Steripen Prefilter Question

[Christopher Kuzak]

I've read up and down through all the Steripen threads, but I am stilling having some issues with using it. Briefly, I recently bought the pen to replace my Katadyn Hiker when I am in areas where water is fairly clear (Sierras) and I don't have to drink from cattle ponds (Henry Coe, etc.). The Hiker has been my reliable friend for a long time, especially since I'm not a chemical person. However, the recent REI sale got to me and I couldn't pass up the weight savings.

What I am struggling with is the prefiltering. I purchased a wide mouth 32 oz Naglene Canteen to use with the pen. I plan to decant to a platy if I need some additional liters for longer stretches (just using a cheap little funnel to decant). After looking at several coffee filter options, I gave up, cut a small square out of an old white t-shirt, and used a rubber band to fold it over the mouth of the canteen. It seems to work in my home tests, but I have yet to hit the trail with this setup.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what I am doing? Are there problems anyone sees with this method of prefiltering? Should I give up and go back to my tried and true Hiker?

Thanks.

[Ken Thompson]

If you are using it where you plan to, where the water is clear, you just want to filter out the floaties. Many hear use a bandana. I have a piece of nanoseeum with some elastic to fit my bottle. Some here use a diesel fuel prefilter too. Just depends on your comfort level. No need to lug the filter.

[Mike W]

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[Christopher Kuzak]

Thanks for the advice. It's just the difficulties of adopting a new setup and figuring things out.

[Nico .]

+1 to the biodiesel 1-micron fuel filter. I've been using it with both my steripen (for solo trips) and gravity filter (for group trips) for the last few months. Seems to work well for most conditions at filtering out floaties, most dirt/suspended solids (but not quite all), etc.

If you're dealing with really clear water though, a bandana ought to do fine.

[Stephen Barber]

Hiking primarily in the Sierras and other "clear" water areas, I too use a bandanna if any pre-filtering needs to be done. I have both a Steripen pre-filter and some bio-diesel bags, but have never felt the need to use them.

FWIW, I've found a 1 liter Nalgene "canteen" with the top cut off (ie, the heavy part) works great for using with the Steripen. I then pour the treated water into a light weight water bottle. The heavy duty plastic bag of a Nalgene canteen travels wrapped around the Steripen.

Just trying to keep things light!

[Stephen B Elder Jr]

Flows water much much faster than a coffee filter, and if you ARE concerned about critters in the say 50 – 100 micron range that might be resistant to uV or chemicals, it should more predictably remove them then a bandana, used sock etc.

[J. Lopes]

I use the gsi coffee drip filter. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___82197

It weighs more then I would like (1.4oz on my scale), but it is bullet proof and protects the threads of my widemouth nalgene canteen from contamination and keeps out the floaties,etc.. The steripen adventurer opti also conveniently fits inside it snugly for protection in the front of my pack for storage.

I have in the past used a bandanna, but I found in slow moving streams that it took forever to fill and I then had to wipe down the threads with my pack towel.

[Randy Martin]

So for those that use the dudadiesel filter. What size do you use and how much do they weigh? Looking on their website it looks like the #3 size is the smallest they offer. Also when you use them is it a situation where the water flows through somewhat slowly?

[Roger Caffin]

If there are no large quantities of gunge in the water, why bother with a pre-filter at all? I don't carry one, and there have only been about 2 occasions in the last 20 years when I have bothered – then I used my handkerchief. Not worth the weight. I use my cooking pot for the sterilising.

Cheers

[Mike M]

little confused w/ the linked thread- it's describing using a steripen first, THEN pre-filtering into a bottle to drink

the only reason I would consider using a pre-filter is to insure the steripen will work optimally

I had planned on cutting down a 2 liter platy to use as my "sterilizing receptacle" :) would this diesel filter be larger enough to use w/ the end of a cut platy? could I simply hold it in the cut opening and then scoop my water? to what extent does it impede water from going in?

I'd like to continue to use 1 (and occasionally 1/2) liter platy bottles to carry my water

thanks

Mike

[Mike W]

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[John Jensen]

I notice that the media is available as 72" width, 36" Length sheets. That would be a big supply of pre/post filter.

They have a lot of micron choices, are you all finding smaller better, or would say 5 micron be good while providing better flow?

(update: I'm a new hiker but I think I'm tempted to follow the bandanna when needed advice, just because I'm not seeing "I used a steripen and got sick" stories.)

[John Jensen]

That was really an invitation for "I used a Steripen and got sick" stories, or "my friend did." Learning from failure and all that.

[Dale Wambaugh]

The idea is that large particles can harbor and protect bugs from the UV. A bandana or microfiber towel will work for the big stuff. I made my own coffee filter holder from Seal-a-Meal material.

See http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/44546

You can buy a commercially made one at http://bepreparedtosurvive.com/The%20Aqua-Pouch%20Plus%20Water%20Purification%20Kit.htm

[John Jensen]

Oh I get the idea Dale, but to really see the necessity (or at the detail, what micron level one should have for pre-filter), I think we'd need to see the boundary condition.

[metallic] Coffee filters have a much larger micron size than commercial pre-filters. Bandannas are larger than either. The "I rarely filter" reports are the most open-filter size ;-)

So … if I search the web and all four groups say "I did X and didn't get sick" … it's not really an endorsement of any particular practice.

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