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I would like to start by adding I have no affiliation whatsoever with Hydro-Photon, the makers of the Steripen. I receive no money from them nor get any favors, I am writing this solely to help those of us in the hiking community that have questions relating to the Steripen and water treatment in general on the trail.
OK, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I’ll try and answer some questions and give some general info. I posted a little information about a year ago regarding water treatment while on the trail, and he was asking for any recent information.
I decided another visit was in order, so I jumped in the car and drove the 2 hours to the headquarters of Hydro-Photon, in Blue Hill, Maine. Once there I met with Miles, one of the lead engineers that oversees the production and testing of the Steripen. Here is what I found:
The Steripen now comes in two flavors, the standard model and the Adventurer/Traveler model, which is a lot lighter. The latter uses two CR123 batteries, which allow the total weight to be reduced to only 3.6 ounces (as measured on my scale). The same circuitry and bulb are used for both, the case is streamlined and the smaller batteries account for the weight reduction.
The resistance to shock is still the same, and they test them in a “real world” scenario. This is measured by them taking them out front of the shop and dropping and throwing them around. On the hardpack gravel driveway they can sustain a drop from about head height, but on the lawn you can “actually get some height to them”, by tossing them into the air. Needless to say, they’re pretty rugged, but if hit the right way on rock, like on the end of the bulb, it can be catastrophic even at 4 feet. UV light does not penetrate glass or plastic, so the bulb jacket is actually made out of polished quartz, which is very brittle. The rest of the unit is very sturdy and built well though.
The life of the CR123 batteries is reduced when compared to the four AA batteries of the larger unit, as would be anticipated. Tested life expectancies are from 35 to 50 liters out of a set versus over three times that for the AA’s.
To date it is not compatible with the 4 micron filter element for the regular pen that screws to the top of a Nalgene. However, they have designed one for the Adventure/Traveler model, but it’s still in the testing phase. It should be out in about 6 weeks.
There is a report out from the Army that basically doesn’t like the Steripen. I have read the document online and also seen firsthand the data they sent, on request, regarding the testing. Let’s just say it’s filled with anomalies that caused me to question their testing methods. As a result of this, Hydro-Photon had their own tests done, using an independent lab and the same criteria the USEPA Protocols require (I have the report in front of me, it hasn’t even been posted to the web, but will be soon as they just got the results this week). The testing lab is NELAC and NELAP certified, among multi-state certifications, and they have a great reputation. Basically in addition to the clean water that is recommended, they ran Challenge water through it, which was pretty nasty. It has a turbidity of 33 NTU, 12 mg/L of TOC, is at 4°C (very cold, harder to treat), and a TDS of 1430 mg/L. OK, since this means little to most of you, think weak coffee. I’ll run some softdrinks and juices through my lab and come up with a comparable equivalent to put it into perspective. Basically this is pretty nasty water, nothing you’d want to drink without filtering first. Needless to say, the efficacy of the Steripen was more than enough to satisfy the requirements of the EPA’s standards for disinfection. Rest assured, the thing works.
Mention has been made as to the Aqua-Star UV pen, and I have seen one at a local outfitter store. There are a few problems with this UV device, and I would like to add it is not made by Hydro-Photon. The first is they are being sued for patent infringement, and this is currently in the court system. The second is they do not publish any of their data for any tests done, and it cannot be acquired by request. The last and most important is their UV bulb is not jacketed, so the water is in contact with the bulb. The main problem with this is that the water can cool the bulb to the point the UV transmittance is diminished, thus reducing the effectiveness. With a jacketed bulb, the bulb always maintains a constant temperature, which is needed to produce the optimal wavelength of UV light. Personally, and this is my own opinion, I’d stay as far away from the Aqua-Star as possible.
The people at Hydro-Photon are also Mainers. What I mean by this is they take great pride in what they build, and stand behind it. They aren’t some fly-by-night company looking to maximize profits. While I was there they were testing some new batteries to include in the units as they’re looking for the best ones they can get, but they have to perform flawlessly or they won’t purchase them. The Steripen has a lifetime warranty, unless you ruin it through negligence. The bulbs can be replaced at a cost of $40, but have a 5,000 cycle lifespan, so it’s unlikely they’ll have to be replaced at any great interval. If the bulb is replaced the unit is analyzed and brought back to original specs (cleaned & tested), so it’s like getting a new unit again.
The Adventurer/Traveler (the only difference is the color, black/yellow for the Adventurer and silver/black for the Traveler) also has an optional charger/carrying case you can purchase. You can recharge the two CR123 lithium batteries (supplied with the case) by either the wall mount or by the solar charger that’s made into the outside of the hard case. Inside it’s padded and holds the pen as well. While it has a neoprene sleeve with a daisy chain that it comes with for backpacking, there have been reports of it slipping out of the neoprene sleeve. We discussed making a more backpacker friendly version, and he showed me one due out in a couple of weeks that has a belt clip and locking mechanism on it. The case is also not waterproof, which we discussed, but if the case has a seal, any water vapor on the pen when it’s stored can’t evaporate and will ruin the internal components. These guys were thinking of us when they built this thing and are receptive to suggestions on making it better. The weight of the case and batteries is 6.5 ounces, for a total weight of 10.1 ounces (as measured on my scale once again) with pen and spare batteries (two also come with the pen for a total of four if you buy both), not too shabby.
I was so impressed with the unit I bought one before I even left. I also bought the hard case/charger and will fit my own hasp/lock to it (it snaps shut currently, but is without a hasp). They are out of the Adventurer model right now and they’re backordered until May, but they’re making as many as they can without compromising quality. As such I bought a Traveler model since they had a couple left.
If anyone has any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer them, both on the Steripens and for water treatment questions in general.
I have been asked in the past, so I’ll list my credentials here. I currently work at a municipal water treatment plant (lab rat and all encompassing water dog), and used to work for an engineering company, specializing in water treatment and remediation all over the northeast. I hold the current licenses, all of which are the top licenses attainable:
Maine Class IV Water Treatment
Maine Class IV Water Distribution
Maine Grade 5 Biological Wastewater Treatment
Maine Grade 1 Physical-Chemical Wastewater Treatment
New England Grade 2 Laboratory Analyst
New England Grade 4 Collection Systems
OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response 40 Hour Course
OSHA 24 Hour First Responder Course.
OK, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I’ll try and answer some questions and give some general info. I posted a little information about a year ago regarding water treatment while on the trail, and he was asking for any recent information.
I decided another visit was in order, so I jumped in the car and drove the 2 hours to the headquarters of Hydro-Photon, in Blue Hill, Maine. Once there I met with Miles, one of the lead engineers that oversees the production and testing of the Steripen. Here is what I found:
The Steripen now comes in two flavors, the standard model and the Adventurer/Traveler model, which is a lot lighter. The latter uses two CR123 batteries, which allow the total weight to be reduced to only 3.6 ounces (as measured on my scale). The same circuitry and bulb are used for both, the case is streamlined and the smaller batteries account for the weight reduction.
The resistance to shock is still the same, and they test them in a “real world” scenario. This is measured by them taking them out front of the shop and dropping and throwing them around. On the hardpack gravel driveway they can sustain a drop from about head height, but on the lawn you can “actually get some height to them”, by tossing them into the air. Needless to say, they’re pretty rugged, but if hit the right way on rock, like on the end of the bulb, it can be catastrophic even at 4 feet. UV light does not penetrate glass or plastic, so the bulb jacket is actually made out of polished quartz, which is very brittle. The rest of the unit is very sturdy and built well though.
The life of the CR123 batteries is reduced when compared to the four AA batteries of the larger unit, as would be anticipated. Tested life expectancies are from 35 to 50 liters out of a set versus over three times that for the AA’s.
To date it is not compatible with the 4 micron filter element for the regular pen that screws to the top of a Nalgene. However, they have designed one for the Adventure/Traveler model, but it’s still in the testing phase. It should be out in about 6 weeks.
There is a report out from the Army that basically doesn’t like the Steripen. I have read the document online and also seen firsthand the data they sent, on request, regarding the testing. Let’s just say it’s filled with anomalies that caused me to question their testing methods. As a result of this, Hydro-Photon had their own tests done, using an independent lab and the same criteria the USEPA Protocols require (I have the report in front of me, it hasn’t even been posted to the web, but will be soon as they just got the results this week). The testing lab is NELAC and NELAP certified, among multi-state certifications, and they have a great reputation. Basically in addition to the clean water that is recommended, they ran Challenge water through it, which was pretty nasty. It has a turbidity of 33 NTU, 12 mg/L of TOC, is at 4°C (very cold, harder to treat), and a TDS of 1430 mg/L. OK, since this means little to most of you, think weak coffee. I’ll run some softdrinks and juices through my lab and come up with a comparable equivalent to put it into perspective. Basically this is pretty nasty water, nothing you’d want to drink without filtering first. Needless to say, the efficacy of the Steripen was more than enough to satisfy the requirements of the EPA’s standards for disinfection. Rest assured, the thing works.
Mention has been made as to the Aqua-Star UV pen, and I have seen one at a local outfitter store. There are a few problems with this UV device, and I would like to add it is not made by Hydro-Photon. The first is they are being sued for patent infringement, and this is currently in the court system. The second is they do not publish any of their data for any tests done, and it cannot be acquired by request. The last and most important is their UV bulb is not jacketed, so the water is in contact with the bulb. The main problem with this is that the water can cool the bulb to the point the UV transmittance is diminished, thus reducing the effectiveness. With a jacketed bulb, the bulb always maintains a constant temperature, which is needed to produce the optimal wavelength of UV light. Personally, and this is my own opinion, I’d stay as far away from the Aqua-Star as possible.
The people at Hydro-Photon are also Mainers. What I mean by this is they take great pride in what they build, and stand behind it. They aren’t some fly-by-night company looking to maximize profits. While I was there they were testing some new batteries to include in the units as they’re looking for the best ones they can get, but they have to perform flawlessly or they won’t purchase them. The Steripen has a lifetime warranty, unless you ruin it through negligence. The bulbs can be replaced at a cost of $40, but have a 5,000 cycle lifespan, so it’s unlikely they’ll have to be replaced at any great interval. If the bulb is replaced the unit is analyzed and brought back to original specs (cleaned & tested), so it’s like getting a new unit again.
The Adventurer/Traveler (the only difference is the color, black/yellow for the Adventurer and silver/black for the Traveler) also has an optional charger/carrying case you can purchase. You can recharge the two CR123 lithium batteries (supplied with the case) by either the wall mount or by the solar charger that’s made into the outside of the hard case. Inside it’s padded and holds the pen as well. While it has a neoprene sleeve with a daisy chain that it comes with for backpacking, there have been reports of it slipping out of the neoprene sleeve. We discussed making a more backpacker friendly version, and he showed me one due out in a couple of weeks that has a belt clip and locking mechanism on it. The case is also not waterproof, which we discussed, but if the case has a seal, any water vapor on the pen when it’s stored can’t evaporate and will ruin the internal components. These guys were thinking of us when they built this thing and are receptive to suggestions on making it better. The weight of the case and batteries is 6.5 ounces, for a total weight of 10.1 ounces (as measured on my scale once again) with pen and spare batteries (two also come with the pen for a total of four if you buy both), not too shabby.
I was so impressed with the unit I bought one before I even left. I also bought the hard case/charger and will fit my own hasp/lock to it (it snaps shut currently, but is without a hasp). They are out of the Adventurer model right now and they’re backordered until May, but they’re making as many as they can without compromising quality. As such I bought a Traveler model since they had a couple left.
If anyone has any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer them, both on the Steripens and for water treatment questions in general.
I have been asked in the past, so I’ll list my credentials here. I currently work at a municipal water treatment plant (lab rat and all encompassing water dog), and used to work for an engineering company, specializing in water treatment and remediation all over the northeast. I hold the current licenses, all of which are the top licenses attainable:
Maine Class IV Water Treatment
Maine Class IV Water Distribution
Maine Grade 5 Biological Wastewater Treatment
Maine Grade 1 Physical-Chemical Wastewater Treatment
New England Grade 2 Laboratory Analyst
New England Grade 4 Collection Systems
OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response 40 Hour Course
OSHA 24 Hour First Responder Course.
