If you’ve been reading this blog long, you’ll know I’m a big fan of the SteriPEN. A SteriPEN is a small battery powered device which will sterilize water in about 30-75 seconds. Perfect for the hiker or traveler on the go, the SteriPEN allows you to stop buying bottled water and instead bring a refillable water bottle (Tip #11) and utilize free tap water. While bottled water can be convenient, in most third world countries, and even some first world ones, there is no mechanism in place to collect and recycle the plastic bottles. They then lie strewn about city streets, in rivers and take centuries to degrade.
How Does It Work? – A SteriPEN works by shinning ultraviolet(UV) light in the water to kill any waterborne microorganisms (bacteria, parasites, etc…), such as E. coli, cryptosporidium, leptospirosis and giardia. Approved by the EPA and shown to be 99.96% effective in a single does of heavily infected water, the SteriPEN uses a tried and true method of UV light exposure in a compact form run on typical AA or CR123 batteries.
There are a number of different versions of the SteriPEN such as the SteriPEN Adventurer, SteriPEN Journey
and the SteriPEN Classic
. While each has different quirks, they all work on the same basic method:
- Press the activation button to turn on unit and get it ready
- When light is green, place in water (.5L or 1L)
- Swirl Pen while light is on (the Pen also shines a visible light to let you know it’s working)
- When light blinks green, you’re done!
The Pens are easy enough for a 5 year old to use and come with complete instructions. For more information on test run by various colleges and government agencies on the effectiveness of the SteriPEN, check out their site here.
What About Taste? – One thing the SteriPEN will not do is alter the taste of any water. This can be good or bad. For those that have taken refreshing drinks from a clear mountain stream, it’s sometimes best to keep that clean taste not tainted with the likes of chlorine pills. But if you’re taking tap water from your hotel in Kathmandu, it might be best to spice things up a little.
I’d suggest using some kind of electrolyte drink power or tablet, such as the NUUN U Natural Hydration Tabletsor Emergen-C Drink Mixes
. Just make sure they are added after using the SteriPEN. This way you get the flavor and a boost with adding in some vitamins and minerals your body can use.
What Are The Drawbacks? – SteriPENs aren’t perfect. For one thing, unlike the traditional method of boiling, hand pumps or using chlorine or iodine tablets, they require batteries. Batteries may not be easy to find on your travels or cumbersome to carry. While it would be preferable to carry rechargeable batteries, it might not always be convenient to recharge them. And non rechargeable batteries contribute in their own way to garbage piles in third world countries (don’t get me started about water contamination!). As a note, most SteriPENs will purify about 20-30 litters/quarts of water with a set of rechargeable batteries and about 50 litters/quarts with disposable batteries (test info found here).
Battery performance can also dwindle with very low temperatures. In a recent trip to Nepal, where the morning temps were below freezing, it was often difficult to get the Pens to work unless we first heated the rechargeable batteries in our hands.
The bulbs are good for 8,000 or 10,000 treatments depending on model. According to SteriPEN’s site, that’s 3 treatments a day for 7.5 or 9 years! While the bulb will last a long time, if care is not taken it can break and there goes the investment. Just like a regular lightbulb, once broken you are best off replacing it. All pens do come with a hard case for the bulb end of the Pen, though.
Conclusion – While the SteriPEN might not be the best solution in every situation, I believe it is an essential piece of equipment for any family traveling internationally. Not only will it pay for itself in time financially, it will also greatly reduce your impact during travels by not requiring more plastic water bottle be created and tossed away. I’ve personally used the Pen for my only source of drinking water for approximately 42 days last year and wouldn’t hesitate to reply on it for years to come whenever my family travels.
SteriPENs are available at a number of quality stores such as Amazon.com
.
I’d never even heard of a steripen until you pulled one out on the trail. What a great idea! Especially since my water purification tablets made everything taste so horrible.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.