I found some old threads and I'm looking for any current opinions...

First, I'm very happy with my basecamp water system. It is BWCA.com modified Katadyn basecamp system. I sawed the filter off and installed a Sawyer mini in the tubing. It works great and can make gallons of water at basecamp.

I'm considering getting a steripen for fishing and travel days. It seems like an easy way to purify small amounts of water.

What are your thoughts?

We use a platypus gravity filter in camp and a lifestraw filter bottle when under way. However I bring a steripen as a backup if the other two fail

I've used a Steripen for several years, after I had a rear end episode with a beaver.

They work well as far as I can tell, as I have not had any similar encounters with my beaver friends. On the other hand, I always drank lake water that was untreated on more than 30 trips prior to the one that caused the issue.

I use a 1 liter Nalgene, and I think the Steripen takes around 30 seconds to treat it. Nice little unit, light weight, and the lithium batteries are readily available and seem to last about 2 trips of about 8-9 days each. I recommend it, although the acid test would be to try it on water that is known to be contaminated.

Tom

Steripen works fine.

You also might want to check out a squeeze filter though. I wonder if that would fit your needs better. It's quick and you filter out materials as well. Sometimes with pollen or particulates in the water I prefer a filter.

Mini squeeze

off brand squeeze

I been curious about them too. I got my father-in-law a life straw squeeze water bottle last year and he won’t use anything else now.

I prefer a water filter bottle also - simpler and quicker to use and filters too.

My husband loves his Steripen for travel during the day. I prefer just carrying a 1L BeFree filter bottle/bladder.

Filter technology has advanced so far in the 25 years since the Steripen was introduced that the Steripen no longer conveys any advantage. When compared to the heavier, mechanical pump water filters of the 1990's, one could argue that a steropen was a reasonable alternative due to compact size or light weight. With the development of the hollow fiber filters such as those used in the Lifestraw or Platypus Gravity filters, there is no advantage to the Steripen. The Steripen would actually convey a higher risk of mid trip failure than would a hollow fiber filter.

I'd recommend steering clear of the Steripen.

OCDave: "Filter technology has advanced so far in the 25 years since the Steripen was introduced that the Steripen no longer conveys any advantage. When compared to the heavier, mechanical pump water filters of the 1990's, one could argue that a steropen was a reasonable alternative due to compact size or light weight. With the development of the hollow fiber filters such as those used in the Lifestraw or Platypus Gravity filters, there is no advantage to the Steripen. The Steripen would actually convey a higher risk of mid trip failure than would a hollow fiber filter.


I'd recommend steering clear of the Steripen."

You are not compairing apples to apples. Steripen is a water "purifier". The Lifestraw and Platypus are water "filters". Two different things.

ockycamper: "

OCDave: "Filter technology has advanced so far in the 25 years since the Steripen was introduced that the Steripen no longer conveys any advantage. When compared to the heavier, mechanical pump water filters of the 1990's, one could argue that a steropen was a reasonable alternative due to compact size or light weight. With the development of the hollow fiber filters such as those used in the Lifestraw or Platypus Gravity filters, there is no advantage to the Steripen. The Steripen would actually convey a higher risk of mid trip failure than would a hollow fiber filter.



I'd recommend steering clear of the Steripen."

You are not compairing apples to apples. Steripen is a water "purifier". The Lifestraw and Platypus are water "filters". Two different things."

OK, I stand corrected. However, for my personal use, wilderness tripping and back country hiking and camping, it is a distinction without a difference.

I got one many years ago thinking it was a great way to use technology. It's fairly quick, easy to use, and compact.
After all these years I've only used it on a few trips, and when I used it it was just a novelty item I was testing.
I've gone back to the gravity filter system. I enjoy the simplicity of having water filtering while I'm doing something else and then having a large container of purified water at my disposal throughout the day. For me it just isn't something I want to use. Also, the fact that it relies on batteries is a negative.

We never looked on a steripen as a stand alone item. You still need to filter stuff out of the water before pouring it into the bottle and then using the steripen. We bring them as a backup. It we happen to be in an area that has a lot of beaver activity we can use the platypus, then the steripens.

For my gravity system I use a Sawyer filter. One nice thing about that is the filter can be removed and taken along to be used with a squeeze bag. I believe it's lighter than the steripen, it works in cloudy as well as clear water, and it doesn't require batteries.