82 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
Works Great
I have used the SteriPEN Adventurer for a week of backpacking in Colorado. Several days involved sterilizing what you would ordinarily call "good" water from running streams. But, several days included taking water from a lake in an area with heavy human use (no human waste management like a pit toilet). The water was obviously questionable and I was concerned that the...
Stopped working
I bought the steriPEN in the summer of 2008 and tested it the day i received it for functionality. It worked. About 10 months later i tested it again but it didn't light up anymore. I figured i needed to change the batteries. After all, even sitting on my bookshelf for 10 months, away from heat and sunlight, can drain a battery?
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
I have used the SteriPEN Adventurer for a week of backpacking in Colorado. Several days involved sterilizing what you would ordinarily call "good" water from running streams. But, several days included taking water from a lake in an area with heavy human use (no human waste management like a pit toilet). The water was obviously questionable and I was concerned that the SteriPEN would not be up to the challange. But, the only way to know was to try it, so I did. No illness at all. Got at least 50 quart sterilizations with one set of two CR123A batteries (non-rechargable). The product and its single LED signals take a little getting used to, but my experience convinces me it does the job.
It is very rugged - though I always worried about breaking the bulb. I took no special precautions carrying it. Simply stowed the provided hard shell and poly-canvas carry bag in the backpack with other gear. It traveled without problem.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
Having read elsewhere that the Adventurer was hard on batteries but most people were using rechargeables, I decided to do my own testing using Panasonic Lithium Photo batteries. Thus far I have gotten about 20 liters of purification over a period of 6 days. The only time I have encountered any problems is in cold. For the first test I put the pen in the refrigerator for about 3 hours and tried to use it but it only flashed the red light saying the battery was too weak. After warming it up for 5 minutes with body heat, it performed fine. Another time I left it outside 40F for a few hours and tried it but had the same problem. Again, after warming with body heat the unit worked fine.
I was looking forward to using the Adventurer in the winter when filters freeze and chemicals take way too long. After these tests it is obvious that I will have to keep it warm or warm it up before I use it. I think it must really require a big "shot" of power and it is necessary that the batteries are warm to be able to do this.
Recommended with qualifiers.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
I bought the SteriPEN before traveling to India and Nepal. Three weeks on trains and in modest lodging, using the pen to sterilize one liter of water at a time.I learned that I had to insert it deep into the water, just a little beyond the rod, otherwise it didn't work. I used it 20 - 30 times and it took away the uncertainty about the water. I'm taking it with me to Mexico this month. It's lightweight and small, so easy to include.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
After a good friend returned from a tour in Iraq, he told me about a "sterilizing pen" that he had used while overseas. I have to admit that I was rather skeptical being a pump carrying/Iodine using type hiker, but I decided to give the thing a try (swayed by the info that other military folks in my friends unit did get sick, and the information on the Steri-Pen website as to the frequency of illness with the methods of purification I was using).
Since its purchase I have utilized the Steri-Pen on two multi day hiking trips, and have felt fine the whole time. Admittedly, I did not drink from any questionable sources, nor did anyone else in my party get sick using other methods. But with the weight being so little and the level of removal claimed by the maker being so high, I felt that this was a great purchase for someone into lightweight packing.
I will amend this entry if I do get sick in the future......
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
I maintain a shelter on the AT and am generally an avid backpacker. I first started hiking using iodine, then moved to a pump (which was horrible - clogged and was too heavy/bulky), and had been using Aqua Mira for years which is fantastic but involves mixing two parts and takes some time. It's a light weight unit and doesn't really bother an ounce-counter such as myself to carry this along. I found more comfortable carrying less water with me since I could very quickly and easily chug a half-liter anytime I passed a stream which is a nice benefit. Seems like a well made and rugged unit overall. I think the cap is hard to pop off/on.
This is one of those products that is tough to judge since it might be working and killing little critters that may have made you sick - OR - it might do nothing but you might just have not ingested any critters. I used this on my beginning of season hike to my AT shelter and it seemed to work. So far I haven't gotten sick and its been a week (which is the normal incubation period for giardia). I know that using this versus a pump or chemicals is about 1000% easier and more convenient. I'd pack along extra batteries. The batteries in the unit seem to not be terribly powerful and certainly have something to use as a pre-filter and always toss a bottle of iodine in your pack just in case. As a whole an exciting new addition to my gear.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
I purchased the SteriPEN Adventurer before taking a trip to India. While I mostly drank bottled water during my trip, I did use the SteriPEN a few times on tap water and did not get sick. (It kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses by breaking down their DNA and proteins, rendering them inert.) So, I believe that the product works as advertised. While the SteriPEN is a little bigger than you might expect from some pictures, it is small enough to fit into any luggage or backpack you might have and is easy to use. It's also much more convenient than using water purification tablets since you don't have to wait after using it. I'll take this with me whenever I visit any country with questionable drinking water.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
The product was shipped on time and ready to use. We were on our way to do a big hike and took it with us. It was easy to use to purify the water and no one got sick or the runs. The only thing you have to know is that the element used to purify does not fit in a small mouth bottle. The opening has to be at least 2 inches. Luckly we figured that out before we used it and took an adequate size bottle with us.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
My wife and I do backcountry hiking in a local wilderness area here in Colorado and the water is mostly very clear. That is the most important consideration for the use of this UV purifier. If the water is cloudy or has much turbidity, it must be filtered thus defeating its major advantage: speed.
We have found that it works as advertises and have confidence that it is actually killing the pathogens. The buyer must read the instructions to understand its operation in order to put trust in its performance.
We carry two sources of water purification in case of battery failure or we break it. Tablets take more time but will also be the lightweight option if relying on the SteriPen as a primary source of water treatment. If there were more than two of us, we would use the MSR that pumps directly into the Nalgene one liter bottle. In two summers use we have been very satified with its features: speed, size and weight.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
I bought the steriPEN in the summer of 2008 and tested it the day i received it for functionality. It worked. About 10 months later i tested it again but it didn't light up anymore. I figured i needed to change the batteries. After all, even sitting on my bookshelf for 10 months, away from heat and sunlight, can drain a battery?
I forgot about the steriPEN until seven months later when i was leaving the country again and figured having this water purifier would be helpful... so i bought new batteries (a whole set of 20 of them & it's not like i have other items that need these kind of batteries so it's been a total waste!) and tried to power the steriPEN. Nothing.
I tried contacting the company through the # they provide on their site but even during their specified "business hours" no one answered.
Sure it's been over a year, but i still think that 1. the company should provide decent customer service and technical support and 2. a product shouldn't stop working just like that.
So in conclusion:
~not reliable
~no accountability from company
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Steripen Adventurer Steripen Pack (Sports)
Get the one that uses rechargeable AA batteries if you go anywhere off the beaten path (eg. Third World countries) at all. You can't find the CR123A batteries this one uses outside of major cities there, and sometimes not even then.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
