Over a decade ago I had to create, execute, and write up an experiment using the scientific method for my 9th grade biology class. I used the original Steri-Pen and treated local pond water at half the recommended time, 3/4 the time, and the full time, along with no treatment as the control. (The original water had some plant matter and visible swimming things, but was mostly clear). The water was then swabbed and put in petri dishes and incubated. The full treatment grew nothing, the 3/4 had very little growth, and the half and no treatment samples just exploded with bacteria and fungus. I think my teacher continued to use my write up as an example for future years lol. But the Steri-Pen for sure works.
I enjoy reviews of a product that has been used for six months to a year before giving ones opinion. The people who do a unboxing, read info from the insert, then give their opinion, I do not trust. Thanks Doc Ernie for your use and honest review, it’s much appreciated
Everything about your videos are excellent. Presentation, videography, content, everything! I don't know why your channel hasn't taken off like a NASA rocket? I'm thinking of trying to help spread your entertaining, excellently made, informative videos!
As a pre filter in really swampy water the 1 Micron 4"x8" Singed Polyester Felt Filter Bag PESP3S Size 3 from Amazon works really well. It can be cut to what ever size you need. Or used just like it is. Then cleaned when you get a good water source. The flow rate is good after the bag is wet , dry it's slow till it wets threw. Plus it is a 1 micron filter and can be purchased in larger micron sizes.
I lost my Steri-pen years ago and never bought another. I found I almost always boiled the water I use in the field too, so it was redundant (I always have a Sawyer too). Now that you get free replacement bulbs, it may be worth re-examining. That model is currently only $52 on Amazon right now. Thanks, Ernie. Have a great NYE tonight, if you aren't on-duty. IF you are, I hope it isn't too crazy.
Pretty nice! These are very light and with the lifetime warranty I am very interested. I already use a bandana and a milbanks as a prefilter, so this is just perfect. I boil my water most of the time, because I use a wood stove and don’t mind stoking it - it’s cozy.
I was in Cuba using tapwater from the city of Havana. I use the Sawyer mini and I made it into a gravity feed instead of squeeze bottle then I hit it with a light pen. I felt like I couldn’t be safe enough and I never had a problem. I figured if the filter didn’t get it the pen would!
5 YEARS??? Are you using the ultralight version? I did, and mine stopped working after maybe 5 liters of water (needs new bulb). Are you very careful not hitting the bulb in the side of the bottle when you stir/agitate it? I figured it would be able to handle normal use, but it did not...
@@EspenFrafalne SteriPen Adventurer, says right in the tech specs the lamp should easily purify 8000 litres, not sure what yours problem is maybe defective
@@tru3sk1ll Yeah, i guess it must have been defective... I sent a message to the shop i bought it from, asking to exchange it for a 3 liter Katadyn Befree filter. I think thats better as it is a lot quicker, and it gets rid of any particles in the water. Really liked the steripen the short time it worked though...
I had a Steripen years ago and it let me down twice. I think it was second generation. Back then if the device couldn't dry out completely then it would go into failure mode. After a week of rain nothing was dryable. After the second trip that it let me down I've been using a combination of Aqua Mira and a Sawyer Mini. The mini for immediate use every chance I get and the Aqua Mira for the canteen. This setup is what I used on the Appalachian Trail for 200 miles. This year I replaced the mini with a Lifestraw.
It really comes down to do you trust your water setup. SODIS is UV and it works but can take a very long time if it’s cold, more of a base camp thing but I still don’t use this method. I have looked at those UV pens for a long time but never picked one up. I think with your setup I would get a CNOC Vecto 2 LTR water bag, that way you can use it with your pen or filter then use the pen if you think you need to.
I love the no-pumping/squeezing aspect of my Steripen. My only complaint is that the pre-filter gets clogged too fast on dirty water. I wish the pre-filter was bigger and had a higher flowrate, would not get clogged so fast.
Try using the Sawyer Squeeze as a gravity system. So easy. Then, once your water is filtered, hit it with the UV light. Your water will be clean, clear, and devoid of protozoans, bacteria, and viruses. Cheers.
Depending on how pristine the area is, you could actually get away with drinking untreated water, especially in places like the Alaskan wilderness, or anywhere you are tapping the snow melt water, running off a mountain, or a pristine spring. Of course you could just boil water from sources that appear pristine, or that are away from civilization just to be sure. However, many rivers and lakes, and other water sources are close to civilization, and you just don't know how adversely the water has been affected, especially by chemicals, pesticides, sewage, heavy metals, and micro plastics. Many municipalities are having problems with sewer pipes bursting and breaking as the infrastructure ages, and a lot of that untreated sewage runs into rivers, and ground water! Thise facts are why I chose to use a Grayl Geopress, as it serves as a filter to remove Viruses, Bacteria, Protozoa, Parasites, Chemicals, Pesticides, Heavy Metals, and Micro Plastics! The Grayl Gropress also serves as a water reservoir, or bottle, so multi functional, and it can be stored in the water bottle pocket of your backpack! All you have to do is fill the Grayl Geopress reservoir with water, and then press down the filter assembly like a coffee press. Easy...no stirring, no squeezing! The Steripen, and the Sawyer products will not treat and purify water in the same manner as a Grayl Geopress, so although they will destroy or remove bacteria, you might be drinking a nice cup of water, with a side of plastic, lead, or pesticide! In the case of the Sawyer Squeeze, you could be drinking viruses too! In many cases the Steripen will still require some type of straining through a bag to remove all the particulates in the water. The Renovo MUV, the Survivor Filter Pro, and the Lifesaver Liberty would be my secondary choices for water filtration and purification. I would use the Steripen as a secondary source of filtration, unless I was in a pristine area, or when drinking water from a rap when traveling. Finally, as I mentioned previously, boiling water works great, but it does not remove chemicals, pesticides, or micro plastics!
Ernie, is drinking out of that water bag a good idea? Seems to me that the water on the outside could be contaminated while the water on the inside is sterile. just wondering!
Gman 1001 if you drink out of the bag your mouth will contact water from the outside of the bag that hasn’t been treated. So no. Even a drop of untreated water can make you sick.
My understanding is there there is a very minimal chance of the extremely small amount of residual water on the bag making you sick. You have to ingest a certain amount of toxin for It to harm you. Again, this is what I have done for years, and I’ve never been sick. That said, everyone has to decide what they are comfortable with. Thanks for watching.
PaleoHikerMD I actually have a degree in water quality. If you are in an area where a virus is present one drop can make you extremely ill. Yes some bacteria or micro organisms might need a lager quality, but one single virus , that is much smaller than a bacteria can have an ample amount in a drop. Usually we are not as worried about viruses in USA surface water but in the tropics you die from a virus from a single drop. The surface water in the USA is becoming more contaminated, but usually these are from micro organisms that are very treatable with medication. But if we we in a real survival situation where we can’t expect to rescued in a few days some bacteria will cause huge gastrointestinal problems. Have extreme diarrhea in a survival situation will not only dehydrate you it will also strip your body of electrolytes. I would suggest you pour to another container that has not come in contact with the questionable water.
everyday tenor it would sterilize drops because they are clear. The bulb creates sterilization by ultra violet light not heat. It would be more important if it was in direct line of sight with the bulb.
everyday tenor everyday tenor yes, he would run a real high chance of having contaminated water. Generally, if we are really being careful, as we should, it pretty much rules out sterilizing water in the container we collect the water in. Beside the water you mentioned, there is a film of water on the outside of the bag as well.Drinking or even pouring out of the bag could recontaminate it. My older steri pen in set up with some threaded adapters so it is used inverted in a bottle. But using the bottle to collect water in could still cause untreated water to be caught in the threads. They recommend flooding the threads. Normal we need a quantity of some organism to get sick. So having a drop or two is a huge problem. But! Virus are different. One virus is all it take to make you sick. Even an unnoticed drop could do it.
Im not sure if the ultralight version sucks or what the problem is, but mine (ultralight version) stopped working today, after maybe 5 liters of water. Needs new bulb - maybe because i was hitting the steripen against the side of the bottle when i was stirring it..? I really wanted this to work, but it is what it is...
I think you misunderstand the sterilization process, you can consume a few bacteria and be fine, it's not like 100% needed, even if you sterilized 80% of the water you're fine, there is bacteria everywhere, that's why you have an immune system
Reliability is a major concern The online review across boards strongly question the reliability People complain about the functional failure I would not carry it as my only purification system
I know they are great (in not silty water) but dang they arent budget friendly. Glad they could put a usb on board. Also try the cnoc bags they have a wide mouth. Not sure how it does with 2 liters
Im sure it does not kill parasites SOoo, one should also use a basic two-stage filter bottle as well. That should catch any live parasites. drinking out of a nice clear stream that has maybe fish and other things alive in it it's pretty much guaranteed that there are parasites in the water that you cannot see with your eye but a simple two stage filter a basic one will take care of those.
The steripen doesn't make sense to me. Sure, the UV kills or renders inactive the organisms that it hits, but it will miss some. The infective agents in the water can be shielded from the UV rays by other things in the water. The water will have suspended solids such as clay particles. That will block or encapsulate some germs. Small bits of organic matter will have organisms inside that will be shielded. Oily, opaque globules can be floating in there. The seams, lips, threads, stains, and imperfections of your dirty water container can block some UV rays. I don't see how that's a good replacement for" chemical disinfection, heat disinfection, or superfine filtration.
Filter with a cheesecloth first, or a bandana, and then the stirring should move the particles enough that any residual organisms would be killed and not blocked by particulates. There are plenty of studies and experiments on the steripen that show it's effectiveness. The real problem imo is the reliability seems like that's a common issue for people
The new H2GO aims to make these obsolete but boiling is so impractical. Takes way too long and many places you can't make fire. This is actually a great option. If you were really worried get a bottle of PolarPure. It uses a diluted mix of iodine water and 1 bottle will do 2000 quarts, much more than a standard bottle of purification tabs
Over a decade ago I had to create, execute, and write up an experiment using the scientific method for my 9th grade biology class. I used the original Steri-Pen and treated local pond water at half the recommended time, 3/4 the time, and the full time, along with no treatment as the control. (The original water had some plant matter and visible swimming things, but was mostly clear). The water was then swabbed and put in petri dishes and incubated. The full treatment grew nothing, the 3/4 had very little growth, and the half and no treatment samples just exploded with bacteria and fungus. I think my teacher continued to use my write up as an example for future years lol. But the Steri-Pen for sure works.
I’ve used my older model 5 months in Africa with no issues.
Don’t pull water from the surface . Gasoline and oil float.
I enjoy reviews of a product that has been used for six months to a year before giving ones opinion. The people who do a unboxing, read info from the insert, then give their opinion, I do not trust. Thanks Doc Ernie for your use and honest review, it’s much appreciated
Everything about your videos are excellent.
Presentation, videography, content, everything!
I don't know why your channel hasn't taken off like a NASA rocket?
I'm thinking of trying to help spread your entertaining, excellently made, informative videos!
As a pre filter in really swampy water the 1 Micron 4"x8" Singed Polyester Felt Filter Bag PESP3S Size 3 from Amazon works really well. It can be cut to what ever size you need. Or used just like it is. Then cleaned when you get a good water source. The flow rate is good after the bag is wet , dry it's slow till it wets threw. Plus it is a 1 micron filter and can be purchased in larger micron sizes.
I lost my Steri-pen years ago and never bought another. I found I almost always boiled the water I use in the field too, so it was redundant (I always have a Sawyer too). Now that you get free replacement bulbs, it may be worth re-examining. That model is currently only $52 on Amazon right now. Thanks, Ernie. Have a great NYE tonight, if you aren't on-duty. IF you are, I hope it isn't too crazy.
Pretty nice! These are very light and with the lifetime warranty I am very interested. I already use a bandana and a milbanks as a prefilter, so this is just perfect. I boil my water most of the time, because I use a wood stove and don’t mind stoking it - it’s cozy.
I was in Cuba using tapwater from the city of Havana.
I use the Sawyer mini and I made it into a gravity feed instead of squeeze bottle then I hit it with a light pen. I felt like I couldn’t be safe enough and I never had a problem. I figured if the filter didn’t get it the pen would!
I've had a steripen for 5 years now, never failed, and I never got sick. Only problem is the batteries die.
Solar batter bank.
5 YEARS??? Are you using the ultralight version? I did, and mine stopped working after maybe 5 liters of water (needs new bulb). Are you very careful not hitting the bulb in the side of the bottle when you stir/agitate it? I figured it would be able to handle normal use, but it did not...
@@EspenFrafalne SteriPen Adventurer, says right in the tech specs the lamp should easily purify 8000 litres, not sure what yours problem is maybe defective
@@tru3sk1ll Yeah, i guess it must have been defective... I sent a message to the shop i bought it from, asking to exchange it for a 3 liter Katadyn Befree filter. I think thats better as it is a lot quicker, and it gets rid of any particles in the water. Really liked the steripen the short time it worked though...
I had a Steripen years ago and it let me down twice. I think it was second generation. Back then if the device couldn't dry out completely then it would go into failure mode. After a week of rain nothing was dryable. After the second trip that it let me down I've been using a combination of Aqua Mira and a Sawyer Mini. The mini for immediate use every chance I get and the Aqua Mira for the canteen. This setup is what I used on the Appalachian Trail for 200 miles. This year I replaced the mini with a Lifestraw.
Let you down as in it wouldnt function, or as in you got sick?
I use mine in both my stainless canteen and my nalgene..i also have the liberty lifesaver with scavenger hose
Thanks for the videos! Keep em coming.
It really comes down to do you trust your water setup. SODIS is UV and it works but can take a very long time if it’s cold, more of a base camp thing but I still don’t use this method. I have looked at those UV pens for a long time but never picked one up. I think with your setup I would get a CNOC Vecto 2 LTR water bag, that way you can use it with your pen or filter then use the pen if you think you need to.
I love the no-pumping/squeezing aspect of my Steripen. My only complaint is that the pre-filter gets clogged too fast on dirty water. I wish the pre-filter was bigger and had a higher flowrate, would not get clogged so fast.
Would a steel water bottle or canteen improve the UV system any by being reflective on the inside?
Not needed, any container works just as well. No need to "agitate" it in clear water either.
In theory, yes, but it's probably not needed.
Try using the Sawyer Squeeze as a gravity system. So easy. Then, once your water is filtered, hit it with the UV light. Your water will be clean, clear, and devoid of protozoans, bacteria, and viruses. Cheers.
Depending on how pristine the area is, you could actually get away with drinking untreated water, especially in places like the Alaskan wilderness, or anywhere you are tapping the snow melt water, running off a mountain, or a pristine spring.
Of course you could just boil water from sources that appear pristine, or that are away from civilization just to be sure.
However, many rivers and lakes, and other water sources are close to civilization, and you just don't know how adversely the water has been affected, especially by chemicals, pesticides, sewage, heavy metals, and micro plastics.
Many municipalities are having problems with sewer pipes bursting and breaking as the infrastructure ages, and a lot of that untreated sewage runs into rivers, and ground water!
Thise facts are why I chose to use a Grayl Geopress, as it serves as a filter to remove Viruses, Bacteria, Protozoa, Parasites, Chemicals, Pesticides, Heavy Metals, and Micro Plastics!
The Grayl Gropress also serves as a water reservoir, or bottle, so multi functional, and it can be stored in the water bottle pocket of your backpack!
All you have to do is fill the Grayl Geopress reservoir with water, and then press down the filter assembly like a coffee press. Easy...no stirring, no squeezing!
The Steripen, and the Sawyer products will not treat and purify water in the same manner as a Grayl Geopress, so although they will destroy or remove bacteria, you might be drinking a nice cup of water, with a side of plastic, lead, or pesticide!
In the case of the Sawyer Squeeze, you could be drinking viruses too!
In many cases the Steripen will still require some type of straining through a bag to remove all the particulates in the water.
The Renovo MUV, the Survivor Filter Pro, and the Lifesaver Liberty would be my secondary choices for water filtration and purification.
I would use the Steripen as a secondary source of filtration, unless I was in a pristine area, or when drinking water from a rap when traveling.
Finally, as I mentioned previously, boiling water works great, but it does not remove chemicals, pesticides, or micro plastics!
Ernie, is drinking out of that water bag a good idea? Seems to me that the water on the outside could be contaminated while the water on the inside is sterile. just wondering!
Gman 1001 if you drink out of the bag your mouth will contact water from the outside of the bag that hasn’t been treated. So no. Even a drop of untreated water can make you sick.
My understanding is there there is a very minimal chance of the extremely small amount of residual water on the bag making you sick. You have to ingest a certain amount of toxin for
It to harm you. Again, this is what I have done for years, and I’ve never been sick. That said, everyone has to decide what they are comfortable with. Thanks for watching.
PaleoHikerMD I actually have a degree in water quality. If you are in an area where a virus is present one drop can make you extremely ill. Yes some bacteria or micro organisms might need a lager quality, but one single virus , that is much smaller than a bacteria can have an ample amount in a drop. Usually we are not as worried about viruses in USA surface water but in the tropics you die from a virus from a single drop. The surface water in the USA is becoming more contaminated, but usually these are from micro organisms that are very treatable with medication. But if we we in a real survival situation where we can’t expect to rescued in a few days some bacteria will cause huge gastrointestinal problems. Have extreme diarrhea in a survival situation will not only dehydrate you it will also strip your body of electrolytes. I would suggest you pour to another container that has not come in contact with the questionable water.
everyday tenor it would sterilize drops because they are clear. The bulb creates sterilization by ultra violet light not heat. It would be more important if it was in direct line of sight with the bulb.
everyday tenor everyday tenor yes, he would run a real high chance of having contaminated water. Generally, if we are really being careful, as we should, it pretty much rules out sterilizing water in the container we collect the water in. Beside the water you mentioned, there is a film of water on the outside of the bag as well.Drinking or even pouring out of the bag could recontaminate it. My older steri pen in set up with some threaded adapters so it is used inverted in a bottle. But using the bottle to collect water in could still cause untreated water to be caught in the threads. They recommend flooding the threads. Normal we need a quantity of some organism to get sick. So having a drop or two is a huge problem. But! Virus are different. One virus is all it take to make you sick. Even an unnoticed drop could do it.
Im not sure if the ultralight version sucks or what the problem is, but mine (ultralight version) stopped working today, after maybe 5 liters of water. Needs new bulb - maybe because i was hitting the steripen against the side of the bottle when i was stirring it..? I really wanted this to work, but it is what it is...
Why are you drinking from the same container you collected dirty water in?????
because it's no longer dirty once you sterilize it
@@tru3sk1ll None of the droplets near the rim or above the waterline are sterilized
Mr Selden that is what I was going to ask, what about the droplets that the us light cannot reach? Seems like a point of failure.
I think you misunderstand the sterilization process, you can consume a few bacteria and be fine, it's not like 100% needed, even if you sterilized 80% of the water you're fine, there is bacteria everywhere, that's why you have an immune system
@@tru3sk1ll people need to just educate themselves a bit more...you are correct
I m going to india and nepal, is it powerful enough to clear water thee, be it tap or river?
One on it’s way to me now...thanks!
Reliability is a major concern
The online review across boards strongly question the reliability
People complain about the functional failure
I would not carry it as my only purification system
I agree
I like katadyn
You can use a Cnoc Vecto with it.
I know they are great (in not silty water) but dang they arent budget friendly. Glad they could put a usb on board. Also try the cnoc bags they have a wide mouth. Not sure how it does with 2 liters
Im sure it does not kill parasites SOoo, one should also use a basic two-stage filter bottle as well. That should catch any live parasites. drinking out of a nice clear stream that has maybe fish and other things alive in it it's pretty much guaranteed that there are parasites in the water that you cannot see with your eye but a simple two stage filter a basic one will take care of those.
Their literature says it kills parasites.
I can see why they put that tight fitting charge port cover. Bloop oppps.
Filtering water is a standard practice, before you use any type of purification!
You can use one gallon zip lock instead 😂, ul and take few back up 😅
The steripen doesn't make sense to me. Sure, the UV kills or renders inactive the organisms that it hits, but it will miss some. The infective agents in the water can be shielded from the UV rays by other things in the water. The water will have suspended solids such as clay particles. That will block or encapsulate some germs. Small bits of organic matter will have organisms inside that will be shielded. Oily, opaque globules can be floating in there. The seams, lips, threads, stains, and imperfections of your dirty water container can block some UV rays. I don't see how that's a good replacement for" chemical disinfection, heat disinfection, or superfine filtration.
Filter with a cheesecloth first, or a bandana, and then the stirring should move the particles enough that any residual organisms would be killed and not blocked by particulates. There are plenty of studies and experiments on the steripen that show it's effectiveness. The real problem imo is the reliability seems like that's a common issue for people
You cannot guarantee a pristine water source. By the way you started this video it tells me this is not for me. Thanks
If this thing will treat 8,000 litres, that's 4 litres per day for five and a half years straight.
Viruses are my concern
UVC light kill virus
UV annihilates viruses...brah
I would feel a lot safer if I boiled my water
The new H2GO aims to make these obsolete but boiling is so impractical. Takes way too long and many places you can't make fire. This is actually a great option. If you were really worried get a bottle of PolarPure. It uses a diluted mix of iodine water and 1 bottle will do 2000 quarts, much more than a standard bottle of purification tabs
Anyone else here from joe Rogan?
Looks like a lot of work..............Next time use a Life Straw.
Jump cuts are so hard to watch
Life is gonna be tough for you young man
No need to "agitate" clear water, in particular in such a small container. None.
А по русски нельзя что ли рассказать ?