international water purification

My experience using the Steripen internationally is strictly when visiting my sister in Guatemala, rather than in the backcountry. The tap water there is notoriously risky to drink without treatment, but bottled water is not always available (in hotel rooms, for example). I've used my Steripen Classic there on at least 30 occasions and never gotten sick, which is rather impressive. I would recommend it wholeheartedly for treating water potentially contaminated with bacteria, parasites, cysts, viruses, or other pathogens. The only caveat is that there are still some countries where the water is polluted with toxic chemicals and/or heavy metals, where the Steripen would be fairly useless. Bottled water is obviously the only solution there.

I have used a Steripen many times in Europe it worked fine.

bring several extra sets of batteries

We take a Steripen Opti with us overseas.
Only buy the expensive batteries.

Cheers

I have used one in Peru, China, HK. I haven't gotten sick and this includes some back country trips.

UV(Steripen) and boiling are your best choices for many places.
Chemicals can take a very long time when treating for parasites and filters don't usually do a very good job with virii.

I personally would use the Steripen with the plan to boil as my backup.

Last year while vacationing in the Philippines I contracted amoebic dysentery. Spent 2 days in the hospital in Cebu. The day I got out my doc said I could drink ONLY distilled water. I showed him my Steripen and he said, "OK, use it with bottled water."

So I did & had no further problems. Felt a bit odd stirring a glass of water in a restaurant with my Steripen but hey, it's better then the Shanghai $^!ts!

I aldo used Katadyn chlorine dioxide tabs for liter drinking water bottles.

I used a Ster-Pen Adventurer Opti in Costa Rica. I got 49 1-liter uses. I don't recall how many uses I was supposed to get. I thought about the type that has a rechargeable battery, but prefer to be able to change batteries.

I used it in Costa Rica because I wouldn't have had easy access to bottled water in some locations.

Depending on where you are going and where you are staying, it may not be hard to find bottled water. If you are staying in town near attractions or train stations or etc. and plan to get around by foot or public transportation, you will be able to find convenient markets. Water isn't expensive.

I have found water between 0.40 and 0.80 dollars per liter. At the first cost, 49L of water costs the same as batteries to operate the Steri-Pen. Whether or not a Steri-Pen is a good thing to use also depends on how often you will use it… One or two trips with easy to find and pretty cheap water… Maybe not.

If you are worried about buying bottled water at restaurants, you can check the seals. You might have to ask for it to be brought un-opened. Most often it is, anyway. I read this tip on the internet. Or, you can buy carbonated water. Most places will recognize it as 'water with gas'. This generally costs more and often costs much more at nicer restaurants. And the bottle is smaller.

When I researched Steri-Pen, the consensus was to use a container that had no ridges or seams where water could be trapped. A Zip-Loc brand, in America, hard plastic 1L cup with screw-on lid was judged to be a good thing to use. It is has graduations on the side and the bottom is smooth and curved. I used this in Costa Rica. It is bulky, of course, because it is rigid. You could pack things in it to recoup lost space. Some of the Gator-Aid type sports bottles might allow you to get the pen in the neck. Or, you might have a Nalgene kind of bottle. I don't. So, the cheap Zip-Loc…

Where water is supposed to be good to drink but I still feel obligated to do the sterilization anyway, I think I will cut the top off a 1L Platypus. I haven't ever looked inside one but I imagine there is a cleft where the sides meet the bottom. I figure it isn't smooth down there. But, it will fold flat and should be good enough for those times.