SteriPEN Adventurer Handheld Water Purifier
August 28, 2008
Great for hiking and camping, this handheld water purifier destroys viruses, bacteria, and common protozoa. It weighs just 3.6 ounces with two non-rechargeable, disposable batteries (included) and purifies 16 ounces of water in 48 seconds, or 32 ounces in 90 seconds. The purifier employs ultraviolet light (UV) to destroy the DNA of microorganisms, making them unable to reproduce and cause illness. It’s effective against outdoor microbes like giardia and cryptosporidium; pathogens that cause diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, and Legionnaire’s Disease; household germs such as bird flu, E. coli, and salmonella; staph and strep; and natural-disaster risks like botulism, cholera, smallpox, and typhoid.
No pumping, no chemicals, no test strips, no timekeeping, no lubricating, and no replacement filters are required. All that is required is to push the water purifier’s button (once for 32 ounces, twice for 16 ounces), place the pen-like lamp in clear water, and stir until an indicator light turns green. Water has no aftertaste after being purified. Measuring 6.1 inches long, the purifier comes with a nylon case and a user’s guide. It exceeds U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for testing microbiological water purifiers.
Customer Review: Have not used
The pen seems to work properly, but I have not tested it on raw water as yet.
Customer Review: Lightweight but doesn’t like the cold
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. buy from here…
