purification plants.
There are four basic methods of portable water treatment: chemicals, filtration, heat, and ultraviolet radiation. A full comparison is beyond the scope of this review but some of the advantages of the SteriPEN are ease of use, moderate weight, and ability to disable viruses that cause hepatitis, gastroenteritis, polio, SARS, etc. in addition to bacteria and protozoa. It is also easy to use and fast at ninety seconds for a liter and under a minute for a half liter. Ingesting added chemicals is avoided.
Some of the disadvantages with a SteriPEN are that the water needs to be clear and colorless because UV cannot penetrate particles and so it may be necessary to pre-filter. Some water, such as that with heavy coloring of tannic acid from leaves, is unsuitable for this method of treatment. The water must be agitated or stirred while the UV is working. It can only effectively treat up to one liter at a time. The battery cap must be aligned properly for the device to work but it will seal in other positions to prevent accidental activation. The batteries may not work very well at low temperatures or may be depleted and the particular batteries (lithium or NiMH, not alkaline) may be hard to find locally or expensive. The unit may be damaged if dropped. UV may not be effective against parasites. There is no residual effect from the treatment as there is with chemicals.
No method of water treatment is perfect for every situation but for people who will be drinking relatively clean and colorless municipal, well, spring, or bottled water that merely requires disinfection to render microorganisms harmless, the SteriPEN is ideal.
Buy SteriPEN Journey LCD Ultraviolet Water UV Purifier Now
It stopped working after a one-week trip. i.e. It was probably used for less than 30 times since we on the average do two bottles a day.Battery life was poor also. I had to change battery in the middle of the trip.
Read Best Reviews of SteriPEN Journey LCD Ultraviolet Water UV Purifier Here
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