Steripen vs Light Sawyer filter… Which do you prefer?

[TJ W]

What do you guys think? I'm doing 9 days in the sierras and leaning towards the steripen. I think it'll be easier to suck water out of contaminated water pack that I'll fill in streams.

[Brian Mix]

I'm a happy Steripen user. I just replaced my first set of batteries and probably got 100 quarts on the first set of lithium batteries. I like that I'm drinking 90 seconds after I dip my bottle.

[Brian Johns]

We'll the squeeze is less than 90 seconds; it's instant. That said I got a sterilants off of SAC today for $33 (mini traveler or something 3.6 oz. 2 CR123 powered) can't wait to try it out. As I dint even need to screen this Sierra water so … Will let you know.

[Stephen Barber]

I prefer the Steripen. It's quick, light, and handles viruses as well the other nasties. If I lived where most water was mucky, I might feel differently, but in the Sierras, Transverse and Peninsular ranges where I hike, most water is clear and a bandanna filter gets rid of any insects and fish swimming around!

[Ian]

I own the Sawyer Squeeze, Sawyer Mini, and Steripen Opti.

Steripen:
Pros – I like the simplicity and speed of the Steripen.
Cons- It's difficult to see the light to see if the treatment was successful when it's sunny. It doesn't fit in Gatorade bottles although if you search the forums, a member mod'd a lid to work around this; I've heard that the Freedom will fit in the Gatorade bottle. I feel compelled to carry a spare set of CR123s.

Sawyers:

Pros – no batteries or electronics to fail. Field serviceable. Simple design with no moving parts to break.
Cons – no way to tell if the filter is compromised if subjected to freezing temperatures. I've had problems with the gasket to a point where dirty water would drip into my filtered water; I didn't feel like I was over tightening it but Sawyer assures me that I was. Customer service is great and they mailed me a new gasket. Bags reportedly fail but I use Evernew bladders so can't say.

I can't say one system is better than the other. I primarily do weekend trips and am just as likely to grab the Steripen as the Sawyer filter. Not sure which one I'll take to the Olympics this weekend.

For the JMT, I'll bring the Sawyer to take concerns over carrying extra batteries out of the equation.

For trips where I expect to see sub-freezing temperatures, I'll bring the Steripen.

[jscott]

I hike in the Sierras and really love my steripen. I carry it in a small GG belly pack along with a soft wide mouth bottle (plus lunch). When I need water it's a breeze to just fill up the bottle, steripenize, and drink. I carry a back up battery but have never needed to use one.

No clogging! and my concern about breakage has proved groundless.

[Jerry Adams]

I tried Steripen Opti. First, with rechargeable lithium batteries, but they didn't work good. Then, with Energizer non-rechargeable. I go about half as many treatments as they claimed. Then, for one set I treated just a couple liters and then it died. Maybe some units are worse? Definitely, the pre-Opti models are worse.

Make sure and carry an extra set of batteries. Maybe two sets. After a number of trips you may get a better feeling for what you actually need.

I just returned mine and got a Sawyer Squeeze. Works better for me. Complicated electronic devices are less reliable. But, Squeeze has a tendency to get low flow, but it's still possible to get it to work, just takes longer.

Make sure and backwash after trip, and just before next trip backflush again and try it just to make sure. Sometimes, it can get clogged and require warm water or vinegar to get it flowing good.

And then if it freezes, it's probably no good. I make sure and shake water out real good which probably helps – if it's full of water and freezes it's definitely broken. And keep in a warm place, like inside sleeping bag or on ground covered with other gear.

Nothing's perfect. Either one works.

[Manfred]

I have used the SteriPen Freedom (2.6 oz) on several JMT hikes and it has served me extremely well. It fits exactly on the 32 oz Gatorade, the 32 oz Snapple and several 20 oz and 16 oz bottles from Nestle/OceanSpray (you need to make sure they have the right lid – the same bottles come often with smaller lids too). Its rechargeable battery is good for 40+ (20 l) treatments of water. For longer trips out in the Sierra I charge it with my Powerfilm USB+AA Solar charger. I have gone on a 9 day trip in the Sierra without recharging – I filled my water at TM, RM, and MTR without the need to treat and I didn't treat any water that I used for cooking. The battery warning lamp started to blink when I came from Mt. Whitney on the last day of that trip. So it was a stretch but it worked for me. My wife and I just spent the 4 day Memorial Day weekend out in the Sierra and didn't recharge the SteriPen Freedom during that time.

Have fun out there,

Manfred

[Billy Ray]

I use the Steripen Opti in the Sierra. Have had zero issues. Batteries produce as specified.. one set lasts me 8 or 9 days. I carry iodine tablets as a backup.

Filters systems can also fail… and you may never even know if the filter membrane is compromised.

Billy

[Billy Ray]

BTW… if you go the Steripen route, order batteries on the internet… about 1/4 the price you pay in the store… if you buy 10 or so at a time. But only buy the name brand ones… have heard that the off-brands may not perform properly.

billy

[jscott]

re: Jerry's experience with a steripen. I bought mine two years ago, so it's a relatively new model. I definitely tried mine out over several days to see if it was a 'bad' unit and would fail. It did not. Mine has been 100% dependable.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I prefer the Steripen.

BUT… I always carry Katadyn chlorine dioxide tabs for my hydration bladder and backup in case the Steripen $hit$ the bed.

[Roger Caffin]

> order batteries on the internet… about 1/4 the price you pay in the store…
> if you buy 10 or so at a time.
Most of the cheap 'net batteries will not support a Steripen. The current drain is too high for the cheap ones.

> But only buy the name brand ones… have heard that the off-brands may not perform properly.
EXACTLY

Cheers

[John Vance]

I prefer the Steripen (Opti) and purchase the Panasonic lithium batteries on Amazon. The last time it was 20 CR123's for $30 with free shipping. Once the Steripen won't light I move the batteries to my flashlight which is voltage regulated and continues to light with full brightness down to .9 volts.

[Phillip Asby]

Well the filter I like the most is an MSR Miniworks EX in terms of function – screws onto the top of my 2L Nalgene bladder, has a hose so it's easy to reach water from a bank of a stream – or smaller areas – and it works very well albeit somewhat slowly plus is easily cleaned in the field.

However the doggone thing is heavy and bulky.

I have a steripen Opti that I have never used actually other than to test that it functions – taken as a backup a few times but I don't like floaties very much and I never experimented with a bandana or whatever to filter those out.

I have since picked up a sawyer mini which is certainly lightweight and filters out floaties – which I'll use on our next outing. Not as convenient at the Miniworks (I do like the hose/pump configuration from a utility perspective) but it is so much smaller and lighter I'll deal with the sometimes difficult to fill bladders.

[D M]

Very happy with my Steripen Adventure opti on the PCT, no issues for months. Using Streamlight brand batteries bought in bulk on Amazon. Not had any issues with this brand. I carry Aquatabs for any water that might be not so clear, but only had to use them once in 700 miles. Personally I got tired of anything fussy on this trip and the Sawyer is too fussy for me. Too many bags and worry about contamination…bleh. I use my four cup plastic Glad container to gather water then Steripen in that and pour the clean water into my smart water bottles or bladders. Quick, efficient and I'm on my way.

[Steven McAllister]

I also find filters too fiddly after switching to a Steripen.

I do believe that the Sawyer gets pretty close and can be less fiddly than other filter systems, but I don't want to have to sleep with mine on cold nights.

I have never had a Steripen fail me, but I do carry Aqua-Mira, just like when I used a filter.

[Richard Cullip]

Both. I use a Steripen while on the move during the day and a Sawyer filter in a gravity setup while in camp.

[James Marco]

I use a SteriPen Opti. It works pretty well for the past two years. As backup, I have a couple small dropper bottles of AquaMira…enough for 100%usage for 7 days. I Often use this at night when I don't mind the longer wait times.

[Dawn Bustanoby]

My steripen has failed me. I have the steripen Freedom, which is rechargeable. I used it many times a day for 6 weeks in India last winter, and then on several backcountry trips last summer.

At the end of summer, the steripen failed on a trip in Glacier National Park. I had recharged it about a week prior to departure and then not used it. Got maybe a day's worth of use on the trail, then the battery died (it would go around a week at a time of regular use in India before dying.)

When I got home it charged up and worked again, but I'm not sure what the battery life is now as I haven't used it for more than a day at a time since then.

I think probably the rechargeable battery has a limited lifespan as batteries do.

I have also had the steripen malfunction and blink weird warning light sequences. Drying the probes and starting the treatment over worked, but you definitely need to be paying attention for the LED telling you the treatment was successful.

Even so, the steripen served me well for many uses, and at 2 ounces, the steripen freedom is light and small.

However, mine has given me enough trouble to remind me that electrical gadgets can fail, and I'd definitely carry a back-up.

These days I prefer the Sawyer Mini, but I have this debate with myself every time I pack. :-)

[David White]

I've been using the Sawyer Mini and I'm generally happy with it. However the Steripen does sound like a potentially lighter and easier to use solution.

My concern is that the water I treat is often slow moving or discolored by silt (I'm in the midwest). The Sawyer does a great job of removing the discoloration and silt.

What solution do you use in these conditions with the Steripen that doesn't end up being just a complicated and heavy as the Sawyer Mini?

[Steven McAllister]

Regarding silt.

I still prefer the steripen with murky water.

Things to think about:

You usually can't filter out the bad taste in water caused by tannin or other dissolved chemicals.

Silt usually doesn't taste bad.

Silt will plug up a filter pretty quickly.

Silt will reduce the effectiveness of UV devices.

I have used bandannas and coffee filters in the past to help get the muck out of water before I filter or zap.

[Jerry Adams]

I think Steripen and Sawyer weigh about the same

If it's silty, double treat with Steripen – is what they say

I don't think bandana or other pre-filter will remove silt, just little floaty things

I don't think Sawyer will remove silt, although it depends on how fine the silt is

Mostly, silt is just aesthetic

If you let it sit over night, silt will sttle to bottom. Make sure you don't stir it up and filter or steripen water off the top

A lot of times, there will be a glacier silty stream, but you can find places where it's not silty, little side streams where the silt has been filtered by earth

[Billy Ray]

"silty" is a relative term… like hot, cold, big, small, etc.

Just how "silty"?

I mean… there is silty, Silty, SILTY, VERY SILTY, EXTREMELY SILTY, GONZO SILTY… ETC.

billy

[Garrett McLarty]

I have the a SteriPen, Sawyer Mini, Sawyer Squeeze, MSR AutoFlow, Platypus Gravity, Katadyn Pocket, Sawyer Point Zero 2, Sawyer Point Zero 1.

After using all these systems, I think the Sawyer Mini attached to a 4L Platypus bladder so that it gravity flows into my other bottles is my favorite. This is my setup for group trips. If it is just me, than a 2 or 3 lite bladder for the gravity feed is fine. The 4L bladder only weighs 2.3oz so it doesn't add that much weight. Using it with the Sawyer mini with the gray straw they give you attached to the clean side, I can set it down and have clean water without having to squeeze it through.

I use the SteriPen for international travel where I am not worried about having the batteries run out. But on backcountry trips, especially with a couple of people, the waiting time for the SteriPen starts to add up, and the weight of extra batteries is a pain.

I think that Sawyer should sell larger, better made, clear bags like the platypus to go with the mini, and emphasize a gravity setup. Now I just fill the bladder, set it down, and in a a few minutes have water for 4.

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