water filter

+1

Used a PUR Hiker Pro for years and then switched to Aquamira drops in 2008-ish.  I tried a Steripen on a hike in ~2009 and it failed on the first trip so I went back to Aquamira, I recently tried the Sawyer Squeeze Mini during a week in the Sierra’s and didn’t like it – It got VERY slow near the end of the trip and I ended up only using it on sources I felt suspect.  I think I’m going back to Aquamira drops even though they aren’t perfect.  The only failure I ever had was a few years ago when one of the bottles I used to repackage part A and B into failed – I didn’t think about those bottles being a decade old and needing to be replaced every once in a while.  My last few trips I just took the stock Aquamira bottles (extra weight I know).

I tried a Steripen on a hike in ~2009 and it failed on the first trip
That was unfortunate. The first batch of the first gen had a fault, and the company replaced every one that was returned. Since then they have been very reliable.

Cheers

My steripen freedom never worked from day one.

@John
Did you try contacting the shop or Steripen about that?

Cheers

i have used my Steripen successfully for more than 600 miles without any issues…

I’ve used a Steripen Ultra for 3 years without fail…and then it failed this past August. I contacted Katadyn and had a replacement within 2 weeks and no questions asked. Beyond great customer service and I’ll give them full benefit of the doubt.

Sawyer Squeeze is my recommendation. Far superior to the former mini squeeze IMO.

That was unfortunate. The first batch of the first gen had a fault, and the company replaced every one that was returned. Since then they have been very reliable.

This wasn’t the very first generation but was the second generation (the Journey?? perhaps).  I tested it at home with no issues, but when I tried to use it in the field, it wouldn’t work.  It was cold (20*F), but even sleeping with it and keeping the batteries in my pocket (another thing I loathed about it was that I had to have a screwdriver to get the battery compartment open – I had to use a knife which is all I had in the field) it rarely worked.  I later read that steripens of that vintage would drain the batteries when not in use which I have heard they fixed on later models but after that trip I decided that I didn’t want to rely on a battery powered piece of electronics in the backcountry if I didn’t have to.

That doesn’t mean I don’t use anything battery powered.  I have a camera,  occasionally carry my phone as a GPS, have an inreach, and of course a headlamp, but I have paper maps and a compass for navigation and none of the others threaten my health if they fail.

I later read that steripens of that vintage would drain the batteries when not in use which I have heard they fixed on later models
That is correct, but only for the very first model. They got the code right, but somehow picked the wrong microprocessor. A microamp draw rather than a nanoamp draw.

Cheers

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Roger…yes I returned it.</p>

in my quest to understand the world I wonder what the motivation of the original post was

just trolling?  On this website, just an attempt to start an argument about a contentious issue?  you could start a thread with “gun regulations” or better yet “ban guns” or “government takes guns”

funny that water filter could be a contentious issue

I don’t think the originator has posted anything else

not that it matters, no criticism by me of anyone, it just made me wonder, trying to entertain myself