container for Steripen Adventurer

I have had poor performance from the rechargeable batteries that I have tried. I now use lithium ion cells with complete satisfaction.

Some folks, including me, have had problems using the push button switch on the Adventurer. My problems come mostly on those days my arthritis is acting up.

Thanks folks. Sounds like I might have to give the steripen a miss until they make a version that will run well on rechargeables. I don't like using disposables for environmental reasons.

SteriPen makes a funnel that fits any size bottle now. Looks heavy.

While the pen has it's drawbacks, as in all things…I still like using mine. I came into camp the other day after hiking in the hot, humid weather, got my water, treated it in all less than five minutes. It was heaven to drink cold, spring water right away. Bleach would work just as well.

I use the Nalgene canteen as a second container. I don't worry about contamination on the edges. I spoke with some of the AT thru hikers this weekend and they said Giardia is going around and it is mostly due to poor hygiene and not the water.

I don't think the Steripen is the problem w/ rechargeables. It's the temperatures they are exposed to. Our Lithium rechargeables on our camera got eaten up by the cold(17deg. lows) Same thing w/ my rechargeable battery pack on my new camera at 9 degrees. Don't hate on the Steripen!

As for environmental impact, chemical treatment and its manufacture likely create some less than desirable byproducts, filters leave you w/ a big chunk of plastic headed for the landfill(I don't think the recycling center will take them?) The Steripen's batteries are problematic as well. While I don't have any formal measurements for environmental footprint on water treatment. My "educated" guess is that it's a push.

I really like the idea of the Steripen. Thanks to you all who have input your filter ideas and container plans. My microbiologist wife is paranoid still. Unfortunately, she isn't the one pumping the Hiker Pro every afternoon! I've used the Katadyn for 3 years and don't really plan on using it long term. I've sent back one prematurely clogged filter(50 gallons or less of pretty clean water). My second filter is getting harder to pump and I'm not planning on sending this one back. I'm going gravity(something like Jason Klass') or Steripen.

Hi Ashley

I have been using the Tenergy 900 mAh (blue) rechargables in my Steripen for about 4 years or more now. Very reliable. Yes, it does help to keep them warm – or at least not frozen solid. You can see my review of the whole kit here.

However, the silver Tenergy cells are NOT suited to the Steripen: they cannot supply the current. Don’t bother trying.

Cheap non-rechargable CR123s cannot supply the needed current either, but good brand-name models can and do.

Cheers

Curiosity got the better of me, and looking into my Steripen Adventurer, it's powered by two Energizer lithium batteries. Traveling now in eastern Europe, I've been using it for about 45 days now — treating 1-1.5L of water per day on average. Not very heavy use, but I like the longevity of the lithium battery. It's still going strong.

My experience with rechargeable batteries is that they don't hold their power for very long (not a big problem for short/intense use… but suboptimal for moderate but prolonged usage.

Hey Ben, hope the trip is going well! 45 days is impressive, even if you're only treating 1.5 L a day.

Roger, good to hear those batteries work. Might give it a shot. I usually just use iodine tabs + vit c powder follow-up and have never had any problems. Would prefer a non-chemical solution though.

Cheers, A

Hi Ashley:

Greetings from the internet cafe at Donetsk, Ukraine.

It's Day 68 of my trip, but I didn't treat my water when in western Europe. But here in eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine…) — even the natives don't drink their water straight from the tap. Knocking on wood, but all the time that I drink Steripen-treated tap water, I haven't gotten sick — or even slightly uncomfortable at all.

For traveling, the Steripen is by far the best water treatment option IMO. But for hiking/camping, I would still want something to clarify water and improve its taste (when needed) — in addition to biological treatment.

Hey Ben, good to hear you're going well!

FWIW when hiking/camping I stay away from water sources which need clarifying. In situations where I can only find murky water I've just walked on further. One day I'll probably run out of luck and end up with only murky water, but the regions I hike in usually have water that at least looks clean.

Ashley:

Given what you wrote, the Steripen should work very well for you. If frigid weather isn't an issue, then I think the rechargeable batteries should work well too. Maybe give it a try…

Hi Ashley

> One day I'll probably run out of luck and end up with only murky water,
Yeah – Vic Alps, summer, ridge top, all we could find was a puddle at the bottom of a wombat hole. And no, I jest not! It wrecked the filter for the rest of the trip.

Cheers

Hi Ben

> It's Day 68 of my trip,
We are expecting some gear reviews on your return!

Enjoy

I've also used the Tenergy rechargeables that Cameron and Roger mentioned (LI-ION RCR123A 3.0V) 900mAh and never had any problems since. I've even put them in the solar charger in the backyard and it charges them up and holds the charge. I wouldn't carry the charge though!

Count me in on bad luck with rechargeable batteries – the blue Tenergy rechargeable were useless in temps around 50 degrees F.

One note about what container to treat water in: consider the Steripen journey instead of the adventurer. While it weights ~1 oz more, it has a longer neck that fits into standard 1L disposable water bottles – probably saves you an ounce back in container weight. It also has a couple of icons on the LCD to tell you the status of the battery and treatment run – easier to comprehend than flashing red LEDs.

The only thing that drives me nuts about the Steripen is the water sensors. Sometimes the unit won't run because it's not positive its in the water – I have read this is due to lack of ions to conduct electricity in perfect stream water. Haven't tried adding salt yet to help this, has it worked for anyone? Has anyone figured out how to bypass the water sensor altogether?

Hi All

Just a reminder: remove the batteries when you are not using the Steripen. The 'off' current drain is significant and can flatten the batteries. I suspect this alone is the cause of most problems.

Cheers

In response to Benjamin June post re water sensors on the Steripen – I have an Adventurer that was having issues on a JMT trip – in fact it died altogether – I sent it back to the company because they thought the issue was sensitivity of the sensors. They offered to reduce the sensitivity so that it wasn't so "hair trigger" . As it turned out my Steripen had another issue (loose contact) – but it was interesting to know they could adjust the setting. Barbara

Everyone I know who has relied on this product for a long trip has ended up drinking water straight from the source because this product has proven unreliable. Good thing for them that they were hiking in the Sierra's so the water is fine anyway.

My advice is to use Klear Water.