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22 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Handy for disinfecting clear drinking water Apr 12, 2011
By Margaret Picky
Short review:
No method of water treatment is perfect for every situation but for people who will be drinking relatively clean and colorless municipal, well, spring, or bottled water that merely requires disinfection to render microorganisms harmless, the SteriPEN is ideal.
Long Review:
The Classic Bundle is the basic SteriPEN model with a pre-filter included. All of the SteriPENs have the same basic mechanism with differences being in form, weight, type of battery, and expected battery life. Some of the models also have LCD readouts. They are sold in different colors and with or without batteries, a storage pouch, filters, etc. The primary difference is between the heavier ones that use four AA batteries and the ones that use two CR123 batteries. The Emergency uses AA batteries and fits tightly into water bottles for inversion and agitation.
The SteriPEN website provides charts that compare some of the models to each other, a very extensive FAQ, and user manuals. It is well worth spending some time there before choosing a particular model.
Ultraviolet or UV radiation is invisible but the lamp on the SteriPEN also emits energy in the visible spectrum which appears as bluish light. UV must penetrate the water and reach the microorganism and then go through the cell membrane and body to disrupt the DNA molecules and prevent reproduction. UV does not remove the microorganisms or any particulate matter in the water and it does not affect the way water tastes or smells. UV radiation has only been used in the U.S. to disinfect water since 1916 but sunlight was known to disinfect water in ancient Greece and India and UV is now commonly used in municipal water purification plants.
There are four basic methods of portable water treatment: chemicals, filtration, heat, and ultraviolet radiation. A full comparison is beyond the scope of this review but some of the advantages of the SteriPEN are ease of use, moderate weight, and ability to disable viruses that cause hepatitis, gastroenteritis, polio, SARS, etc. in addition to bacteria and protozoa. It is also easy to use and fast at ninety seconds for a liter and under a minute for a half liter. Ingesting added chemicals is avoided.
Some of the disadvantages with a SteriPEN are that the water needs to be clear and colorless because UV cannot penetrate particles and so it may be necessary to pre-filter. Some water, such as that with heavy coloring of tannic acid from leaves, is unsuitable for this method of treatment. The water must be agitated or stirred while the UV is working. It can only effectively treat up to one liter at a time. The battery cap must be aligned properly for the device to work but it will seal in other positions to prevent accidental activation. The batteries may not work very well at low temperatures or may be depleted and the particular batteries (lithium or NiMH, not alkaline) may be hard to find locally or expensive. The unit may be damaged if dropped. UV may not be effective against parasites. There is no residual effect from the treatment as there is with chemicals.
No method of water treatment is perfect for every situation but for people who will be drinking relatively clean and colorless municipal, well, spring, or bottled water that merely requires disinfection to render microorganisms harmless, the SteriPEN is ideal.
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 The best water purifyier EVER! May 05, 2010
By Debby B. Henry
I took this Steripen kit on an Appalachian Trail packpacking trip with 15 Boy Scouts. We purified over 30 liters of water the first day from a tiny spring using the Steripen . For comparison we also used Micropur tablets to purify some water, but the Stripen was by far the best. Micropur leaves a chemical taste whereas the Steripen is just water - pure and simple. Also, having to wait 30 minutes for the Micropur to kill 'most' things was a pain, and 4 hours to kill 'everything' was just absurd when compared to 90 seconds to kill 'everything' with the Steripen. The best part was being able to drink the water while it was still cold.
17 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 could be better Sep 28, 2010
By Ian Long
I have to say that while this device is simple and compact, it definitely has some serious drawbacks. I don't even bother with the prefilter, instead I just use a bandanna. The worst was on a recent trip it was being really buggy. It took me half an hour of messing with it to get it to work properly. After that there were no issues, but still I think hassle free would be nice.
If you are worried about viruses or are traveling to developing countries then this is a good device. If you are backpacking and don't have to worry about viruses then I would consider a pump filter. Those are much more reliable. If you are considering a UV purifier, definitely avoid the ones that take CR123 lithium batteries. The batteries are really expensive, hard to find, and won't purify as much water per pair versus the four AAs that this model takes.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
SteriPEN Classic Bundle Pack with Pre-Filter Oct 14, 2011
By ecth
Performance:
I bought one of these for a trip to Africa and drank water out of their rivers and streams, it worked great and I did not get sick. In fact, I left it there with some friends that travel there regularly. Bought another one for a trip to Thailand, with the same outcome. We were using the pen for 3 people to drink water and the 4 batteries lasted about 1 week (bring extra batteries).
Packing:
The steri-pen, small filter piec, and cover fit inside a 1L nalgene bottle, with the threaded plastic top threaded on top, and the nalgene lid threaded on top of that. Keeps it safe throughout the travels.
WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
it's light, simple, and makes good sense Jun 25, 2011
By Jim
This is the perfect addition to our camping/hiking/emergency prepardnes items. It's easy to use and kills virus that the katadyne pump does not. With lithium batteries (shelf life of 10-17 years) it's ready to go when you want or need it. We have the katadyne pump too, and it's great. It has a capacity of up to 13,000 gallons if you pump from clear water. It kills all but virus. Sometimes you wonder about the water...but if we pump it, we get any crud out of the water, then we use the steripen to kill anything that maybe the pump left behind.
The price on this had dropped, so I got two more for our children as gifts...they will use for hiking (son in scouts), camping, and to have for emergency prepardnes.
I only gave 4 stars instead of 5 because it's not ready to light up when you get it..you have to buy the batteries. Otherwise, great product!
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